Linda Hamilton has been a big fan of Stranger Things since the show premiered on Netflix in 2016, but if it had been completely up to her, she might not have played one of the main antagonists in the show’s fifth and final season. For one thing, she told her agent she was retiring. The other thing is, she doesn’t watch her own work, so being on the show means she doesn’t get to see it.
“There’s a part of me that would rather watch than perform,” she says. “So while I’m reading the script, I’m watching everything because you’re never going to see it on screen or see it unfold.”
Not much is known about Hamilton’s character yet other than that she is a military scientist named Dr. Kay. When she interviewed Variety in July 2024 during production as part of the magazine’s October 15 cover story, she was already donning a wig and costume and was about to film a scene involving Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven. During a break, she talked about why she wanted to retire, why she was so relieved to meet Brown, and how she almost sabotaged her own chance to appear on the show.
So, are you a big fan of the show?
I!
From the beginning?
From the beginning, and it never subsided. I know a lot of people who watched season 2 or 3 and immediately checked out. I don’t know why, I just find it fascinating.
What is it about the show that you love so much?
Yeah, the concept is great and reminds me of the 80s, but it’s actually Millie. She is absolutely amazing to watch. I’m just a huge fan of hers. That’s really true.
Have you met her before?
I had never met her before. And, truth be told, I was hoping she wasn’t some little diva who was somehow completely tarnished by her early success. And I wasn’t disappointed. she was very nice. And it’s really good.
I loved her right away. Thank God she’s not an asshole. She is so genuine and as talented as I have witnessed. She gets it, hey, that girl gets it. So she invited me to her trailer where I met her family and all the dogs. Not all the dogs, but apparently there are about 10 more that I’ve never met. She’s open and kind and sweet and everything we want in a young leading lady, right? I’ve worked with some kids, not that she’s kids now, but by the time I worked with her from the beginning to the third time, the kids had just become assholes. Because in this job, if you don’t keep your head on your feet, and it’s hard to do that when you’re a kid, it’s easy to get really full of false notions of what’s important, but she seems to be grounded in what’s really important. I’m just proud of her.
So, what was your reaction when you received the call that you would be participating in this season?
It’s funny because I probably called my agent a month ago and said, “Hey, I have to retire.” I was heading to Vancouver to film Resident Alien and I had a really bad problem with my hip. That’s enough. The previous year, I had traveled from New Orleans to Vancouver eight times during that season. It’s really difficult. And I thought, I can’t take it anymore. And of course my agent was like, “Oh, that doesn’t make any sense.”
Then he called me and said, “Stranger Things called me and asked me if I was available. And I said yes.” So I laughed and thought no one would take me seriously. He signed me for a year.
Have you talked to Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer?
I had to meet the Duffer brothers on a Zoom call, which I shouldn’t say out loud, but it was like sabotage. I was informed that I would be meeting with them, but it won’t be until next Friday. So, seven long days passed, and somehow the 3 o’clock Zoom call became a 5 o’clock Zoom call in my mind. I’m ready, but I’m going to take some time off to clear my mind and stay strong. When I wake up at 3:15, I get a bunch of messages saying, “They’re waiting for you. Where are they?” I completely lost track of time. I mean, what kind of gross self-sabotage is that?
So I faked it and said my computer was downloading the new Zoom. I mean, what does it say? When I met the Duffer brothers, I was a mess. I haven’t checked my hair. I’m like a madman mashing buttons. I would like you to check the toolbar. I don’t even know what a toolbar is. It was a disaster. Then I finally got them and there was no audio. And I figured it out. And he said, “I hear you’re looking for a scientist.” At that time, I was the furthest thing from being a scientist. But they were a lot of fun. There are a lot of men who just say, “Fuck you, if she doesn’t show up on time, we won’t wait.” So it was a bit of a fiasco. But it worked.
How does producing this show compare to what you’ve done in the past?
It is beyond vast. In fact, for the first time in my career, I had trouble interpreting a schedule. There are many pieces. But I’m looking forward to this whole year and I’m ready. I get excited every time I come. But sometimes it’s, “Do they need me this week or next week?” The schedule is released piece by piece, so you might have three weeks to figure out what’s going on, but it’s complicated. And then bully them for just getting through it. Really, it’s so huge.
How does its complexity compare to other largest projects you have done?
Just one more thing I couldn’t figure out what was going on. It’s time to retire, Miss Hamilton! —The last Terminator (“Terminator: New Fate”). There were so many huge stunts and special effects in that show. They have to show us the pre-visualization of how it will be laid out. I had never done previs before, but it saved our lives. It’s like, “What are we falling into? What are we falling into? From what?”
What is it like working with the Duffers?
they are cold They are a very well-built machine with only two people, but they have a great network around them. I hadn’t seen a lot of cameras and grips and people, so I found out all about how this works as a team – how it works as a team that has been working together for many years. It’s just amazing to look at. They are quiet, thoughtful, and fun. So my first day was kind of crazy. I can’t explain it well, but I’m wearing a mask, but it’s a mask from the 1980s, so it doesn’t have elastic. You literally have to tie it up, but the whole first scene, which was very complicated, was just pulling the mask down and putting it back on with the wig to make it look real. I had a lot to do during my first week on the job, quite a bit of work indeed, and it was all about this damn mask. We cut most of it off and burned it at the end of the day.
Have you ever observed how they talk?
Who wouldn’t want to see their work done? They’re just a team. I have twins.
This is what I was leading with.
Yes, those twins sparked my imagination. What happens when you partner up with twins? Do they read each other’s minds? Can you finish each other’s sentences? I don’t know them well enough, but something tells me. They each have something they bring to the other to make each other stronger.
So what was it like going from being a big fan of the show to being an insider on the show?
It’s like taking the joy out of me because I really like watching it. There’s a part of me that would rather watch than be in it. Because when I’m in it, I can’t see it. I don’t look at my work. I can’t separate myself and my critical inner man from the people who just enjoy it and watch it. And this show is so much fun to watch. So while I’m reading the script, I’m watching everything. Because you’ll never get to see it on screen and see it unfold.
Building it is great. I’ve never been happier, I’m really happy to be a part of it. support. I don’t care. But it’s completely different. I mean, it’s not like I imagined it would be different, because yeah, it’s obviously huge. And you’re in it knowing it’s a game, and you’re just a small player. In fact, the first week I thought it would be impossible to do this entire scene. It was a huge scene. I was like, “There’s no way I’m going to start with that.” There’s a huge amount of stunts and special effects and all that. I keep using that word, but it’s true.
And I realized that almost every scene they play is vast. For me it’s huge, but for them it’s something they do every day. There’s a part of me that was a little intimidated to join a show that already had a certain rhythm and momentum and all kinds of history that I didn’t share. And once you’re inside, you can feel as if you’re really a big-time scammer walking in.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
