13 Little Known Facts About Millie Bobby Brown
Prior to landing the breakout role of the psychokinetic youngster Eleven in Netflix's hit "Stranger Things," Millie Bobby Brown wasn't exactly a stranger to the screen. In addition to starring in the 2014 BBC thriller series "Intruders," she also landed one-off appearances in popular shows like "NCIS," "Modern Family" and "Grey's Anatomy."
However, it wasn't until 2016, when millions were introduced to Eleven and the mysteries of the Upside Down, that the actress was truly catapulted into the spotlight. At only 11 years old, Brown began to navigate an unprecedented level of fame, with the masses clamoring to know all that they could about the British star.
While many aspects of her life — like her birth country of Spain and childhood friendship with "Dance Moms" icon Maddie Ziegler — have become common knowledge among fans over the years, there are still some tidbits about Brown that they might not know about. Read on to discover little known facts about Millie Bobby Brown.
Shaving her head for Stranger Things was life-changing
When preparing to shoot "Stranger Things" Season 1, Millie Bobby Brown wanted to fully commit to the character of Eleven, who has endured a lifetime of hardship and confusion thanks to her "Papa," Dr. Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine). While other girls her age are worried about school, boys and looks, Eleven is only concerned with surviving.
That's why, for Season 1, the actress actually buzzed her hair off, while hailing this decision as transformative. She said in an Instagram post (via W Magazine), "The day I shaved my head was the most empowering moment of my whole life. The last strand of hair cut off was the moment my whole face was on show and I couldn't hide behind my hair like I used to ... As I looked at myself and couldn't see my old self, I realized that now, I have a job to do and that is to inspire other girls that your image or exterior part is not what I think is important."
Though Eleven did revisit the buzz cut look in Season 4, when she returned to Dr. Brenner in an attempt to save the world, a wig was used instead. Though Brown still likely stands by the message of love over looks, she did have other projects coming up, like "Enola Holmes 2," and therefore couldn't commit to such a radical look a second time.
The Duffer Brothers discovered her via Stephen King
Out of all the roles on "Stranger Things," Eleven proved the most difficult for show creators Matt and Ross Duffer to cast. It's a very serious part that, unlike the four lead boys who are extremely outgoing and chatty (especially during their Dungeons and Dragons sessions), requires a powerful on-screen presence with few words spoken.
After struggling for some time to find the perfect actress, the Duffer Brothers were made aware of Millie Bobby Brown and her talents thanks to a tweet by one of their biggest idols, Stephen King, who enjoyed her work in "Intruders." King posted, "Millie Brown, the girl in 'Intruders,' is terrific. Is it my imagination, or are child actors a lot better than they used to be?"
Once they began working with Brown on the set of "Stranger Things," the Duffer Brothers knew that King was correct. They gushed in an EW article, "She inhabits every moment so intensely, with some alchemy of intelligence, preparation, and instinct. By the end of production, we found ourselves listening to Millie as if she were one of our most seasoned adult actors."
She is partially deaf in one ear
From birth, Millie Bobby Brown has always had trouble hearing, as she's partially deaf in one ear. She shared in an interview with Studio 10 that this proved difficult on the set of "Stranger Things," where she needed to be able to hear directions. "I would have to have [assistant directors] or [production assistants] near me to say 'action' because they'd have to say it really loud or make a sign so that I could watch them because I would never be able to hear them," she explained.
Brown admitted that the Duffer Brothers, who speak in a normal register, were very difficult to hear. However, she had no trouble with another director: "With Shawn Levy, who's really loud, he goes, 'Action!,' and I'm like, 'I can hear you now.'"
Due to her hearing loss, Brown sometimes isn't fully aware of what she sounds like when acting or — in another favorite pastime — singing. Still, she doesn't let the possibility of sounding less-than-perfect deter her from following her passions. She told Variety, "If you like to do it, if you genuinely enjoy doing it, then do it. No one should stop you."
Her Stranger Things co-star Noah Schnapp is a close friend
After spending numerous years together battling Demogorgons and other threats from the Upside Down, the cast of "Stranger Things" has certainly become one big happy family. However, for Millie Bobby Brown, one co-star holds a particularly special place in her heart: Noah Schnapp, the actor behind Will Byers.
Despite Eleven and Will not having much interaction in early episodes (he was trapped in an evil alternate dimension after all), Brown and Schnapp formed a strong friendship behind the scenes. They're regularly spotted on red carpets together (they even held hands at Netflix's FYSEE event in 2018), celebrate each other's birthdays, and enjoy adorable FaceTime calls featuring hand hearts.
In fact, Brown was one of the first people that Schnapp came out to in 2023. Upon hearing the news, she was more than supportive. Schnapp told Variety, "I kept trying to do it in person with her, and it was too hard. So then I just FaceTimed her one day in the middle of a Party City and I was like, 'Millie, I'm gay.' And she was like, 'Oh, Schnapper! You told me finally!'"
She's the youngest UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
In 2018, at the age of 14, Millie Bobby Brown was already a household name thanks to the success of "Stranger Things." Still, Brown didn't embark on a Hollywood career for only fame and fortune. She wanted to use her ever-growing platform for good, and in turn became the youngest person ever to be named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In this role, Brown works with the organization to ensure that all children, even those in the world's most disadvantaged places, have access to education, healthcare and other life essentials.
Upon joining the lineup of other high-profile Ambassadors like Orlando Bloom, Shakira, and Brown's hero, Audrey Hepburn, she said, "As I stand here now, millions of children do not have access to education. Millions don't have a safe place to call home. Millions don't have nourishing food, vaccines or clean water to keep them healthy or strong. It's my wish that every child, no matter where they live or the circumstances they were born into, have the chance to be heard."
Stranger Things co-star Finn Wolfhard was her first kiss
"Stranger Things" gave Millie Bobby Brown a lot of "firsts" in her life: her first major hair transformation, her first Emmy nominations and her first kiss. Regarding the latter, Brown revealed in an interview with Extra that the quick peck shared between Eleven and Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) in Season 1 was the first time that she ever kissed a boy.
However, it's not exactly a fond memory for her. In the same interview, Noah Schnapp recalled, "There were like 200 people in the room just staring," to which Brown responded, "And also our parents were there." As if an audience didn't make the situation awkward enough, Brown revealed in a lie detector test on "The Drew Barrymore Show" (via ET) that Wolfhard was a pretty bad kisser.
Looking back, Wolfhard tends to agree. He admitted to Drew Barrymore that he essentially headbutted Brown in that scene, but gave himself the benefit of the doubt: "I was 12. I probably would've done the same thing if I was not on-screen in front of the entire world."
She got sick of Eggo waffles
When Eleven escapes the lab and is forced to navigate her new surroundings in Hawkins, Indiana, not much can make her feel at ease — that is, except for Eggo waffles. She simply can't get enough of the breakfast treat, and at one point even steals an armful of boxes from the local store. Yet behind the scenes, Millie Bobby Brown quickly had her fill of them.
When asked in an interview with Aaron Paul (via Elle) to rank Eggos on a scale of one to 10, she didn't hesitate to give the waffles a massive zero. She said, "They are absolutely disgusting. I liked them at first. I was like, 'Oh, this isn't too bad!' It was just the amount of times I was doing it — seven or eight times. And then I was like, 'Okay. Now I need a spit bucket. I'm going to throw up.'"
She runs her own Gen Z-geared beauty brand
In 2019, at the age of 15, Millie Bobby Brown launched her very own beauty brand, entitled Florence by Mills (Florence is the name of her great-grandmother and Mills is a nickname of Brown's). The company is vegan, cruelty-free and geared toward fellow members of Gen Z, who she felt didn't have a skincare and makeup line geared specifically toward them and their needs.
"I guess I could never find anything that I liked to put on my face and it felt good. I'd take off my makeup and boom, another pimple would appear," she told WWD. "There are multiple different products I've put on that weren't good for me. Some of those were anti-aging, and I was 10 years old." Florence by Mills skincare includes Spot a Spot Exfoliating Acne Solution, Clear the Way Clarifying Face Wash and Brown's personal favorite, Swimming Under the Eyes Brightening Gel Pads, just to name a few available items. Customers can also purchase makeup, fragrances and comfortable clothing, such as the Cozy Crush Boyfriend Tee and Cozy Crush Sweet Pant.
Skincare items are priced between $10 and $36, with bundles also available for a higher cost. A portion of the proceeds from Florence by Mills benefits the Olivia Hope Foundation, formed in memory of Brown's late friend Olivia Hope LoRusso, who died in 2017 from acute myeloid leukemia.
Hannah Montana helper her perfect her American accent
From Kate Winslet in "Titanic" to Charlie Hunnam on "Sons of Anarchy," British actors have long been honing American accents for certain roles. This also holds true for Millie Bobby Brown during her time on "Stranger Things," though her learning strategy was likely a bit different from Hunnam and other stars.
For Brown, she was able to hone her American accent thanks to hours spent in front of the television watching "Hannah Montana." She said on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," "I watched 'Bugsy Malone' and 'Godfather' when I was like eight, and my parents were watching all these movies with me, and I was like, 'Yeah, but 'Hannah Montana' is Oscar-nominating.' It's so good, 'Hannah Montana' is the best, the film, everything."
Brown added that she can pick up pretty much any American accent via television, as long as she spends enough time watching the show. In addition to a spot-on Miley Cyrus, she can also sound just like her "Stranger Things" co-star Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, particularly in the emotional Season 1 scene when her son Will contacts her from the Upside Down.
She and her now-fiance Jake Bongiovi met through Instagram
Ever since romance rumors began swirling in mid-2021 about Millie Bobby Brown and her now-fiancé Jake Bongiovi, many wondered how these two came to be acquainted in the first place. Was it through mutual friends? At an event? In a segment for Wired, Brown revealed, "We met on Instagram, the old Instagram. And we were friends for a bit and then, what can I say?"
The two went Insta-official in November 2021, when Brown posted a photo of the two looking smitten on the London Eye. After more than a year together, they announced their engagement in April 2023, with Brown quoting Taylor Swift in her post: "I've loved you three summers now, honey, I want 'em all."
For Brown, that unexpected Instagram friendship-turned-romance changed her entire outlook on life. She told Glamour that, for as long as she could remember, her one dream was to become a mother, not necessarily a wife. But as she explained, "After meeting Jake and seeing, 'Oh, I don't have to be this stereotypical wife for him. He doesn't want me to be that either. He wants me to go and do my thing and live my life, and he will hold my hand in the process of that.' I was like, 'Oh, I do want this.'"
Her friendship with Drake is controversial
Since 2017, Millie Bobby Brown and Drake have shared an unlikely friendship, which has raised some eyebrows given their nearly 20-year age difference. However, the two simply clicked upon meeting backstage at one of his concerts in Australia, with Brown even leaning on the musician for advice about boys prior to the Jake Bongiovi engagement.
Brown issued a lengthy statement to the critics on her Instagram story (via Cosmopolitan). It said, in part, "Why you gotta make a lovely friendship your headline? You guys are weird ... For real. I'm lucky to have people in the business to extend their time to help me further my career and offer their wisdom and guidance. I'm very blessed to have that in my life. You don't get to choose that for me."
Drake is also standing by his friendship with Brown, and references the naysayers in his song "Another Late Night." The lyrics start off, "Weirdos in my comments talkin' 'bout some Millie Bobby ..." (via People)
Her therapy dog helps with her anxiety
It's practically impossible to star on one of the top shows in the world and not be changed by the experience. Prior to becoming a global sensation thanks to "Stranger Things," MIllie Bobby Brown considered herself a confident and carefree kid. However, as her fame and following grew, and she became the focus of public comments both good and bad, her mental health worsened. Brown said on Miley Cyrus' "Bright Minded" in 2021, "Maybe since I've turned 15, about two years ago, I just started having really bad panic attacks, really bad anxiety, and I just struggled with it really bad."
In an effort to feel better, Brown adopted a therapy dog named Winnie the Pooh, who is able to comfort her in times of stress. It took some convincing to her parents, since the family already owned three English Mastiffs. Still, Brown needed a furry friend that she could hold and play with, and tiny Winnie the poodle was just what she needed.
Winnie accompanies Brown in her travels, including to the set of "Stranger Things," so that she can feel a sense of home wherever she is. On Winnie's first visit during a script read-through, as Brown said on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," "She was just spoiled, so I feel like she's got plenty of godmothers and godfathers around her."
She's a successful producer
From her work with UNICEF to her Gen Z-targeted skincare line, Millie Bobby Brown has been using her platform for good in a variety of ways over the years. This also includes launching PCMA Productions, the company behind films like "Enola Holmes 2" and "Damsel."
Her mission with the company is to create projects that are inspiring to the masses. In "Enola Holmes 2," for example, viewers are able to witness Enola's (Brown) quest to prove herself as a talented detective, just like her elder brother Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill). "As a producer, I am very interested in creating meaningful stories. I love big messages to reach wide audiences," she said in an interview with A.Frame. "I love telling real stories."
Behind the scenes, Brown is also proving herself to be a formidable producer. She said, "I obviously am a young girl in an industry that's very much a male-dominated one. So I work hard at trying to prove myself to others, especially producing the film. I really wanted to prove that I was capable of doing and fulfilling that kind of position."