Picture courtesy of Netflix and Quinney
Braxton Quinney started his acting journey at just seven years old, playing a doorknob in a local production of Alice in Wonderland. Now, the middle schooler is stepping into the recording booth to voice the fan-favorite character Dustin in the upcoming animated series, Tales from 85.
The young actor’s path to the Upside Down involved a secretive audition process in the fall of 2022 , an unexpected Zoom call during a school day in May 2023 , and a surprising connection to live-action Dustin actor Gaten Matarazzo through their shared musical theater roots. In this interview, Quinney discusses bringing a new leadership dynamic to Dustin , taking off his shoes to act out scenes in the booth , and the supportive direction from showrunner Eric Robles.
This is an extended interview, which we used alongside other cast members for our Meet The Cast feature that went live earlier in the week.
How did you get into voice acting?
I started off with a background in musical theater both locally and then auditioning for Broadway and national tours. I was 7 years old and cast as a doorknob in a production of Alice in Wonderland for my first show. I remember the director saying that I would be really good at voiceover and at the time, I had no idea what that was or what she was talking about. I booked my first voiceover job around 9 years old and fell in love with going to the recording studio and stepping into the booth. To me, the cool thing about voice acting is that no one cares about what you look like, you can just go into the booth, shut the door and completely turn into the character you want to be.
What was the process like to be cast in Tales from 85?
I actually got this audition back in the fall of 2022, but it was listed under a fake name and included a list of fake characters and a story breakdown, so at the time, I had no idea it had anything to do with Stranger Things. The audition asked me to voice whichever character I wanted to after reading the description/breakdown of each character. I’m naturally drawn to the comedic character, so I remember auditioning for the character that had a sense of humor because I thought that it fit my personality the best. After I sent in the audition, I didn’t hear anything until late January of 2023, when I was asked to come and do a scratch record for the project. When they revealed what the project actually was, I was floored and completely surprised.
I remember being so nervous when I came in to do the scratch record because there were so many people on Zoom watching me in the recording booth. After the scratch record, I heard nothing for months and assumed they had given the role to someone else, but I was honestly just so excited that I had even been considered for such a huge part. After hearing nothing, my mom unexpectedly checked me out of school one afternoon in May of 2023 and told me they had asked to put me on Zoom for a quick audition for another role. I knew nothing about the “other role” but was excited to log onto Zoom and audition again for them. Once they had me on Zoom, they told me that they wanted to offer me the role of “Dustin” in the Stranger Things animated series. I don’t even remember what I said in response because at the time, it didn’t even cross my mind that I would book something like this or that I was even still being considered for it. I’m still completely honored and grateful for the opportunity Eric Robles and the Tales from 85 team gave me.
Picture: Netflix
Were you a big fan of the show before being cast?
Yes! I’m a huge fan of Stranger Things, but I was pretty young when it first started coming out, so I didn’t actually start watching the series until right before this audition came in, and then immediately got hooked. When I was about 8, I got a callback for the role of Gavroche in Les Misérables and came across an older online clip of the Les Misérables kids, and I saw Gaten Matarazzo in that video. At the time, I had no idea he was involved with Stranger Things, only that he was the young Gavroche and that his online video had helped me prepare for my callback. Once I started watching the show, I instantly had a newfound connection because I had remembered watching Gaten years ago and loved the fact that he also had a background in musical theater.
What did you see as the core personality traits of Eleven and Dustin before you started working on the show?
I think I was immediately drawn to Dustin’s character and personality in the live-action show before I started working on the animated series. I loved his sense of humor and occasional sarcasm. He’s a team player and thinks outside of the box. He’s not the most popular kid in the school, but that’s one of the things I like about the show. The story focuses on an ordinary group of kids who just like being kids, but then turn out to be heroes.
How did working on the show change your view of Eleven and Dustin?
I was in middle school when I first started recording for the show, and it kind of put the storyline and characters into a different light because I was the same age as the characters. Middle school can be tough, and the relationships, even with your friends, can change day to day, even minute to minute. You might bicker about silly stuff and then be back to being best friends by the end of the school day. I think it is was fun to see how Dustin navigated this period as I was also doing the same. While working on the show, it made me see Dustin more as a normal middle school kid and not just a character in a series.
What’s your favorite thing about your character and why?
I LOVE the character of Dustin. He’s funny, sarcastic, and always has a good one-liner. I think behind all that, he’s got a good heart and would do anything for his friend group and that’s probably what I like most about him. He’s not fixated on being the most popular kid but totally owns who he is.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 (L to R) Jeremy Jordan as Steve and Braxton Quinney as Dustin in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2026
What did you want to bring to the role that hadn’t been shown in the live-action series beforehand?
In the live-action series, Dustin was a huge part of the group and was always up for an adventure. I think, in this role, Dustin takes on a more leadership role and personally seeks out the adventures. I see him as the mastermind behind a lot of the activity. I wanted to show that Dustin always had something to say about any situation, but that he also had some softer moments too. I think the show digs into his character a little more, especially since it is set in a specific timeframe of his life.
What’s the best piece of advice or direction that the show runners gave you?
Eric Robles is the amazing, super-talented showrunner of Tales from 85. I was star-struck just going into the booth and being able to work with him and his whole team. Eric was always so positive every time I was in the booth. I was clearly super nervous when I first started, and anytime I would mess up, Eric was right there saying, “You got this, you ARE Dustin.” He ended every session saying something encouraging and cheered me on the whole time, which to this day has been super impactful. To get in the groove of the show and all the action, I would always stand up to record in the booth, take my shoes off, and full body act out all the drama as I recorded. When Eric would give directions, he usually stood up and mimicked them too, standing up and getting into all the action. He had such an amazing vision and really helped to talk it all out to me, scene by scene, as we recorded.
What is your dream voice acting role?
It sounds silly, but this/Dustin is actually my dream role. I think it makes it even more special that I had no idea what I was auditing for initially, and just voiced the character and brought my own personality into it. I still have to pinch myself that I’m even a part of this series alongside this amazing cast. I’m just your average kid who goes to school and would have never envisioned being given an opportunity like this. If I had to pick another dream role, it would probably be The Lego Movie. I’m a huge Lego fan and would love to be the voice of something in a Lego Movie.
