Noah Schnapp talks about Will Byers' big moment in 'Stranger Things' finale

Noah Schnapp says he had been waiting years for this moment. 

In Stranger Things season 5, Will Byers finally comes out as gay — a storyline Schnapp knew was coming but didn’t see until the final scripts arrived.

After reading the script for episode seven, titled The Bridge, Schnapp says the moment hit him hard. “I read it alone and just cried and I was like, ‘It’s perfect,’” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

The coming-out scene appears near the end of the episode and was filmed during a long, emotional 12-hour shoot with most of the main cast present. 

Schnapp said sharing the scene out loud helped him feel ready. “It was a little bit of a weight off my chest reading that scene aloud with everyone. I felt like, ‘Ok, I can do this.’”

Because the show’s creators kept later episodes secret, Schnapp didn’t know exactly when the moment would happen. “I read one through six at the table read and thought, ‘OK, it’s not in here. So it’s going to be in seven or eight.’”

The scene also closely mirrors Schnapp’s real life. To prepare, he revisited his own coming-out memories. “I reread a lot of coming-out texts that I had sent when I was going through it myself.”

Now, as Stranger Things heads into its final episodes, Schnapp hopes Will’s journey helps others. “I hope all the young Wills out there feel empowered to be proud of who they are and not be scared.”