Millie Bobby Brown Doesn't Know "How To React" To People Her Age

Millie Bobby Brown is opening up about the unexpected side effects of becoming a child star. On the June 29 episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the 22-year-old actor revealed she feels disconnected from others in their early 20s, as she struggles to connect with people her own age (same, girl, same).

When asked if she missed out on milestones because of her upbringing in the entertainment industry, Brown responded with “socialization,” explaining that she did not attend a traditional school. “Sometimes when fans come up to me, they'll be like ‘Millie!’ and I'll be like ‘Aah!’” she said. “I just don't know how to react sometimes to people my own age. I have a harder time.”

Instead, she grew up with “primarily men on crews” who were “over 40 years old” while working on shows like Stranger Things. “I heard a lot of adult talk growing up,” she said. “I didn't really talk about the things you're meant to talk about as a kid. Because you hear ‘Where's the grip? Let's grab a ladder,’ you know? And so that’s your whole conversation.”

As a result, Brown says she can speak “extensively” about “different lens changes and shots” like a true professional, but doesn’t have a ton of favorite bars or restaurants to talk about.

However, her relationship with Jake Bongiovi, whom she married in May 2024, has helped her become more outgoing. She describes him as “the complete opposite” of herself when it comes to friendships. “You know, he went to boarding school and college so he is like a social butterfly,” she said. “When I met him, I really tried to lean more into that. So, I'm in my social era.”

Brown made her acting debut at just 9 years old, playing Young Alice on the 2013 series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, before landing her breakout role as Eleven on Stranger Things, which ran for five seasons from 2016 to 2025, meaning she spent her entire adolescence on set.

At least she has her Stranger Things family to lean on. In fact, when the Netflix series ended in January, Brown said she called “all” of her former co-stars to make sure they were still good.

“They probably thought I was crazy,” she said in a June 24 interview at New York’s 92nd Street Y. “I was like, ‘We’re still friends, right? Like, you’re not gonna stop talking to me anymore?’ I was like, ‘I’m sorry if I ever upset you,’ and was just trying to mend anything. And then I was on the beach; it was beautiful, and I just sat there crying. It was a very hard time for me.”