Stranger Things has been something of a phenomenon since its blockbuster first season back in 2016 on Netflix as one of the streaming service’s most popular shows. Nearly ten years and five seasons later, the original series has just wrapped up.
One of the principal cast members, Finn Wolfhard, launched his career with the series and has since appeared in films like It, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and his feature directorial debut, Hell of a Summer. In light of that success, Wolfhard made a surprising admission in an interview with Variety — that he views acting as “less competitive” than other pursuits.
When mentioning a big-screen role that he didn’t get, Wolfhard remarks, “I don’t think I’m a very competitive person. Part of the reason why I started acting was because maybe it felt less competitive.
Of course, many in the acting profession would say that the challenges of acting are compounded by competition, both internal and external. In fact, Wolfhard explains that he sees the casting process as competing against himself, not against other actors. He says, “It’s really hard not to take it personally because they’re literally not casting you because of you. The way to do it is to separate and compartmentalize. In the last few years, I’ve auditioned for stuff. I definitely don’t enjoy that part. I like proving myself, but it’s never fun to go through the process of ‘You’re too short’ or ‘You’re too this or that.’ Because then you’re just thinking about ‘Oh, what am I?’ And then that’s why actors get so in their head and crazy.”
