Actor Sadie Sink recounts begging for her role in Stranger Things after casting directors were hesitant to give her a chance, deeming her too old for the part.
During an interview with Fashion, Sink explained how she landed the part of Max Mayfield, a character introduced in Season 2 of the wildly popular Netflix show. The casting directors initially expressed hesitancy to hire the actor though, feeling that her 14-year-old age at the time was not right for the role. However, feeling a special connection to the character, she wouldn't accept the rejection, telling Fashion, "I just begged and pleaded with them to give me more material, so I could show them something fresh."
The producers eventually agreed to move forward with the casting process, scheduling a chemistry reading with stars Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin, who portray Dustin Henderson and Lucas Sinclair, respectively, on the hit horror show. She landed the part the next day, solidifying her place as the group's newest member in Season 2. Sink's character later went on to serve a significant role in Season 4 when she became a target of Vecna, the season's threatening and telepathic villain.
Sink began her career starring in local performances before landing auditions for the Broadway productions Annie and The Audience. She also appeared in various television series as a young actor, including Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Americans and Blue Bloods. Since landing her role in Stranger Things, Sink has maintained a career in the horror genre, playing a supporting character in Eli and starring in The Fear Street Trilogy on Netflix.
Sink's next project is a drama titled The Whale and stars Brendan Fraser, set to premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in Sep. 2022. The movie focuses on a 600-pound middle-aged man wanting to reconnect with his teenage daughter (played by Sink) after abandoning her for his gay lover years prior. After his lover's death, Charlie turned to binge-eating as a way of coping with his grief. The film's director, Darren Aronofsky, is well known for his generally controversial psychological thrillers and horror films, including Black Swan and Mother!
As for the future of Stranger Things, the show will return for a fifth season, which is set to be the series' final chapter. Max is left in a precarious position by the end of Season 4, and where Sink's character may go in the final season remains to be seen.
The first four seasons of Stranger Things are now available to stream on Netflix. The fifth and final season does not have a release date as of writing.
Source: Fashion