Millie Bobby Brown Insists She's Just Like "Any Other 13-Year-Old"

"Hopefully, in five years' time I will be in college," the Stranger Things star tells InStyle

By Zach Johnson Oct 05, 2017 2:45 PMTags
E! Placeholder Image

Oh, the places Millie Bobby Brown will go.

The breakout star of Stranger Things (returning Oct. 27) graces the subscriber cover of InStyle's November issue and reflects on her rapid rise to fame—all before she was even a teen. "You know, I'm just a 13-year-old like any other 13-year-old, so I just plan on living my life and take it step-by-step," Brown says matter-of-factly. "Hopefully, in five years' time I will be in college. No, let's say eight years...unless I get a really good movie. Then it's, 'See ya, college!'"

Ha. But unlike some child stars, Brown is in no rush to grow up. For example, the young Brit currently works with stylist Thomas Carter Phillips (whose clients include Danai Gurira, Abbi Jacobson and Emmy Rossum) to find "age-appropriate" looks for red carpet events and TV appearances. "Everything I wear has to go through every person on my team," Brown explains. "It has to go through my mum first. If she approves, it'll go to my agents, and then, obviously, the last stop is my dad—and if he doesn't like it, then I'm not wearing it. It's as simple as that." While that process may not sound "simple" to some people, for Brown, it's a system that works.

Watch
Maddie Ziegler & Millie Bobby Brown Are Totally BFFs

It's part of the reason Brown still feels "like any other 13-year-old," in spite of her newfound fame. But with 4.2 million Instagram followers, maintaining a sense of normalcy is becoming harder to do. "I can't walk down a street or outside this hotel without somebody asking for a picture," she says. "But there's also the fact that I kind of asked for it, you know? I can't blame it on my fans. I will never say no unless I'm in an airport and need to catch a flight or I'm at dinner with my family, because that's just quality time. But other than that, no, I'm fine with the fame. I accept it. All I want to do is model, act, and sing, so if fame comes with that, then so be it."

Essentially, Brown views fame as merely a byproduct of her job as an actress. And fans may see her in a different light after Season 2 of Stranger Things, which she describes as "darker" and more "emotionally challenging." The experience of developing her character fueled her creative spirit, and fashion has a similar effect. "Modeling is very close to my heart. I feel like just taking pictures is amazing. You'll feel if you did a good job in that shoot—or if you feel like you haven't, then you haven't," she admits. "But some pictures turn out to be iconic, and it means so much."

Don't worry—Brown hasn't turned her back on acting to focus on modeling full-time. In fact, she recently filmed Godzilla: King of the Monsters, in which she shares the screen with Kyle Chandler and Vera Farmiga. She loved the shoot, even if she disliked the slower pace. "I had the time of my life, but it's very different," Brown gushes. "The other day we did 75 takes for one scene, and for Stranger Things we sometimes do it all in one take, so it's very interesting."

The November issue of InStyle is available on newsstands and for digital download Oct. 13.