Millie Bobby Brown Admits Growing Up on 'Stranger Things' Left Her Struggling With One Major Life Skill

Millie Bobby Brown says growing up on Stranger Things made her struggle with social skills later in life.

"Well, I didn't go to public school, so maybe a bit of socialization," the actress shared on the July 28 episode of the "Happy, Sad, Confused" podcast.

The Enola Holmes actress spoke about how limited interaction with peers during her formative years has influenced her.

She said, "Sometimes, when fans come up to me, they’ll be like: ‘Millie!’ And I’ll be like, ‘Ahh!’ And it’s not because I’ve … It’s just I don’t know how to react sometimes to people my own age. I have a harder time."

The Electric State actress revealed that her childhood was quite different from that of most kids, as she was raised in an environment filled with adults involved in behind-the-scenes film and television production.

"I grew up with primarily men on crews — let’s change that — men over 40 years old," Brown clarified. "I heard a lot of adult talk growing up, and didn’t really talk about the things you’re meant to talk about as a kid."

Rather than chatting about school, hobbies, or teenage experiences, she noted that most discussions focused on production work.

"You hear, Where's the grip? Let's grab a ladder, you know, that's your whole conversation," she recalled.

Brown then explained that while she can discuss filmmaking for hours, casual social topics are more difficult for her.

The 22-year-old added, "So I could talk to that person extensively for hours about different lens changes and shots, but I can't talk to you about, Oh my g---, what bars do you like around this area?! I'm like, I don't know. So I do lack a little bit of that."

Brown shared that her husband, Jake Bongiovi, has played a significant role in helping her become more outgoing. She described Bongiovi as "the most social butterfly" and noted that he is her "complete opposite." "He went to boarding school and college, so he is like a social butterfly," she explained. "When I met him, I really tried to lean in more to that. So I'm in my social era."

Brown also discussed the importance of safeguarding her mental health, sharing that she removed social media from her phone in 2021 and now relies on her manager to manage her accounts.

She stated, "I couldn’t do it anymore. So I needed to hire someone, for my mental health, to take care of it for me."

"I still want to feel connected to my fans … I don’t want to see what people have to say about it because I don’t care," the British actress further clarified.

In another part of the discussion, Brown reflected on her farewell to Stranger Things, in which she played Eleven across all five seasons from 2016 to 2025.

She confessed, saying, "It was very hard for me," admitting that she went through "a slight depression."

"I would not have expected that coming off of the show. I’m a very happy-go-lucky person," the Damsel actress concluded.