Stranger Things: Robin’s sexuality decided midway through production, Maya Hawke reveals

The actor also said that she was “really, really happy” with how Robin’s coming-out story was handled, and the reception the character has had

One of the most affecting moments in Stranger Things season three occurs in its penultimate episode, when scene-stealing newcomer Robin, played by Maya Hawke, reveals to her co-worker Steve (Joe Keery) that she has been secretly harbouring a crush on their female classmate.

And now Hawke has revealed that the decision to make Robin queer wasn’t decided until midway through the season, telling Variety that “the Duffer brothers and [producer] Shawn Levy had a lot of conversations throughout shooting and it wasn’t really until we were shooting episode four and five, I think, that we made the final decision. It was kind of a collaborative conversation, and I’m really, really happy with how it went.”

The actress, who was speaking at the Los Angeles premiere of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, in which she cameos, also expressed her gratitude at getting to play the character.

“I loved Robin, and I gave her everything I had, and I tried to make her as human and multidimensional as I could, and I wanted people to love her,” she said. “But honestly when you bring a new character onto a TV show that is already so beloved, it’s very rare that it’s received that well… and I’m so grateful that people fell in love with Robin the way that I did.”

She added, “If I can hope for anything it’s that maybe some people fell in love with Robin and that helped them fall in love with girls who love girls and boys who love boys.”