The End of Eleven: Millie Bobby Brown Closes the Stranger Things Chapter and Prepares for Her First Magical Christmas as a Mom

The final curtain is poised to fall on one of television’s most culturally seismic phenomena, Stranger Things. For the young cast who started as mere children, the journey has been nothing short of life-defining. In an exclusive and deeply personal interview, stars Millie Bobby Brown and Noah Schnapp—Eleven and Will Byers—sat down to reflect on a decade spent within the Upside Down, revealing the bittersweet emotional toll of saying goodbye, the evolution of their iconic characters, and the exciting new personal chapters waiting just beyond the small town of Hawkins.

The overriding sentiment is one of profound change. As Millie Bobby Brown, now a young woman, pointed out, she has spent “half my life” on the set of the Duffer Brothers’ masterpiece. This staggering reality colors every recollection and contemplation of the final season. It is a fact that encapsulates not just a long-running television commitment, but the literal coming-of-age of an entire ensemble cast in the public eye.

The Bittersweet Farewell to a Childhood

For both Schnapp and Brown, the culmination of Season 5 represents more than a career milestone—it is the closing of a foundational life chapter. When discussing the emotions swirling around the final goodbye, Schnapp captured the collective feeling: “It’s really bittersweet.”

He was quick to clarify that this sadness is not all-consuming; it is tempered by a palpable sense of “excitement in looking forward to what’s next” and the prospect of “walking these next steps of our careers.” Crucially, they are dedicated to “bringing these friendships along with us.” This confirms what fans have long suspected: the on-screen chemistry and deep, familial bond between the actors is genuine. While the scripts will stop, the relationships that were forged during those impressionable years will endure. Still, the act of saying goodbye to the characters they’ve embodied for so long, and the routine of the set, was admittedly “really sad and hard.”

The magnitude of the experience is perhaps best understood by the sheer volume of time invested. Millie Bobby Brown articulated the depth of her connection, stating simply, “I just don’t know what my life would be without the show.” Its impact has been immense, shaping not only her professional trajectory but her personal identity. She described the current moment as “very surreal,” but one marked by profound gratitude: “I’m just so blessed and so grateful that I was able to be a part of it.”

Will Byers Steps into the Center Stage

For Noah Schnapp, the final season promises a major payoff for his character, Will Byers, who has long been the emotional core and, often, the silent casualty of the Upside Down’s menace. Schnapp shared that Will is set to be a “big focal point of season 5,” a development that he is both excited and nervous about.

He expressed genuine joy at the opportunity to elevate his role in the final narrative. “I’m just so grateful and excited for the fans to see,” he said, revealing that it was “such an honor to have that opportunity in the final season to kind of showcase a different side of Will that I’d never played before.” This statement suggests that Will’s long-simmering trauma and complex emotional arc will finally receive the focus they deserve, offering Schnapp a thrilling new dimension to explore after years of playing the more passive or victimized role. His gratitude extended to his co-star, adding, “I love love getting to share the screen with this pretty girl,” underscoring the foundation of friendship that makes their on-screen work so powerful.

The Private Evolution of Eleven

Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven is arguably the emotional and literal center of the entire series. Her growth has been inextricably linked to the actor’s own development. Brown explained that playing Eleven was an inherently organic process because “she’s just grown up with me.” The character has become so deeply ingrained that a part of her “will always be a part of me.”

This unique relationship made her acting choices feel “very easy” because she was able to use her “own inner voice, which is kind of her,” to inform her performance. Unlike other roles where an actor might “question yourself” or “confide in others,” Brown felt an innate sense of direction with Eleven. She describes this connection as “very innate in me,” allowing her to “not second-guess myself very often.”

Looking ahead to Season 5, Brown teased a significant evolution for the telekinetic hero. She revealed that the final arc “definitely pushed me,” noting that Eleven is “definitely a lot stronger than she’s ever been” and “more opinionated.” The change is rooted in her character developing a “stronger point of view,” which Brown greatly admires. Most intriguingly, she is excited for the audience “to see her stronger in a more of a human way and less as a superhero way.” This suggests a grounding of the character, moving past the fantastical powers to focus on the emotional strength and agency of the young woman she has become, promising a more relatable and profoundly moving performance for the final stretch.

Debunking the Director’s Chair Rumors

While rumors have swirled that Millie Bobby Brown might follow the path of many successful actors into the director’s chair, the star took the opportunity to set the record straight—with a funny concession. When confronted with the suggestion that she had expressed interest in directing and had been described as “a bossy girl,” Brown immediately defended herself against the directing claim, laughing: “I didn’t say this.”

However, she readily embraced the description of her personality: “I am bossy, though. I will agree with you. I am, I am really bossy.”

Despite her decisive nature, the notion of directing remains a question mark. “I don’t know if I want to direct,” she admitted. In fact, she’s found a growing appreciation for collaborating with others. “I have realized that the more I get older, that the excitement of just being able to meet new directors and collaborate. I don’t think I have to be in control of everything. I actually like letting the reins go a bit and kind of fall more into the character of it all.”

Her true passion behind the camera, she confirmed, lies in producing. “Producing I love,” she stated, enjoying the process of being able to “have my hands in” the creative development while still maintaining the freedom to “leave and get to be a character.” It seems, for now, she is content with the dynamic balance of shaping the project and executing the performance, keeping the bossy director ambitions firmly on the back burner. This candid discussion provides a welcome peek into the star’s evolving priorities and the realization that control is not always necessary for creative fulfillment.

Adding a humorous detail to her self-proclaimed bossiness, Brown also shared her strong opinions on party planning. She loves to “decorate parties,” but her ideal celebration involves a swift exit: “I just like to decorate and then leave right before it starts… nothing good happens after midnight.” This insistence on an early retreat provides a lighthearted contrast to the high-stakes world she inhabits on screen.

Advice to Their Younger Selves

In a moment of poignant nostalgia, the pair were shown a clip from one of their very first interviews, prompting a reflection on their younger selves.

When asked what she would say to “baby Millie,” Brown’s first piece of advice was entirely focused on her appearance in the clip: “Your hair’s going to grow into a cute bob, don’t worry.” She laughed, explaining that her younger self was “frightened” by her haircut. Beyond the hairstyle, however, Brown was confident: “Baby Millie’s got that down. She has, she’s chilling, she has got that down.” It’s a powerful validation of her journey, suggesting that the core spirit and drive of her younger self needed no course correction.

Noah Schnapp’s advice was more focused on inner resilience. He paused, considering the pressure of growing up in the spotlight, and said he would tell his younger self to “just like, don’t let that spark die. Don’t let—like Millie always says this—don’t let anyone dim your light.” He acknowledged that their “large personalities” were sometimes “too much for a lot of people,” making the directive to “not let anyone dim it” a necessary, powerful mantra for thriving in the unforgiving world of fame.

The Magic of a First Christmas

The final, and perhaps most heartwarming, topic of the conversation turned from the fantastical horrors of the Upside Down to the simple, profound joy of family. Millie Bobby Brown revealed she is looking forward to her first holiday season as a mother, marking the end of the year with a series of personal “firsts.”

Her plans are dominated by one enchanting, traditional thought: “Santa’s coming!” Her excitement is clearly authentic and infectious, focusing on the pure, unadulterated magic of the season. Her traditions are fully formed and ready to be shared with her baby girl, even if the infant “doesn’t understand much yet.”

Brown detailed her meticulous preparations with an enthusiastic twinkle, saying, “I’m going to freak out the moment, you know, Christmas Eve hits. I’m checking the windows, checking the doors. I have a fireplace, we have to leave carrots by the way.” She noted that becoming a mother hasn’t eliminated her own childlike joy for the holidays; in fact, it has elevated it. She still engages in the traditions she has always loved, admitting she has “been secretly making my parents eat the cookies to make me think that Santa’s,” proving the fun is in the pretense as much as the outcome.

Her excitement is deeply rooted in the shared experience yet to come: “I think once she does [understand], it’s going to be exciting for the both of us.” She concluded with a tender acknowledgment of the present moment, recognizing that while gift-giving is difficult for an infant, this first Christmas is fundamentally about intimacy and connection. “Right now it’s just all the cuddles in the world,” she stated, smiling. This first Christmas is “all about Mommy and Daddy, very excited, very excited.”

As Millie Bobby Brown and Noah Schnapp prepare to step away from the global phenomenon that has defined their formative years, they are clearly not walking away empty-handed. They depart with a bond of friendship, a legacy of groundbreaking performances, and, in Brown’s case, an entire new, deeply personal world of holiday magic awaiting her at home. The conclusion of Stranger Things is bittersweet, but the next chapters for its stars are shaping up to be every bit as exciting, meaningful, and, quite literally, full of Christmas cheer.