Netflix’s flagship series Stranger Things has always excelled at nostalgic casting, bringing in ’80s favorites like Winona Ryder, Sean Astin, Matthew Modine, and Paul Reiser. In its fifth and final season, the series has recruited Sarah Connor herself, Linda Hamilton!
The iconic Terminator star joins the series in an unspecified role. In an interview with Us Weekly, Hamilton discussed being a fan of Stranger Things saying, “I’ve watched every season with relish. I just love it, … So it’s kind of, like, imposter syndrome where I don’t [feel that I] fit in there. That’s a whole world set in the ’80s.”
Hamilton joked that while she loves the show, it’s been somewhat ruined now that she’s a part of it. “When you really buy into something, you don’t see yourself in it. So I think in a way, it kind of ruined the show for me. I never watch [a project], once I’m in something, … It would just completely take me out of the reality of it to see myself in there. So I won’t be watching [season 5].”
Details of the 5th season have been kept tightly under wraps, so much so that even Hamilton herself isn’t sure of her role in the series. “I Zoomed [creators] Ross and Matt Duffer, and they gave me the shape of the character, but not of the story. Because they have to be very careful with their story. So I still don’t know how it ends,” Hamilton said. “And it takes a lot of discipline to not know where it’s going to go. But that’s to protect it from all of the people that want to know.”
But the clandestine nature of filming hasn’t deterred Hamilton’s enthusiasm. “I do get to be there for table reads and watch it unfold and be part of it. I’m thrilled to be part of it, … But I just never, ever saw that one coming. It is different when you’re a fan of the show to sort of go, ‘Well, how do I fit?’ But we’re working on it. It’s good. It’s really good.”
Hamilton currently stars in Syfy’s Resident Alien, which launched season 3 last week. It is available to stream on Peacock.
Season 5 of Stranger Things began filming in January, after being delayed due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. There’s no release date yet for season 5, which will likely premiere in late 2024 or early 2025.
(featured image: Paramount Pictures)
