The warm welcome in Sala Truffaut made NATALIA DYER AND CHARLIE HEATON feel “Upside Down”: 800 youth singing “The NeverEnding Story” and waving smartphones’ lights literally left speechless the two actors starring in Netflix cult series Stranger Things. After receiving the Experience Award, they thanked the jurors: “You’re amazing! We hope to be back in Giffoni very soon”.
They almost couldn’t believe their own eyes and ears while replying all the questions they were addressed by teens aged 13 to 18 coming from Russia, Greece, Armenia, Australia, Belgium and the temple of cinema, Los Angeles.
CHARLIE HEATON AND NATALIA DYER bewitched the giffoners with lots of behind the scenes of hit NETFILX SERIES STRANGER THINGS, which stars both of them. A flashback to the ‘80s, as the actors explained themselves: “A decade that, seen through today’s eyes, looks quite charming”, Heaton said, while according to Dyer “Stranger Things offers an overall picture of that period, told through a long line of movie references, focusing on a bunch of people who would have never been together had not they been caught in the middle of something bigger than them all”.
Audience showed deep interest in their carriers and how they got to be cast as protagonists of the series. Dyer, who had already started her acting career in community theatre, was jogging when she got the news that she had got the part on the NETFLIX series. “People around me must have thought I was mad” – she told the jurors with a broad smile. On the other hand, Heaton revealed he had never planned to become an actor. “As a little child I dreamt of a creative career. I started acting just to gain experience, then I came across the Stranger Thing script and I was impressed, I made a connection with the character of Jonathan right away”.
The Stranger Things huge success took them by surprise, too: “When you are shooting, you never know whether the series is going to be a hit or a miss. But it’s been amazing to be directed by the Duffer brothers, right from the start. It’s a tight-knit team of amusing, quiet people. They’ve been able to create such a climate and a feeling which enable us to work and have fun at the same time. They are a fantastic duo, who’ve decided to make a show on the things the youth love most. They’ve grown up with us, creating a working team who’ve become a big family. It’s so good and totally unexpected to feel surrounded by all this love”.
Last but not least, the debate included some mention of the actors’ future plans. As for Heaton’s they’re very close at hand: “I’d like to stick around for a while and visit the Amalfi coast”, he revealed, while Dyer asked her young fans for advice, remarking that “Being an actor is a bit like being a freelancer: there’s a certain amount of planning but basically you have to navigate by sight”.
“We’ll see where this success takes us: Stranger Things is going to end sooner or later, but we don’t know what the future holds in store", they concluded. Needless to say, the giffoners hope to see them back at the festival with the rest of the cast.
