Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp has come out as gay after being “scared” for years.

The 18-year-old US actor shared the news with his fans in a video posted on TikTok after telling his family and friends.

“When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was ‘we know’,” he wrote.

In the clip, he is lip-synching to a woman’s voice as she says: “You know it never was that serious, it was never that serious, quite frankly we will never be that serious” – a common trend on the social media app.

Schnapp rose to fame for playing Will Byers in the hit Netflix show, alongside Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder and David Harbour.

Following the final two episodes of the Stranger Things season four finale, he revealed his character was gay and in love with his best friend Mike, played by Finn Wolfhard.

Although not explicitly stated in the show, Schnapp told US publication Variety: “Obviously, it was hinted at in Season 1: It was always kind of there, but you never really knew. Now that he’s gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing.”

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He alluded to his on-screen character’s sexuality in his TikTok video, captioning it: “I guess I’m more similar to Will than I thought.”

His performance on the show has been applauded by many, and won him the People’s Male TV Star award in 2022.

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