News | Entertainment
26 Jan 2026 17:23
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Natalia Dyer thought she'd "bombed" her 'Stranger Things' auditions

    The 27-year-old actress portrays Nancy Wheeler in the Netflix drama series but landing the role took her by surprise because she was convinced she'd messed up her try-out


    She said: "I auditioned twice for the role. I thought I bombed the initial audition, but then I got the callback, and I thought I bombed that as well."

    Natalia admitted she and her co-stars had no idea how big the show would be or that it would still be going today.

    She said: "At the time, Netflix wasn't what it is today. They had some really cool shows such as 'Orange Is The New Black' and 'House Of Cards', but I really wasn't aware there was a possibility of a second season. The energy was like, 'I hope people like it. We like it. We think this is cool.' " And the huge "overnight" success of the show brought the cast, including the likes of Millie Bobby Brown and Joe Keery, together.

    She said: "It's a bond that is hard to describe. We were all very excited and we hadn't done anything like it before. So to have it become so big, literally overnight, was a very specific experience. It really tied us all together."

    And Natalie feels very "protective" of her younger co-stars because she knows she couldn't have coped with the scrutiny the likes of Finn Wolfhard have at such a young age.

    She told Cosmopolitan: "Every time I see Finn, it's like, 'You're so tall! Are you taller?' There's an inherent sense of protectiveness there.

    " I'm always impressed by them; by how they carry themselves and how aware they are of the pressures. But it's nerve-racking and I don't envy them at all. I would've been a complete mess if I'd gone through that at their ages. It really is a lot."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     26 Jan: Rebecca Loos is pleased Brooklyn Peltz Beckham is "standing up for himself"
     26 Jan: Claire Foy has likened starring in The Crown to being in a "blockbuster film"
     26 Jan: Timothy Busfield has been edited out of the movie You Deserve Each Other in the wake of his child sex abuse charges
     26 Jan: Jodie Foster still has scars after being "mauled by a lion" as a child
     26 Jan: Billy Bob Thornton has rubbished claims that he is leaving Landman
     26 Jan: Ashton Kutcher has insisted he does shower years after widespread debate about his bathing habits
     26 Jan: Ellen DeGeneres has expressed her support for anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    New Zealand Rugby interim CEO Steve Lancaster says their All Blacks coaching policy change, to only accept candidates with test experience, isn't admitting they got it wrong with Scott Robertson More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    US copied Iran's Shahed drones — now they are deployed in the Middle East More...



     Today's News

    Cricket:
    New Zealand batter Mark Chapman is in awe of India's ability to swing the willow in their T20 cricket series, which doubles as their World Cup build-up 17:07

    Entertainment:
    Rebecca Loos is pleased Brooklyn Peltz Beckham is "standing up for himself" 17:01

    Cricket:
    The Auckland Hearts have qualified for the women's elimination final of cricket's Super Smash 16:57

    Entertainment:
    Claire Foy has likened starring in The Crown to being in a "blockbuster film" 16:31

    Politics:
    The Minister for Children's slamming a new policy position released by Te Pati Maori - to abolish prisons by 2040, and replace them with community-led solutions 16:27

    Environment:
    No certainty New Zealand's summer will improve in coming months 16:17

    Rugby:
    New Zealand Rugby interim CEO Steve Lancaster says their All Blacks coaching policy change, to only accept candidates with test experience, isn't admitting they got it wrong with Scott Robertson 16:07

    Entertainment:
    Timothy Busfield has been edited out of the movie You Deserve Each Other in the wake of his child sex abuse charges 16:01

    Politics:
    The Prime Minister's echoing our Foreign Minister's concerns about the World Health Organisation 15:57

    Entertainment:
    Jodie Foster still has scars after being "mauled by a lion" as a child 15:31


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd