Nearly a decade after his career as a child actor was jumpstarted by Stranger Things, Noah Schnapp wants to see more mental health resources available for his industry peers.
The actor recently revealed that after thinking he didn’t need it as a “happy-go-lucky kid,” he’s since gone to therapy, which he agrees with Ariana Grande that it should be mandatory for children in their line of work.
“It’s hard to grow up in the public eye,” he told USA Today. “You don’t know yourself, you haven’t figured anything out, and now you’re expected to know everything and have all the answers.”
Schnapp continued, “I was constantly saying the wrong things or being embarrassed by not taking certain things seriously that I should’ve, and then that lives on forever. People grow and learn, and to do that publicly is not easy.”
Debuting its series finale on New Year’s Eve, Schnapp was 11 when filming Season 1 of Netflix’s Stranger Things, which kicked off its five-season run in 2016.
“Through the years, it becomes like, ‘No, this is an abnormal life and you need some type of support system outside of your parents,’” said Schnapp.
“Growing up, I never understood why people were depressed or turned to drugs or had eating disorders. As you get older, you understand how the pressures of Hollywood can create that,” he added. “I always tell my parents, ‘I could never live in LA. I think I would get lost.’”
With the first four episodes of Stranger Things, Season 5 now available to stream on Netflix, the next three roll out on Christmas, with the two-hour finale dropping on Dec. 31.
