While Eleven’s fate was left up in the air at the end of Stranger Things season 5, the character is returning to us in a new form in new spin-off Tales from ’85.
An all-new cast is taking over in the animated series, which is set in between seasons 2 and 3 of the original show, with Brooklyn Davey Norstedt set to play Eleven after Millie Bobby Brown originated the role.
Speaking exclusively to Radio Times about taking on the role and how her Eleven is set to be different, Norstedt explained: “I didn’t want to do a complete imitation of Millie’s performance, because that kind of takes all of the heart and humanity out of it. I don’t want to be a robot!
“It was definitely an interesting balance. I know I don’t have powers, and I wasn’t raised in a lab, but there are a lot of ways that I personally relate to Eleven and her journey, and I felt like I was really able to connect to her.
“She feels everything so deeply and extremely and I felt like I was really able to bring that vulnerability to the character. That that was a big part of who I am, that I infused into the role.”
“Eleven is learning who she is, and she’s learning to speak up for herself,” Norstedt added. “So we talked a lot about having that assertiveness and firmness. She wants to make choices for herself, so we leaned a lot into that specific part of her character.”
Part of Norstedt’s performance also included spontaneous moments and improvised lines, which showrunner Eric Robles was eager to keep in the show to emphasise how young the characters are in Tales from ’85 compared to when we last saw them in season 5.
“I always felt so free to try whatever I wanted to try on a line. Sometimes I would add little parts just just to see where it lands,” she said. “Sometimes it gets used and sometimes it doesn’t, but a lot of the times I would look back and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, they used this improv that I added.'”
Plus, as a Stranger Things superfan, Norstedt was very happy to do her research.
“I really did heavy research, just watching the show over and over again and learning who Eleven is at her core,” Norstedt said. “I wanted to honour Millie Bobby Brown’s portrayal of the character, but also just learn who Eleven is and bring her to life.”
“The little things are very important to me,” she added. “I watched season 2 the most because that’s the closest to where she is in the series. I really wanted to make sure I nailed where she is, because she’s learning her place in the world, she’s learning who she is, she’s learning how to speak. I wanted to make sure I kind of captured that moment in time.”
As for how Norstedt views Brown and her performance?
“She’s been such a big inspiration to me for a long time, not just her portrayal of Eleven, but also as a person,” she said.
“I love her so much, and I know the fans do too. I really wanted to honour that portrayal and all that she put into the character, because I know that she cares about Eleven just as much as I do.”
Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 will air on Netflix on Thursday 23 April. All Stranger Things seasons are available to stream on Netflix now.
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