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6 Feb 2026 2:02
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  •   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

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     Today's News

    Hamilton:
    Three people are injured - one seriously - after a two-vehicle crash near Hamilton Airport 21:57

    Entertainment:
    The disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother is being treated as a "crime" 21:31

    Auckland:
    Multiple people are injured after a four-vehicle crash on Auckland's Southern Motorway 21:17

    Entertainment:
    Ricky Gervais has mocked Grammy winners for making political acceptance speeches 21:01

    Entertainment:
    Sam Claflin hated filming topless scenes because of his body dysmorphia 20:31

    Entertainment:
    The boss of the Hollywood sign has claimed that CGI was used in a video showing Sydney Sweeney decorating the landmark with bras 20:01

    Entertainment:
    Keke Palmer has no interest in living with romantic partners 19:31

    Business:
    A 53-year-old man's been arrested and charged in relation to a suspicious fire at a commercial premises on Oruanui Street in Taupo's CBD on Tuesday night 19:17

    Entertainment:
    Reba McEntire says that Kelly Clarkson and her children are "hanging in there" following Brandon Blackstock's death 19:01

    International:
    Democrat victory in Republican stronghold could spell trouble for Trump 18:57


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