Stranger Things' Natalia Dyer Says Her Younger Co-Stars Are Oversexualized

"I feel protective over the younger kids even though they're not kids anymore, they're teens," Natalia Dyer said. "They're all great people and all having to grow up in very crazy circumstances."

Natalia Dyer is protective of her Stranger Things co-stars.

The 25-year-old actress explained why during a recent interview with The Independent.

After the Duffer Brothers' show became an instant success, the young cast members—which include Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and more—found themselves catapulted into the limelight. However, this fame came with concerns.

"There are so many layers going on here," Dyer said during her interview, which was published Aug. 23. "I generally feel like, to me, it's oversexualizing them. I feel protective over the younger kids even though they're not kids anymore, they're teens. They're all great people and all having to grow up in very crazy circumstances. As a private person, I just feel like, leave people alone–unless you're talking about their work or what they want to talk about. It's a very tricky and complex issue."

She also said sexualizing young actors is "a cultural issue, there must be a bigger concept behind it as to why."

"Just let people be the people that they are," she said, "without any judgement." 

In addition, Dyer spoke about her experiences of being approached in public. "It's lovely to meet fans," she told the publication, "but it's very like, ‘Oh my gosh, I just want to go to the grocery store and get some milk. I don't want to take a photo everywhere I go.'"

She noted "it was jarring" at first and said "there are fans everywhere."

"It's a difficult thing to navigate," she continued. "It's been like five years since we started Stranger Things, and I've become more confident in how I handle situations. At first, I had quite a few bouts of anxiety just as the show was coming out because there's this mentality of letting people down and not giving enough."

Dyer isn't the only one from the cast to address these subjects. Brown, for instance, spoke out about the "inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults" she's received in a post on her 16th birthday. In addition, Finn Wolfhard, a 17-year-old who plays Mike Wheeler, has talked about being stalked by adult fans and receiving an inappropriate comment from a follower. 

To read Dyer's full interview, check out The Independent.