Feeling strange! Viewers have seen their favorite shows, from Mike and Eleven to Lucas or Max. Stranger Things characters grow up — and fall in love — right before their eyes.
Sadie SinkAs Max, Max moved from California to Hawkins, Indiana. I joined the Netflix series for the second season. Max quickly attracts Lucas’ attention (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), but Mike (Finn WolfhardWill (Noah Schnapp) aren’t totally sold on letting a girl into their group.
“I knew the big following Stranger Things had and I really liked the show, but even if I hadn’t known what the show was, I still really related to the character and I really liked the material,” Sink told The Hollywood ReporterNovember 2017. “I loved how she had this backstory where things are not easy for her, but she’s still super tough. That was something I liked. She could be feisty and funny at times, too.”
Even though she was new to diehard fan when she made her season two debut, the actress was familiar with McLaughlin as well as Matarazzo. “We were on Broadway at the same time,” she told the outlet. “Caleb was in Lion KingGaten was in Les MisI was in Annie. From that, we all knew each other. It’s cool. It’s interesting how three little Broadway kids all ended up on the same show.”
When the boys weren’t fighting off supernatural demons, they were fighting for Max’s affections. Eventually, she and Lucas share a sweet kiss during the school’s winter dance — and the scene was a pretty big deal for the duo in real-life.
“I had a bunch of people around me and, like, extras and everyone just watching,” McLaughlin recalled to Teen VogueIn early 2022, he confessed that he had his first kiss on camera. “And they had, like, the music on, and everyone’s, like, waiting for it to happen. It’s a lot of kids [being] like, ‘Oooh, you’re gonna kiss her!’ And I’m like, ‘Bro, stop. We’re acting. You’re making it bigger than it actually has to be.’”
Sink, for her part, bragged that she had a “pretty incredible” first kiss story. “It’s amazing to be with one of your best friends in this amazing ’80s decked out gym,” she told Heat magazine in 2021. “Kind of cool. I’m not mad at it!”
Executive producer Shawn LevyHowever, he had a different story. “The kids were mortified shooting those kisses,” he told Glamour2017 “Mortified! It was a tedious task because the steady camera was constantly moving. If the camera was in the wrong place, you wouldn’t see the kiss.”
Season 4 Stranger Things will dive even deeper into Max and Lucas’ relationship — and will be scarier than ever before. “The kids are obviously, like, we’re a lot more mature now,” Sink teased on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonIn May 2022. “The show has kind of matured with [us]In a way. And Max, you know, she’s not doing too hot. You’re kind of getting to see her in, like, her emo phase a bit.”
Scroll down to relive Max and Lucas’ ups and downs in Hawkins:
