“Stranger Things” star Sadie Sink has opened up about her final day on set of the hit Netflix series, noting that it was “just so emotional.”
Sink’s comments come the same week Netflix is set to unveil the first four episodes of “Stranger Things” Season 5 and kick off the show’s highly anticipated conclusion. The season’s first volume of episodes will be followed by an additional three installments on Christmas Day before the “Stranger Things” series finale premieres Dec. 31 on Netflix.
In an interview published Tuesday with Glamour, Sink offered some insight into what it was like wrapping the series, which she joined in its second season back in 2017. “It was horrible. It was awful,” Sink said of her final day on the show. “It felt like we were genuinely grieving something, which we were because it’s a huge chapter of our lives. It’s bigger than even high school or college or the friends that you make there. It’s bigger than that because nothing else is like this.”
“We’re so connected on so many levels, and then also have this really singular experience,” the actress added. “We have to say goodbye to what brought us together. It was like saying goodbye to your childhood.”
The last time “Stranger Things” fans saw Sink’s character, Max, in the Season 4 finale, she was stuck in a comatose state after briefly dying from an encounter with Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) only to be brought back from the brink of total oblivion by Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). Regarding what fans can expect from Max’s story moving forward, Sink teased, “It’s very unexpected. It answers all of those questions of, ‘Wait, what? How?’ It’s interesting to see where she is, and what she’s been up to, but it’s still very true to her.”
When the “Stranger Things” star was asked if she had any input in shaping her character’s ending in the show, Sink noted that creators Matt and Ross Duffer would “always welcome” ideas from their stars. However, she said that she never personally tried to impact how they wrote her character.
“I just really trust Matt and Ross, and they’ve obviously seen me grow up as an actor and know my strengths and where I’m needed best,” she explained. “I trust that they know Max too. If I ever do feel strongly about something, I would say it, but I haven’t. I’ve loved what they’ve given Max, and it feels right.”
While she revealed that she usually experiences a lot of sadness whenever she says goodbye to a role, Sink clarified it never really felt like she was bidding farewell to her “Stranger Things” character. “I wasn’t actually sad,” she said. “I think it’s because I’ve played her for so long. How can I say goodbye to her? She’s not going anywhere. It felt less of a goodbye to Max and more of a goodbye to the show.”
“Stranger Things” Season 5, Volume 1 premieres Wednesday, Nov. 26 on Netflix.
