The scene fans waited 10 years for
In a December 25, 2025, Variety interview, Noah Schnapp finally spilled everything about the most emotional moment of “Stranger Things 5.” Since the Netflix show first launched in 2016, audiences could tell Will Byers stood apart among the characters. His disappearance in Episode 1 became the heartbeat of the series, and even as the group grew up and found relationships, Will stayed on the outside.
Fans theorized about Will’s sexuality for years, especially after his Season 4 breakdown over trying to explain his feelings to Mike. Things took a turn for Season 5 Episode 7, titled “The Bridge,” where the world heard what Will and the fans have been wanting to say for years. Will says, “I don’t like girls,” a line Noah calls “perfect” and one that launches Will from scared kid to supernatural hero.
Noah Schnapp says they spent 12 hours filming Will’s monologue in ‘STRANGER THINGS’ Season 5 Vol 2 and another 12 hours on reshoots
The Duffer Brothers say it was the scene that took the longest to write for the entire season
(Source: https://t.co/3uMyX23pJf) pic.twitter.com/7sggCgzOWp
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 26, 2025
Filming that took everything out of him
Noah Schnapp told Variety he received the script in August or September this year. He texted Matt and Ross Duffer constantly asking when the moment would happen, and when he finally read it, he cried. Shooting the scene was intense, as it took a 12-hour day and then another week later for a second 12-hour session, just reshooting. The actor said the monologue had more lines than he had ever spoken in the show. He leaned on co-star Maya Hawke for prep tips since the emotional weight was real. Noah Schnapp publicly came out in 2023, which made connecting to Will’s vulnerability feel deeply personal.
“Oh my God, it was endless. It was like a 12-hour day of just that monologue. And we weren’t even done after the 12-hour day. We came back a week later to reshoot certain parts of the scene for another 12 hours. It was like, ‘Oh my God, how many more times can I do this scene?’ But it was also nice because it allowed me to try so many different things. I never felt stuck to anything. I got advice from Maya on how to prepare for it, because there were so many lines, more lines than I’d ever had before.”
Why he says Will does not call himself “gay”
One detail he personally discussed with the Duffers was the wording. He told Variety that in the 1980s, it could have felt terrifying to say the word “gay,” especially as a teenager at that time. According to the actor, Will tells his friends, “I don’t like girls” because it feels safer and more honest in that moment.
“Yeah, I noticed that and I spoke to the Duffers about it specifically. We have to remember that it’s the 1980s. When I came out, I didn’t say the word ‘gay.’ It’s hard, and it feels scary to say it. In the ’80s, I can’t imagine how much more pressure there was and how much more there was to lose. When Will is first coming to terms with it in front of his friends, he’s probably scared to use that word, but there’s nothing wrong with it. I think he just felt more comfortable phrasing it that way.”
He also reflected on closing out his decade with the series and now having younger actors on set who look up to him. He said playing handshakes with them made him feel twelve again and reminded him how far the cast has come from the beginning of this Upside Down journey.
