Inside the Life of Gaten Matarazzo: Family, Career, and Challenges
Before Gaten Matarazzo became a fan favorite as Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things, he was just a kid with a big passion for performing. Raised in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, he found his love for acting early on, inspired by his family’s deep appreciation for the arts. His journey wasn’t always easy—he spent years auditioning without success and faced challenges related to Cleidocranial Dysplasia (CCD), a rare genetic condition affecting bone and dental development.
But persistence paid off. From his early days on Broadway to landing a breakthrough role in Stranger Things, Gaten has carved a unique path in Hollywood. Beyond acting, he’s an advocate for CCD awareness, a talented voice actor, and a performer who continues to expand his career in film and theater.
This article takes a closer look at his early life, family background, career milestones, and what’s next for him. Whether you’ve followed his journey since the beginning or are just discovering his work, here’s everything you need to know about Gaten Matarazzo.
Early Life and Family Background
Gaten Rena Matarazzo was born on September 8, 2002, in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey. Raised in a close-knit, middle-class family with Italian-American heritage, Gaten grew up in an environment that valued education, discipline, and a well-rounded upbringing. His mother, Heather, a school teacher, ensured academics remained a priority, while his father, Gaten Sr., owned Joe’s Bake Shop.
His family’s deep-rooted passion for the arts greatly influenced his career. His older sister, Sabrina, was heavily involved in theater, serving as his first real inspiration. Watching her rehearse and perform motivated him to follow in her footsteps, a sentiment he has often expressed:
“My sister was a theater kid, and I always wanted to be like her.” (ABC4 Interview, Sep 2024)
His younger brother, Carmen, also pursued theater, making creativity and performance a natural part of the Matarazzo household. Despite their encouragement, his parents took a measured approach to his budding career, ensuring that he never felt pressured to continue acting if he did not want to:
“My parents were always the type to say, ‘Are you sure? You don’t have to do this. The minute you want to stop, we stop.’” (Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, May 2024)
Growing Up in Little Egg Harbor
Despite his growing success, Gaten remained deeply connected to his small-town upbringing. Little Egg Harbor was a place where life moved at a slower pace, and the community was tight-knit. He has fondly reflected on how this environment helped keep him grounded:
“I grew up in a town that has no chain restaurants, just all small businesses. It feels like a retirement town.” (Backstage, Sep 2024)
His parents instilled in him the belief that values mattered more than fame. They emphasized personal growth and humility over success, ensuring that he saw fame as a byproduct of hard work rather than a goal in itself.
“It’s crazy to think that I’m in this industry, coming from such a small place where people didn’t really think about this kind of thing as a real career option.” (Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, May 2024)
Overcoming Challenges: Living with Cleidocranial Dysplasia (CCD)
Gaten was born with Cleidocranial Dysplasia (CCD), a rare genetic condition affecting bone and dental development. Growing up with CCD presented numerous challenges, including multiple surgeries and extensive dental procedures. Yet, he never allowed his condition to define him or hinder his dreams.
“Growing up, it was always a real struggle, and then suddenly it’s not… but then, like, also, there’s a part of it where, like, you’re that young and you’re suddenly the breadwinner for your family.” (Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, May 2024)
Rather than letting his diagnosis hold him back, Gaten turned it into a platform for advocacy. As he gained fame, he recognized the need for awareness and support for individuals with CCD. He became an ambassador for CCD Smiles, a non-profit that funds surgeries and medical care for those affected. His visibility in Hollywood has been instrumental in raising awareness and fostering inclusivity:
“Most people who had it didn’t know anyone else with it… Even some medical professionals hadn’t heard of it. So, getting to educate people about it feels pretty cool.” (WFAN Podcast Interview, March 2023)
Early Career and Broadway Beginnings
Gaten’s passion for performing began early, leading him to Broadway musical theater. At just nine years old, he made his Broadway debut in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, igniting a deep love for live performance. His big break came when he landed the role of Gavroche in Les Misérables, where he honed his vocal skills and stage presence:
“I was just a kid who loved performing, and Broadway gave me the opportunity to learn from some of the best people in the industry.” (Backstage Interview, Sep 2024)
Despite his theater success, transitioning to television was not easy. He auditioned for years without success:
“Something I’ll always remember is that unsure feeling from when I was first auditioning because I was auditioning for years to no avail, like three or four times a week, in rooms where I knew casting directors by name enough to give high fives and hugs when I saw them—and yet, I still wasn’t booking.” (Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, May 2024)
That persistence paid off when he auditioned for Stranger Things. Initially trying out for Mike Wheeler, he was instead cast as Dustin Henderson after impressing the Duffer Brothers with his humor and charisma. His real-life condition, CCD, was incorporated into his character, marking one of the first times CCD was represented in mainstream media:
“They wrote this into my character in Stranger Things, which was cool.” (WFAN Podcast Interview, March 2023)
He was 12 years old when he booked the role, just after his 13th birthday, making it his first major television role:
“I started filming Stranger Things just after my 13th birthday. It was the first time I really felt like I was part of something big.” (Backstage Interview, Sep 2024)
Balancing Childhood and Career
Gaten Matarazzo’s parents played a crucial role in ensuring he maintained a balance between acting, school, and a normal childhood. Unlike many young actors who get consumed by fame, his mother, in particular, was strict about his education, making sure his rising stardom never interfered with his schoolwork.
During seventh grade, Gaten’s grades started slipping due to his demanding acting schedule. His parents gave him a serious ultimatum:
“My parents did the responsible thing of saying like, ‘Hey, if you don’t fix this, if you don’t look at this report card, you’re not doing this anymore because this is the important thing in your life right now.’” (WFAN Podcast Interview, March 2023)
This firm approach helped him stay focused on both academics and acting, allowing him to enjoy his childhood without excessive pressure.
While acting provided financial stability for his family, Gaten acknowledged the unique challenges of becoming a breadwinner at such a young age:
“You’re that young, and you’re suddenly the breadwinner for your family when you’re 12… It’s not something that is normal at the time.” (Backstage Interview, Sep 2024)
Despite his growing public presence, his parents encouraged him to lead a regular childhood. He attended school events, played video games with friends, and even held a part-time job at a bakery before his acting career took off. Most importantly, they never pressured him to continue acting if he no longer enjoyed it.
Gaten has also been open about the emotional challenges of growing up in the spotlight, particularly the anxiety of being watched by millions:
“As you get older, you become more aware of the eyes that are on you.” (German Comic Con, December 2022)
Gaten acknowledges that fame can feel overwhelming, but therapy has helped him develop a healthier mindset:
“It’s hard because you want to work, but you don’t want to be so consumed by it that you lose yourself in the process. Therapy really helped me understand that balance.” (German Comic Con, December 2022)
To manage the pressure, he found healthy outlets such as meaningful fan interactions and maintaining friendships outside of Hollywood. He also turned to therapy, which he openly advocates for:
“I have gone to therapy… I highly recommend it for a lot of reasons that people would not necessarily think they should go.” (Backstage Interview, September 2024)
Additionally, he discovered that staying active and spending time outdoors helped him cope with stress:
“I tend to feel more anxious when I sit at home, especially by myself… I think the way I actually tend to blow off steam is to spend a lot of my time out of the house.” (ABC4 Interview, September 2024)
Stranger Things: The Role That Defined Gaten Matarazzo’s Career
Gaten Matarazzo’s portrayal of Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things has been a defining moment in his career, making him a well-known talent in Hollywood. His character—funny, intelligent, and endlessly lovable—quickly became a fan favorite. However, Gaten never expected the show to become the global sensation it is today:
“It was just a fun show that we were doing… we never thought it would be this massive cultural phenomenon.” (Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, June 2022)
Beyond the humor and charm he brings to Dustin, Gaten has also tackled some deeply emotional moments on the show. One of his most challenging scenes was in Season 4, during the heartbreaking farewell to Eddie Munson (played by Joseph Quinn). The intensity of that moment made it difficult to film, and Gaten had to mentally prepare himself:
“That was rough. I really had to prepare myself for that scene, because it was just so heavy. It was just so devastating… just the words alone on the page were really, really difficult to get through.” (Stranger Things Official YouTube, June 2022)
He went on to explain how working alongside Joseph Quinn in that moment made it even more powerful:
“Joe made it really, really easy just because he’s so incredible, and I felt so honored to be there with him in that moment. It was crazy. You don’t realize how hard those moments are to shoot until you get there, and you’re like, ‘Oh, okay, I see why this is going to take a while.’” (Stranger Things Official YouTube, June 2022)
As Stranger Things approaches its final season, Gaten admits to feeling a mix of excitement and pressure. The show’s past four seasons have been widely praised, and he’s aware that fans have high expectations for how it will conclude:
“A lot more pressure now… we better get this because we’ve been lucky enough to have four very loved, very successful seasons that have been reviewed very well, that have been loved by our fans overwhelmingly… so when you’re going into the last season, in a situation where really good TV shows are notorious for having weak final seasons, of course that looms over.” (Backstage Interview, September 2024)
Despite all of his success, Gaten remains realistic about the unpredictable nature of acting. He acknowledges that even established actors face ups and downs in their careers and has come to terms with the fact that Stranger Things may be the biggest project he will ever be a part of:
“I would like my managers and agents to understand that I’m very okay with understanding that Stranger Things will, beyond very likely, be the biggest thing I will ever do.” (Backstage Interview, September 2024)
Expanding Horizons: Film, Broadway, and Voice Acting
Beyond Stranger Things, Gaten Matarazzo has actively pursued roles that showcase his versatility as an actor. In 2023, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by returning to Broadway as Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd, starring alongside Josh Groban. The opportunity was especially meaningful to him, as he had long admired the show and had a professional connection to its music supervisor, Alex Lacamoire:
“That was a lifelong dream of mine… I was really hopeful for an audition because I knew that Alex Lacamoire, the music supervisor for Sweeney Todd, who also orchestrated Dear Evan Hansen, which I was in at the time, I’d been working with him.” (Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, May 2024)
In addition to theater, Gaten has expanded into voice acting, lending his talents to projects like Netflix’s My Father’s Dragon and LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy. As a lifelong Star Wars fan, getting to be part of the franchise was a dream come true:
“I love voiceover work. I’ve been an unreal Star Wars fan since I was six years old, and this is basically like one of those moments of my childhood dream being revealed right in front of me.” (The Direct, September 2024)
Gaten has also explored film, starring in the 2022 Paramount+ coming-of-age comedy Honor Society alongside Angourie Rice. The role of Michael Dipnicky, a quiet and academically driven student with hidden depth, allowed him to break away from his well-known portrayal of Dustin Henderson. He was drawn to the role precisely because it was such a contrast to Dustin:
“It was precisely because he was so different from Dustin for the most part. There are definitely similarities, especially in social status and in the hellish landscape that is high school, but the characters deal with it in distinctly different ways.” (Bonnie Laufer Interview, July 2022)
Unlike Dustin’s outgoing and humorous personality, Michael is more introverted and strategic—a challenge Gaten welcomed. He also enjoyed working with the cast, especially Angourie Rice, and spoke about the friendships he formed on set:
“Everybody in it is awesome. A lot of them have similar interests to me. And Angourie’s sister was on set too, and we’ve all become close friends.” (Bonnie Laufer Interview, July 2022)
Looking ahead, Gaten is eager to continue exploring a wide range of roles, both dramatic and comedic. He has also expressed interest in working behind the camera, potentially as a producer or director. His goal is to take on projects that feel truly unique:
“I want to look at something and I want to do things where I look and I say, ‘No one’s ever going to make anything like this again.’” (German Comic Con, December 2022)
With his growing experience in film, theater, and voice acting, Gaten Matarazzo continues to push his creative boundaries, proving he is much more than just Dustin Henderson.
Beyond the Spotlight
Gaten Matarazzo is widely recognized for his role in Stranger Things, but his life outside of acting is just as interesting. Known for his humor and down-to-earth personality, he has built strong friendships with his co-stars while staying grounded despite his success.
One of his closest friendships is with Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), whom he considers one of the funniest people on set:
“It’s always been Caleb. He’s so funny on camera and off-camera… he’s perfected his humor and shaped it around all of us.” (German Comic Con, Dec 2022)
He has also formed good relationships with his Sweeney Todd and Broadway castmates, valuing projects where he feels comfortable working with the team. His collaborative approach has earned him respect from those he works with.
Gaten has a strong background in musical theater and enjoys singing. He has shared his passion for music in interviews and on social media. He was also part of a band, Work in Progress:
“We just wanted to make music together, and it turned into something bigger than we expected.” (Wired Interview, May 2022)
Despite his growing career, he remains approachable and regularly engages with fans at conventions and online.
Hobbies and Interests
Outside of acting, Gaten enjoys sports, gaming, and movies. He is a hockey fan and supports the New York Rangers:
“Yeah, I’m a huge Rangers fan… I’ve been able to keep up with the league as a whole for the first time ever, and it’s actually pretty fun.” (WFAN Podcast Interview, March 2023)
He is also a fan of video games, particularly The Legend of Zelda series, and has replayed Breath of the Wild multiple times:
“Huge Zelda fan. I’ve played Breath of the Wild like… four times. I just replayed it again a few weeks ago. Zelda fans are hardcore.” (German Comic Con, Dec 2022)
Gaten has long been interested in Star Wars and has said the franchise sparked his love for movies. His role in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy was particularly meaningful to him:
“It was the reason that I developed a love for cinema as a whole. It was like my first actual obsession in life.” (The Direct, Sep 2024)
Outside of entertainment, he enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and long walks, which he finds helpful for managing stress and staying active.
Sources & References
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (March 2023) – YouTube
- Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum (May 2024) – YouTube
- Backstage Interview (September 2024) – YouTube
- WFAN Podcast Interview (March 2023) – YouTube
- Stranger Things Official YouTube (June 2022) – YouTube
- German Comic Con (December 2022) – YouTube
- ABC4 Interview (September 2024) – YouTube
- The Direct Interview (September 2024) – YouTube
- Bonnie Laufer Interview (July 2022) – YouTube
- MissMalini Interview (June 2022) – YouTube
- Wired Interview (May 2022) – YouTube
- IGV Presents Interview (November 2022) – YouTube
- IMDB: Gaten Matarazzo Profile – IMDB
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