Fame isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. Just ask Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery. The Aussie heartthrob went from living a relatively quiet life in Perth to becoming an overnight sensation, and let’s just say, it was a lot to handle.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Montgomery opened up about the whirlwind of instant fame he experienced after his role in Stranger Things catapulted him into the global spotlight. Montgomery is best known for his breakout role as Billy Hargrove in the hit Netflix sci-fi horror series. This complex character quickly became a fan favorite despite his dark and often antagonistic nature. Billy first appears in the season 2 premiere and remains on the series until the season 3 finale. He also makes a couple of brief appearances in the fourth season.
But while fans were loving every moment of his brooding, mulleted bad-boy persona as Billy, Montgomery admits that the sudden attention was overwhelming. “I lost my anonymity overnight and it scared the s**t out of me,” he told The Guardian, reflecting on the intense scrutiny that came with instant fame. He shares with the news outlet that the sudden fame scared him, and that fear was one of the main reasons he decided to step away for a while.
After Stranger Things, Montgomery took a deliberate step back from acting and returned home. For four years, he turned down most roles to focus on recalibrating and pursuing projects that challenged him creatively. But unfortunately, those opportunities didn’t immediately present themselves. So in the meantime, he explored directing short films and released a poetry podcast and book. In other words, he chose to embrace other avenues that allowed him to grow as an artist.
It wasn't until he came across the haunting New Zealand drama Went Up the Hill that Montgomery felt the pull to return to acting. He was intrigued by the script and character he'd be playing, Jack, a young queer man confronting the death of his estranged abusive mother while navigating grief, trauma, and supernatural forces. Since then, Montgomery has taken on two other movies, What We Hide and Dead Man's Wire. He's currently working on three new films: Faces of Death, The Engagement Party and Moral Capacity.
Now that Montgomery has fully returned to acting, could we see him return as Billy in the highly anticipated Stranger Things season 5? Sadly, the talented actor will not be coming back for the final season of the sci-fi horror series. Montgomery revealed this unfortunate news in a recent interview with Screen Rant. We'll just have to be on the lookout for his future projects instead.