During promotions of the 5th season of Stranger Things, Caleb McLaughlin gave an interview revealing he was actually carrying Sadie Sink in the new episodes for Vol. 2, creating one of the most moving scenes of the series.
In conversation with Entertainment Weekly, the actor talked about this scene and the feelings he wanted to convey, and he confessed, “I have the honest privilege to be working with such an amazing actress to help me get to that level of emotion or an understanding of emotion.”
Caleb McLaughlin talks about the behind-the-scenes of Lucas taking Max to the hospital basement, revealing, “People would think it was a puppet or something like that, but it was Sadie,” surprising many fans with their strength and discipline, as “it was a lot of takes.”
“My arms were getting tired, not because she was heavy, because she wasn’t. It was how many times we had to do it. It was a great challenge, not just because I had to hold her, but also because of the fear of trying not to be caught by the demogorgons and also worrying about if she would hit her head or if I was holding her correctly because she was in a coma, and still worrying if she was going to wake up, but then also having that fearless energy, that bravery that Lucas possessed. He’ll do anything for her.”
Caleb reveals he was actually carrying Sadie Sink in Volume 2.
"People would think it was a puppet or something like that, but it was Sadie. It was a lot of takes. My arms were getting tired, not because she was heavy because she wasn't. It was how many times we had to do it. pic.twitter.com/HX2Jrrjq8U
— Stranger Things Memes (@SThingsMeme) December 26, 2025
On social networks, fans reacted to this revelation with comments of praise for his performance and love for the characters’ bond: “Lucas and Max nailed this scene… We all felt the emotions 😭😭,” “Must’ve been a workout,” “Amazing effort! Did this experience change Caleb’s approach to acting in future scenes,” “You had my respect Man!!!!”