We put the actress, who plays Nancy on the show, in the season’s best retro denim, and got as much intel about Season 2 as we could get. Spoilers ahead (sort of…)!

If you’re part of that small minority who hasn’t seen Stranger Things (*yet*), Natalia Dyer could easily pass as your average New Yorker. The actress, who plays Nancy on the hit Netflix show, is almost eerily chill as she arrives at our office, revealing she just walked here from her apartment and that her adorable gingham pants are actually from Zara. She doesn’t even seem to notice that people are silently freaking out as she walks around, scoping out the place. Coveteur’s crew is clearly made up of big binge-watchers.

But that’s part of what makes Natalia so great: She doesn’t act like the massive star that fans of the show see her as, and instead laughs over her love of Anastasia and willingly endures a game of Heads Up. It also made her the perfect person to play dress-up with, as she modeled our favorite ’70s- and ’80s-inspired denim trends in the most effortlessly cool way.

And about this location: New York gallery/showroom The Future Perfect gamely let us play house in their secret space, which was designed by Leilani Zahn with lighting works and sculptures by her husband, Karl Zahn. All the furniture is De La Espada, and between the pinky-mauve hues, Zahn’s hanging brass sculptures, and that crazy floral print, it was the perfect place to imagine Nancy in an extremely glamorous alternate universe.

Along with our chat about her newfound fame, style, and, of course, the show, which finally returns for season two on Oct. 27.

Do people get angry at you for the whole Barb thing?
“People are like, ‘What about Barb?’ I’m always scared to say it because I’m scared of what the reaction will be. I’m like, ‘She—did you not? She died. You saw it. We showed it very graphically, too.’ It’s really funny, but the funniest thing about it—well, not ha-ha funny—but I think the fan response actually really shaped the second season and Nancy’s plot line. I’m not sure if the brothers or anybody were really aware of Barb’s importance. It was definitely a surprise, but important. In hindsight, you’re like, ‘Yeah, of course!’ And especially for Nancy. A huge part of her story line is losing her best friend.”

I feel like people can see a little bit of themselves in Nancy and a little bit of themselves in Barb:
“My thing is, I get like, ‘Ooh, it doesn’t look good for Nancy,’ from that perspective. But we all have those moments of being a bad friend. And Nancy had no idea. If she thought, ‘Oh, there are monsters running around out there, maybe I shouldn’t let Barb go home by herself,’ of course she would’ve stopped her. And you know, judgment’s the first thing to go when you’re drinking. But I think that’s why Barb resonated with us; we’ve all—even me, of course—we’ve all been Barb. We’ve all been the friend. And I would like to think that we’ve all kind of been Nancy, or we’re a little selfish here and there and we’re a bad friend, occasionally. It was just really unfortunate timing.”

Part of the reason the show is popular is because of its different and powerful portrayal of females. Is that refreshing for you?
“Definitely. I end up reading for a lot of roles that, on paper, come across like Nancy does on paper—like, 16-year-old, kind of going through some angsty changes, and boys, and a first sexual experience. I don’t think that age is always treated with as much respect. I always try to throw props to the writers, to the brothers, really. It’s great that they haven’t discriminated between the genders, as far as who gets to do badass things and who gets to be emotional. They’re just telling stories with these characters.”

The cast seems super close as well:
“I think everybody really cares about what they’re doing and making something good, and they genuinely respect what everybody else is bringing to the table. In my mind, that’s part of the magic of making something that is ‘successful’—genuinely wanting to be there and wanting to make something cool together. So yeah, we’re all really close, and I miss them when we’re not hanging out. Also, for the most part, most of us were relatively unknown before this came out, so we all had that crazy experience of ‘Oh my god, this is insane.’ That overnight ‘Oh my gosh, this is crazy. Does this happen to you? Me too!’ It’s nice to have that kind of solidarity in the craziness that can be fame, celebrity kind of a phenomenon.”

Are you recognized on the street? What’s that like?
“It’s really bizarre and it’s really changed my whole perspective of other celebrities. I came across this quote the other day, and it was basically like, ‘Fame is a million people having the wrong idea about you.’ All of a sudden, everybody thinks that they know you, but they forget that people you go up to, they have no idea who you are. Honestly, I feel like I could just go back to school and study that whole sociological thing. One of the most frustrating things has been people coming up—and I get that they’re nervous, sometimes they’re shaking, which is really crazy—but sometimes people run up to you and have their phone all ready, and they’re like, ‘Can I get a picture with you?’ That’s the first thing they say. And I know it’s such a delicate moment for them in a way, but also as a human, you’re kind of like, ‘Who are you?’ If that had happened to me before this came out, I’d be like, ‘No!’ It’s just a weird, strange thing…Stranger Things! [laughs]. You don’t ever want to not be grateful, and it’s nice to be liked because I think as actors, that’s the thing—at the end of the day you want to at least be respected for what you do and what you put out in the world. But sometimes you feel like all they want from you is a picture. They just want the proof that they met you, and you’re like, ‘I’m a human. I’m a person.’ So that’s been something to kind of deal with, I think for all of us. We’ve talked about it on the show. It’s hard, and do you say no? When do you say no? Do you have to say yes? Where do you draw the line? Still figuring all that out I guess. Trying to take it case by case. Kids you can’t really say no to. Kids are too endearing.”

What is your style like normally?
“I’m very much a jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes, sunscreen, lip balm, just wash-and-go kind of a person. I think there are definitely parts of this business that pressure you to always be put together. Especially when people are constantly like, ‘Can I get a picture with you?’ And you’re like, ‘Oh, man. I look like a twelve-year-old boy right now. Great. Yeah, let’s get a picture.’ I don’t know, I can’t be bothered with it most of the time. But it is fun to do things like this photo shoot and red carpet events, where you feel so glamorous and you feel so girly and that’s nice. But yeah, I have mostly t-shirts in my closet.”

Do you have a favorite denim trend?
“I was just saying I really want to find some high-waisted, flare, bell-bottom stuff. [I like] overalls because they’re really easy. And I have maybe four denim jackets. I’m always for throwing on a denim jacket, honestly. Denim’s great, isn’t it? Somehow it ended up as this ubiquitous material that can go with anything. I’m all about easy. I’m all about casual, easy—denim is definitely a friend of mine. High-waisted, too. It’s funny to think about owning non-high-waisted pants. Everything is high-waisted in my closet. It’s just more flattering! There’s something about it that feels better, it’s more flattering, I’m way into it. It’s my favorite ’80s trend.”

You were talking a little bit about Anastasia and Princess Diaries before. Care to explain?
“I was constantly pretending as a child, and I was constantly pretending that I was a princess. I was constantly in a plastic crown and plastic high heels and a dress and demanding people call me a different name. I could spend hours and hours, by myself, pretending. I think I always kind of wanted to be something different, grander. I also grew up watching a lot of Disney princess movies, which in hindsight I’m like, ‘There aren’t always good messages for little girls in that.’ But that was very much how I grew up, watching those princess movies. There’s something very exciting and glamorous about this different life. Anastasia was one of my favorites. I actually think that’s 20th Century Fox, but she was pretty badass. She was sassy and figuring out her own life. I was pretty determined that I was something greater and bigger than just this girl from Nashville.”

And now you’ve created that!
“One of the best things about being an actor is hopefully, if the opportunity comes up, you can be anything you want to be. I always say my dream would be something like a Million Dollar Baby, where you have to really learn something else, learn to be somebody else that’s so different, that you might never, ever have learned or known. It’s such a privilege of the job if that comes up.”

GLOW season 2?
“GLOW season 2, bring me on man! I’ll wrestle. Sure, why not? I’m there. Sign me up.”

Source: Coveteur

In 2016, Americans and beyond were terrified by a looming, evil presence on their television screens… And no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump at the presidential debates, but rather the diabolical “Demogorgon” on Netflix’s runaway smash hit, Stranger Things—the show we all binge-watched (and rewatched) this year.

Hearkening back to the nostalgic Steven Spielberg-era family horror of the ‘80s, Stranger Things became, ironically, the least strange and most comforting escape in a world gone mad when it premiered on the streaming service over the summer. Its cast of endearing, relatable kids anchored the show’s otherwise dark and conspiratorial premise with a sense of levity and heart. Natalia Dyer was one of those kids—or rather, teenager.

Playing Nancy Wheeler, the high school-aged big sis to Mike, the Eleven-crushin’, Dungeons and Dragons player trying to unravel the mystery of his disappeared friend, Dyer’s character started off as the typical vision of any early ‘80s cinematic coming-of-age teen girl: an eye-rolling, boy obsessed princess caught between the worlds of popularity and authentic friendship. Facing incredible danger, however, Nancy quickly evolved into one of the show’s most badass feminist players alongside Winona Ryder’s desperate, relentless Joyce Byers and Millie Bobby Brown’s fierce fan-favorite Eleven.

Below, the Nashville-bred, New York-based actress and I converse about what it was like landing her life-changing gig, getting caught up on ‘80s cinema (a decade she never personally experienced), learning how to navigate the industry with grace thanks to a certain iconic co-star, and, of course, justice for Barb.

Can you tell me a little bit about growing up in Nashville and the art scene there?
I was born and raised in Nashville. Looking back on it, it’s such a pleasant place to call home. Of course it’s known for music [but] I was never in the music scene. I got started in the local community theater scene, which is really lovely. When I was younger, there wasn’t a whole lot of film work. Just little things here and there. Now, I guess, it’s starting to pick up, as is the rest of the city. It’s kind of blowing up every time I go back, which is as often as I can. My family is still there, my friends are still there. So, I go back as often as I can. It’s really exploding, lots of people are moving there. There are new things every time I go back. But it still has a very nice, mellow, Southern pace of life, which is the best thing coming from the city.

You attended the Gallatin School at NYU. How did you enjoy that?
It’s good. Technically, it’s still going! [Laughs] I had to start and stop here and there for work stuff, but it’s wonderful. It’s probably the only way I could sanely do college. I can’t see myself living in a big campus situation. And the way Gallatin works is that it’s like design your own major. There’s a lot of freedom to do exactly what you want to pursue and where your interests take you. It’s a blessing and a curse! I tend to wander with that a little bit. It’s so fun. They’re very nice to me there, very lenient with my schedule.
That’s good, because I’m sure your schedule is gonna get even crazier.
[Laughs] Yeah, I think so. I already tentatively signed up for fall classes and I was like, ‘I might have to take a leave of absence… again.’

One thing that I read about Stranger Things was that the Duffer brothers were very particular about the kids they chose for the cast, which I thought was really cool. You guys, the teens on the show and of course the younger kids, are the heart of the show. What was that audition process like for you?
It’s funny. At that point in time I was just super… I was moving out of my dorm, I was very stressed out. I remember, from the first audition I went in… but I came out of it feeling terrible about it. I don’t know, something about the vibe, I told myself, ‘There goes that one.’ So yeah, I was surprised to get a callback. And the callback felt pretty similarly bad! Magically I somehow got cast. And it was crazy and wonderful and scary and exciting. In the room, I didn’t actually meet the casting director, Carmen Cuba, who is wonderful, obviously. But I didn’t get to meet her until I was on the third audition. It just kind of crept up on me, actually, which is nice.

That’s so funny to me because I feel like you were so perfectly cast in that role, like it was tailor-made for you. What’s interesting, too, about your character is that she is not the typical victimized, damsel in distress teenage girl. There’s a lot of strength to her.
Yeah, absolutely. I’m so happy with the way Nancy turned out. The response to her is really satisfying. A lot of times, there’s a lot of damsel and victim roles around. It was nice for me to get to play a girl who finds her strength, who is really courageous and does cool things. I was really happy with that. I hope that I brought that to life in some way. Nancy is all badass. I always love to give credit to the Duffers for giving the backbone to that character.

When I was watching the show, she reminded me of another famous ‘80s Nancy character, the protagonist of Nightmare on Elm Street. Have you watched that film?
Yeah! That was actually a big part of my homework, because I hadn’t seen it. They were like, “You gotta watch this, and you gotta watch that!” It took some guts, because I know it’s kind of gory. That lovely ‘80s gore that’s kind of hilarious, but also gross when you watch by yourself. That scene is something else. Yeah, I think they actually reference that character a couple of times. It’s a different vibe, but I think there’s definitely some inspiration there.

You’re 21, but I was born in ‘89, literally the last of the ‘80s babies. But I did grow up with a lot of the films that inspired Stranger Things. I’m sure you’ve seen some of them as a kid, too. Were there certain ones that you hadn’t seen that you watched to prepare yourself for the role?
Yeah, I definitely spent some time [watching films like] Nightmare on Elm Street, Poltergeist, Close Encounters of the Third Kind… I hadn’t seen things like Pretty in Pink or Sixteen Candles. Our time period is a little more early ‘80s. There is a big difference between early ‘80s and late ‘80s. Early ‘80s is more of that ‘70s vibe. But yeah, I had to give myself a little bit of time to catch up. My mom, it’s funny, I think it was the biggest time of her life in the ‘80s! So I kind of grew up talking about the fashion, music and dancing… ‘80s everything with her. It was nice to experience that. It’s enjoyable, fun and [there’s] an innocence to that time period. It’s a pre-iPhone, pre-technology era. It’s nice to play around in that mindset.

That’s so true. I feel like one of the funniest scenes in the first season is when Hopper goes to the library and he’s looking for newspaper clippings.
[Laughs] Yeah! We were talking about how now it would be so silly. Now you have apps, GPS on your phone, Find My Friend—there’s a lot more mystery to play around with on the show. You don’t know everything. Now we have Google.

One of the most exciting announcements about the show in the weeks leading up to it was the casting of Winona Ryder. To anyone who grew up in the ‘90s especially, Winona is that iconic ‘80s and ’90s star. What was it like working with her? Did you take anything away from that experience as an actress?
Totally! I’m really impressed and inspired by the way she handles herself and how her life is private. She’s just graceful with how she handles her career and her exposure. Because of that, I think she’s so real in person. She’s such a cool lady and very talented. I learned a lot in terms of going forward and how to handle myself and carry myself. She has a lot of fame! And she’s had it ever since she was very young. That’s hard to deal with and I think she’s done it very well. I know that if I ever need anything I can ask her.

I agree, I think she definitely has a lot of grace and humility. It comes off, not necessarily through her characters, but just through her as a person in interviews or on the red carpet. She’s just so beloved, I think.
She is very endearing and genuine and very talented. Just so good. It’s no small thing to watch her do her thing in person. It’s a cool gift.

Something that really stood out for me in the last episode was when Will is in the hospital and everyone is celebrating having him back. Your character, however, is lingering in the doorway and there is this incredible moment where you can see both this sense of relief and sadness flicker across your face. As a viewer, I took that as, “Okay, this character is relieved that this entire ordeal is over, but at the same time her best friend is gone…” Nancy just went through all this trauma. I think that was a really poignant—and not to be condescending by any means, but an incredibly well-acted moment. Where does this season leave Nancy and what do you hope will to be resolved next season?
Thank you for that. The thing about it is just like, the course of events start off super quickly. The whole series happens over a very short amount of time. This group of characters’ lives is horribly turned upside down. They are really tumultuous times and at the very, very end when Will is back, things are great, and that’s kind of the goal of the whole thing. But this leaves Nancy without her best friend and that is definitely a huge emotional event to reconcile with, as well as the crazy experience they’ve all shared. It’s really ripe for exploring what happens next and how everybody copes with what happened, and that unknown element of what else is going on out there. And I would love to see justice for Barb! [Laughs]

I think that’s really important! You know, it’s an emotional thing for her to sit with. She didn’t know that was going to happen when she sent Barb home. That’s gotta hurt. And you know, she has the friendship with Jonathan and her and Steve. Things I’d like to see next season: I literally have no idea what’s going to happen, but [I’d love to see] how characters interact more, what their relationships are to each other. And yeah, learn more about what’s going on in that other dimension. The emotional impact of everything is what interests me.

That’s the heart of the show; that’s what keeps the whole thing pulsing. Did you have any idea that literally, in one weekend, Stranger Things would become a huge pop culture phenomenon?
Oh my gosh, no! There’s really no way to expect that kind of response. I think everyone involved knew that we were making something really, really cool. The story was really cool and they were all super excited about it. And Netflix is a really cool company to work with, work for, and be a part of. It’s very much in-sync with our generation and our society. The response has been really, really great and really nice. Everybody who I’ve talked to about the show loves it and has great things to say about it. And that’s really amazing to be part of. Also, it takes some getting used to. Living in New York, especially: The week before it came out, I was walking down the street, going to my normal coffee shop and the week after, I’m getting recognized. ‘Oh my gosh, are you Nancy?’ It’s a crazy turn of events. I could not have expected this.

It’s difficult to predict what is going to become a media juggernaut.
[Laughs] And what BuzzFeed article is gonna start it off! It’s crazy. It really just kind of accelerates pop culture. It’s beautiful and scary. It’s crazy to be an actual part of it now. And for people who grew up in that ‘80s age-group, this has really hit a sweet spot, and that’s really cool too. It’s cool to hear we got it right.

Now that this thing is out there in the world and people are so excited about it, what’s next for you?
As an actor, what I really want to say is that I’m looking forward to the future. It’s almost a hand to mouth kind of job. You don’t know when you go audition or read a script. I’m always looking for good stories and projects to be a part of and bring to life. But after this, for now, I’m enjoying life and crossing my fingers for season two. I like really good juicy stories. That’s my jam.

Source: Ladygunn