Before she got the opportunity to audition for the role of Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things season 5, Nell Fisher hadn’t seen the show. The reason is relatable for anyone who’s ever been a tween.
“My mom thought that Stranger Things would be too scary for me—but really, for herself,” the now 14-year-old actor tells Glamour.
But then she suddenly had the perfect excuse—so naturally she binged the entire series.
“I was beyond excited because I watched the first episode and was like, Oh my gosh, how extraordinary it would be to be in this,” she remembers.
The bingeing paid off. Fisher, who was raised in the UK and New Zealand, and has lived all over the world due to her mom’s job as a diplomat, landed one of her first major roles as the new actor playing Mike and Nancy Wheeler’s little sister in the final season of the Netflix series.
While Holly has been a minor character thus far, she becomes a major player in season 5, when she is befriended by Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) in his human form, Henry. Vecna soon kidnaps her and gravely injures her parents, ensconcing her in a version of the Upside Down that also includes, we learn, the consciousness of Max (Sadie Sink).
Holly’s journey in the final season is nostalgically reminiscent of how the series began, as the core gang of Stranger Things kids were around Fisher’s age in the first season. And though Fisher was admittedly nervous to step into their shoes, she said castmates, such as Finn Wolfhard and Sink, immediately put her at ease.
“The minute I stepped onto set, all of the previous generation of castmates were so lovely and welcoming, and they taught me through their experiences,” she says. “They’re such a lovely group of people, and it is such an honor to be able to take this on.”
Fisher chatted with Glamour about diving into ’80s pop culture, perfecting the role of Holly, and what we can expect from the final chapter of the show.
Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler and Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler.Courtesy of Netflix
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