Stranger Things 3 took us back to the unforgettable summer of ’85. Dynamic new characters (looking at you, Robin Buckley) were introduced, the gang navigated young love, and we learned that a new major player, the Russians, were involved in the ongoing mystery that is the Upside Down. 

Strange new discoveries, like the Starcourt Mall’s true purpose, made for a thrilling adventure for our Hawkins crew. And you can make your Season 3 rewatch feel like new with fresh details about filming the series straight from the cast.

Keep scrolling for amusing and insightful stories about Stranger Things 3 from those who were there, including Maya Hawke, Cara Buono, and Priah Ferguson. 

Hawke was so nervous filming her first scene that her hands were shaking.

We meet Robin (Hawke) in Chapter 1 of the third season, working the counter at Scoops Ahoy alongside Steve (Joe Keery). While the newcomer might have seemed cool, calm, and collected — “Hey, dingus, your children are here” — Hawke was battling serious jitters filming one of her first Stranger Things moments.

“[I was] trying to decide how I was gonna hold my hands. Would my character be leaned in and collapsed or more upright? I thought about it so hard,” Hawke said. “My hands were shaking. I was so nervous.” 

Hawke’s co-star Keery was present during her last audition and was “rooting for me to succeed,” Hawke noted. “If I could go back and tell myself anything, it would be, ‘You can relax. This space has you.’ ”

Buono used a hidden pool float to pull off Karen Wheeler’s effortless backstroke in Chapter 1’s swimming scene.

“I never really learned how to swim,” the actor said. “I grew up in the Bronx … my parents didn’t take me for lessons.”

When Stranger Things producers told her she’d be swimming the backstroke in the Season 3 opener, “Suzie, Do You Copy?”, Buono took the initiative to enroll in swimming lessons. But she was still learning and hadn’t perfected her technique when it was time to film, so her husband came up with a creative solution. 

“He ordered a little floatie and cut a little piece, and he put it in the back of my bathing suit,” Buono explained. “And so it kept me up a little bit.”

Ferguson worried she would hurt her co-star’s feelings with Erica’s pointed insults.

Chapter 8 kicks off with Murray (Brett Gelman) sharing his idea to access the gate to the Upside Down by essentially walking in — though the gate is heavily guarded by Russian forces. Erica immediately shuts down his plan with several cutting remarks, which Ferguson — who plays Erica — was nervous to say to her co-star. 

“I was talking to my mom in the trailer, and I was like, ‘I really don’t wanna hurt his feelings,’ ” Ferguson recalled. “And she was like, ‘He’s an actor. I’m sure his feelings won’t get hurt.’ ” 

Ready to dive back into Stranger Things? Seasons 1–4 are currently streaming on Netflix. 

Meanwhile, Stranger Things Season 5 releases with the first four episodes on Nov. 26, followed by three episodes
on Christmas, and the finale episode
on New Year’s Eve. Find out when new episodes arrive in your part of the world here.