Noah Schnapp

Noah Schnapp is an American actor best known for playing Will Byers on Netflix's Stranger Things (2016), a role that not only launched his career but also helped him understand and embrace his own sexuality. Schnapp publicly came out as gay in January 2023, sharing that portraying Will -- whose sexuality he confirmed as gay in 2022 -- accelerated his own journey toward self-acceptance. He later reflected that if he hadn't played a gay character, he "probably would still be closeted," describing how fan support for Will's storyline gave him the confidence to come out. Schnapp has spoken candidly about the pressure of being asked about sexuality as a young teen in the spotlight and the relief he felt once he could live openly. Beyond Stranger Things, his work includes Bridge of Spies (2015) and Abe (2019), but he remains most culturally influential as a young gay actor whose coming-out story resonated globally.