Younger Millie Bobby Brown: Well, this is a hot mess, isn't it?

Millie Bobby Brown: Oh, my goodness!

[Younger Millie laughing] 

Younger Millie Bobby Brown: And then they wanted to fly me over to LA, so, I mean, that was pretty … that was so exciting to meet Finn for the first time. And the Duffers really didn't explain the show to me. They just… they explained more about my character and how she's so emotional throughout the series, and, you know, goes through some stuff, you know? So, and how she has that connection with Mike throughout the series. 

Millie Bobby Brown: Aww. Considering the world that I was surrounded in at that time, to be able to stay grounded and still so excited and grateful and happy, I think. I'm definitely proud of that version of me. 

Younger Millie Bobby Brown: So, when I had to shave my head, it was a very scary feeling. When I first met, you know, our hairdresser, Sarah, she's like, "Okay, so first of all, we're gonna cut it." And I'm like, "Yeah." She's like, "And then I'm gonna get a razor." I'm like, "Yeah." Okay, and the Duffers are just laughing this whole time, you know, videotaping it. I'm like, "Evil." So, I'm sitting there and then she starts cutting it. I'm like, "It's not too bad." And they're like, "Mm." It's, you know, it's like quite long, to be honest. And it was like, "We're gonna go a little bit shorter." I'm like, "Shorter? Really? We're shorter? Are you sure?" You know? And then they just cut it. And I was like, "It's not too bad." I wore a nice outfit that day as well. So, I sort of just tried to calm myself down. You know, "I look pretty. It's okay. It's fine." And then I went for the read-through and everyone's like, "Is that Millie?" I'm like, "Yep, yep. Don't be jealous of my amazing hair." "You know, I don't have a lot, but it's pretty short and it's great." 

Millie Bobby Brown: Oh my goodness. It's, like, really weird. I, I… It's really weird to see myself, like, in the moment, I genuinely didn't care. Like, I just didn't care about my hair. Like, I really didn't. Like, I remember what I felt like. And then months, months into filming, I started to care. 'Cause I started to get, like, really bullied. Like, just in the street and in stores and by kids. I started to feel the effects of like, "I don't feel pretty anymore." And like, I dealt with a lot of, like, insecurity at kind of a young age, I felt like really insecure because I felt like I wanted to be feminine, and I didn't know how to do that. 'Cause I thought hair defined femininity, which now obviously I know does not. But I grew into it, and I started to just think, like, you're doing good and you're going to be okay. 

[CLIP] Jim Hopper: Well, what do you think?

[CLIP] Eleven: Bitchin'.

[both chuckling] 

Younger Millie Bobby Brown: We went to an amusement park once. That was interesting. Caleb screamed like a girl on this rollercoaster, and I could not stop laughing. And then we went on this swing and they were saying that I was hyperventilating. I was like, "Oh my God!" You know, we do a lot of stuff together. 

Millie Bobby Brown: Being the only girl was difficult in the beginning because I didn't really understand what they were talking about most of the time. They all had their thing. They liked their video games, and they liked their… They had their own thing going on. So I actually had to… to squeeze my way in there. When I did, it was very rewarding because their friendship means a lot to me. A memory I'll never forget is meeting Noah Schnapp for the first time, knowing in my gut that he would be my best friend forever. I thought to myself, "I really want to be friends with him." He's like the coolest guy to me. Still is. 

Younger Millie Bobby Brown: I can't remember what scene we filmed the first day, but, um, it was so exciting. Obviously I've worked on a couple shows before, but this show felt different. This show felt like, "Oh my goodness, I'm with kids and it's so much fun." And, you know, we mess around, but as soon as it's down to work, you know, the Duffers are like, "Let's go," you know? But it was so much fun. You know, we got… You know, we do school. I mean, it was in between, in and out of doing school, but it's so much fun to hang out with them. 

Millie Bobby Brown: Amazing. I love them like family. It's going to be really hard to say goodbye to them. Career-wise, it's completely turned my whole life upside down. Um, no pun intended. I have had more opportunities. I've had more recognition and it's been… That has been amazing. Um, but personally, it's made me into the woman I am today. I know how I want to treat people, and I couldn't be prouder of the person I've become considering I've met really unbelievable crew members that have been a part of my family forever, and will be a part of my family forever. I feel like nothing's changed and yet everything's changed. I had my first kiss on the show and now I'm married. It's just a mind-[bleep].