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Natalia Dyer Stranger Things Dazed 2016 Dario Catellani
Natalia wears wool jumper Carven, point d’esprit gloves Marc JacobsPhotography Dario Catellani, styling John Colver

Natalia Dyer on Nancy and season two of Stranger Things

‘It was exciting to have her go to a cool place’ – the actress who took Nancy Wheeler from nice to no-nonsense discusses her role in the sci-fi horror and *that* season finale plot twist

You can buy a copy of our latest issue here. Taken from the winter 2016 issue of Dazed:

At the end of season one of Stranger Things, Nancy Wheeler emerges from the wreckage of the Byers’ house an adult, caked in the blood of a dimension-hopping monster, toting a revolver, her best friend dead, with two men desperately in love with her and her virginity firmly lost. It’s a transformative storyline, to say the least. “It was really exciting to have her go to a cool place and not just be a normal girl,” says Natalia Dyer of Nancy’s emotional journey. “I was rewatching it and I was like, ‘Nancy, what are you doing in the first couple of episodes?’” At first, she says, “(Nancy) came across as the bratty older sister” in prim mohair sweaters and Alice bands, flirting with preppy bad-boy Steve and detesting her nerdy younger sibling Mike – a generally insufferable teenager. By the end of the series, it’s a totally different story. “I’m very pleased with how she turned out.”

“I would love to see Nancy have more badass moments, obviously” – Natalia Dyer

So begins the seemingly endless wait for season two, which starts filming in Atlanta shortly. “I would love to see Nancy have more badass moments, obviously,” says Dyer. Most importantly, however, she’d like to see season one’s most upsetting moment addressed. “I’m sure a lot of people would love to see how she deals with the loss of her friend, Barb (Nancy’s much-mourned best friend and everybody’s favourite monster- munch). And I’d love to see some good brother-sister moments... It will be interesting to see how relationships have morphed because of what’s happened.” One of the many surprises of the series was the parting shot of Nancy with Steve, resplendent in a Christmas jumper, and not the brooding Jonathan. The Duffers are tight-lipped with the cast, so “it was a bit of a shock”, she admits, but “as much of a shock as I think it is to the audience: I do think it makes more sense, if you think about the amount of time Nancy and Jonathan have known each other. It was the best outcome, for sure... for now.”

Hair Pasquale Ferrante at Frank Reps using Redken, make-up Fara Homidi at Frank Reps using NARS, photography assistants Fabrizio Amoroso, Paolo Stagnaro, styling assistant Kuschan Hojjatian

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