Actor Caleb McLaughlin is speaking out about the racism he’s experienced as the only core cast member of color on Stranger Things.
During Heroes Comic Con in Belgium over the weekend, McLaughlin detailed his portrayal of the character “Lucas” and how being Black impacted the way he’s been treated by fans since the show’s runaway success.
“My very first comic con, some people didn’t stand in my line because I was Black,” he said during a panel in a clip shared to Twitter.
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Stranger Things centers around a telekinetic girl, “Eleven,” who fights monsters from another dimension alongside a group of friends. The sci-fi series mostly takes place in a 1980s Indiana town, following the group of friends as they grow up. In the first season, McLaughlin’s character didn’t trust Eleven’s abilities, but he grew to accept her—after she defended the pals from a bunch of bad guys—and welcomed her into the group.
“Some people told me, ‘Oh, I didn’t want to be in your line because you were mean to Eleven,’ McLaughlin said during the panel.
There were moments in the show that touched on racial discrimination. In an earlier season, his character, Lucas, dealt with white bullies calling him “midnight.” Another episode made light of McLaughlin’s character being compared to “Winston,” the only Black ghostbuster in the iconic ’80s film. An older white character taunted Lucas for an entire season because of his race, though it was never explicitly addressed in the series.
“Even now, some people don’t follow me or don’t support me because I’m Black,” McLaughlin continued. “Sometimes overseas, you’ll feel the racism. You’ll feel the bigotry. Sometimes, it’s hard to talk about and for people to understand.”
The actor, who began working on the show at just 14 years old, went on to explain that the discrimination really took a toll on him when he was younger. He said he noticed that he didn’t have as many social media followers as his castmates, despite being one of the original, central actors on the show.
“When I was younger, it definitely affected me a lot. My parents had to be like, ‘It’s the sad truth, but it’s because you’re the Black child on the show,’” McLaughlin said.
“Because I was born with this beautiful chocolate skin, I’m not loved,” he continued, as applause grew from the audience. “But that’s why, with this platform, I’m going to spread positivity and love because I do not give hate back to people who gave hate to me.”
