Key Takeaways
Millie Bobby Brown says growing up on film and television sets affected how she connects with people her own age.
The actress said she spent much of her childhood around adult crew members, many of them men over 40.
Brown said she missed traditional school experiences and normal childhood socialization.
She credited her husband, Jake Bongiovi, with helping her become more social.
Her comments highlight the challenges young actors can face when building careers early in life.
Millie Bobby Brown Opens Up About Growing Up in the Spotlight
Millie Bobby Brown is reflecting on how childhood fame shaped the way she interacts with people her own age.
During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the 22-year-old actress said she sometimes struggles to connect with other people in their early 20s because her upbringing was so different from theirs.
Brown became internationally famous as Eleven on Netflix’s Stranger Things, a role she began playing as a child. While the series changed her career, it also meant she missed out on many traditional childhood experiences.
When asked if she felt she missed any major milestones while growing up, Brown pointed to one thing in particular: socialization.
Why Brown Says Socializing With Peers Can Feel Difficult
Brown said she does not always know how to react when people her own age approach her.
She joked that even when fans come up to her excitedly, she can sometimes feel unsure of how to respond.
“I just don’t know how to react sometimes to people my own age,” Brown said.
The actress explained that she has a harder time socializing with peers because she grew up spending so much time on sets rather than in traditional school environments.
For Brown, the issue is not a lack of interest in connecting with people. It is that her childhood conversations and daily experiences looked very different from most kids her age.
Life on Set Shaped Her Childhood Conversations
Brown said much of her early professional life was spent around adult crew members.
According to the actress, many of the people she worked with on set were men over 40. As a result, she heard more adult workplace conversations than typical childhood conversations.
“I heard a lot of adult talk growing up,” Brown said.
She explained that instead of talking about the things children usually discuss, she was surrounded by conversations about equipment, shots, ladders, and production needs.
That environment made her highly familiar with film sets, but it also created a gap between her and peers who grew up in more traditional social settings.
How Stranger Things Changed Brown’s Early Years
Brown made her professional acting debut in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland in 2013 before rising to global fame on Stranger Things.
Her performance as Eleven made her one of the most recognizable young actors in the world. But the demanding schedule of the Netflix series meant that much of her adolescence was spent working.
Brown said she can talk extensively about lens changes and camera shots, but she sometimes struggles with casual conversations about bars, restaurants, and other topics common among people in their early 20s.
That contrast shows how growing up on major productions can give young actors deep professional experience while also limiting everyday social development.
Jake Bongiovi Helped Brown Embrace Her “Social Era”
Brown also credited her husband, Jake Bongiovi, with helping her become more comfortable socially.
She described Bongiovi as “the most social butterfly” and said he is very different from her in that way.
Brown noted that Bongiovi attended boarding school and college, giving him a more traditional social experience. After meeting him, she said she began leaning into that side of life more.
“So, I’m in my social era,” Brown said.
The couple married in May 2024 and later announced in August 2025 that they had welcomed a baby girl through adoption.
What Brown’s Comments Reveal About Child Stardom
Brown’s comments offer an honest look at what young actors can experience behind the scenes.
While child stardom can bring major opportunities, it can also create an unusual upbringing. Young performers often spend long hours with adults, work demanding schedules, and miss out on school routines, peer relationships, and everyday social experiences.
Brown’s story shows that success at a young age can come with emotional and social challenges that are not always visible to audiences.
Her reflections also highlight the importance of protecting young performers and creating healthier environments for children working in entertainment.
Why Her Story Matters for Young Actors
Millie Bobby Brown’s experience is a reminder that acting careers can shape more than just professional opportunities.
For young performers, the set can become a classroom, workplace, and social environment all at once. That can build discipline and industry knowledge, but it can also make it harder to experience childhood in a typical way.
Brown’s honesty gives young actors and their families something important to consider: success should be balanced with support, social development, and time to grow outside the industry.
As she enters a new chapter of her life and career, Brown’s comments show that even major stars are still learning how to navigate the parts of life they missed while growing up in front of the camera.
