"Stranger Things" Star Grace Van Dien’s Secret For Believable Characters

Coming Of Age 

B+C: At the beginning of the movie, Anna has a dinosaur cake and birthday hats, and even your costumes are youthful and colorful. After meeting Eric, Anna becomes sophisticated in a new way. How do you approach the physical and emotional aspects of coming into your own?

GVD: I think a lot of something [director Amy Redford] and I talked about that we were careful with is in media, we oftentimes see teenagers portrayed as one-note. Writers love to give teenagers the sassy, bitchy trope and then just leave it at that. I know when I was a teenager I was definitely bitchy, but like, I had reasons.

In the portrayal of Anna, I just wanted to get into the reasons of why a teenager does things. Why they change their clothes for someone, why they're interested in someone. Because I think the reasons change as you get older, and I think everything is a lot more vulnerable when you're younger.

B+C: Did you feel split between empathizing with her and also just being like, "What are you doing?!"

GVD: No, I didn't have that, because when I was in high school, I had an experience very similar. I knew what [Anna] was going through. She handled [it] a lot better than me, and she handled it with a lot more strength and wisdom than I did. So no, I never questioned her because I knew exactly what she was thinking.

B+C: From a technical standpoint, I'm always fascinated by scenes that feel natural because I know there are a lot of takes. How do you make a scene feel fresh when you film it over and over again?

GVD: I think it's always credited to who you're working with. I was lucky to be paired with Kyle [Gallner] and Summer [Phoenix] in my scenes, and then the person who plays my best friend in the movie is also my best friend in real life. I think when you're allowed the freedom to play a little bit, then the natural banter between you and these people is shown through the screen. So it's really just getting along with the people you're working with.

B+C: There's so much buildup throughout all of the scenes, and there's not much in-your-face horror. How do you build that tension when the script might leave a lot up to your interpretation as an actress?

GVD: Oddly I didn't think of that while filming. I think all the credit [for] the suspense [is] due to Amy and the DP on the movie. That's all in the shots and the angles and the music.

Grace Van Dien's Secret To Great Character Work

B+C: I cannot let a conversation go past without asking you at least one Stranger Things question! I love the scene with you and Joseph Quinn in the woods, that's one of the best scenes in all four seasons to me. What do you love about a scene that's just a conversation, where you get to play with character work?

GVD: Again, credit to casting a good, kind person. Joseph Quinn is just amazing. And even the Duffer Brothers have talked about [how] that scene was literally just supposed to be a two second drug deal scene. It wasn't supposed to have depth and character and flirtation and fun and playfulness.

I really think if you cast two actors that get along and you let them play, then you can have so much magic happen. I feel that way about Kyle as well. He's so talented and so kind. And there are some scenes that didn't make the final cut with him and I'm so sad because, again, I just love playing. And when I meet someone else who likes to do that too, I just want it to be a never-ending scene.

B+C: You can also tell that you're just completely zoned in and having a ton of fun. So that definitely comes across!

GVD: And I feel like I play mostly sad characters. So these few snippets where they get to be happy, I'm like, "Oh, don't end! Don't end! Let's just keep this going."

B+C: Shifting gears a little bit, you have so many creative outlets. You act and you stream on Twitch, and you've also directed. Have those outlets affected each other? I'd love to hear about all those different parts of your brain working together.

GVD: I've always been doing these kinds of things. Ever since I was little, I'd be directing little videos of my sisters. I'd be acting out plays for family members. I'd be gaming with my dad or be holed up in my room writing. So I guess if they do influence each other, it's been ever since I started years ago and I'm unaware of it. Like, they're so melded into me.

B+C: And I love your Twitch username BlueFille! Why did you pick blue?

GVD: Oh, blue is just my favorite color, but also there's a Chromatics song called "Blue Girl" and I really love it, and I love the image that "Blue Girl" puts into my mind. Like, it's a girl that is sad and blue, but it sounds romantic. And then [the username] BlueGirl was obviously taken. I love French, and BlueFille sounds so cute!

B+C: I am definitely going to add "Blue Girl" to my playlist now! For my last question — what has been inspiring you lately?

GVD: I have been inspired by a lot of older movies lately, or movies with a female lead that's going through something. I recently watched A Woman Under the Influence. So that's an older movie, and then a newer movie that I watched is called To Leslie. Both those movies have really been inspiring me lately. I cried.

​Rapid Fire With Grace Van Dien

B+C: What is your favorite way to spend a Saturday morning?

GVD: In bed with my cat and my dog and a cup of coffee and a book.

B+C: What is your go-to coffee or tea order?

GVD: I have so many! I'm really into matcha right now. So anything matcha.

B+C: What is a product you can't live without?

GVD: Um I don't know if there's anything. Oh my God, I'm not good at rapid fire questions...I'm dependent on too many things! Can I write a list?

B+C: What's your go-to meal or snack to make if you have friends coming over?

GVD: Pasta. Oh my God, I love pasta. And asparagus. I really like making people asparagus because I feel like a lot of people don't like asparagus, but everyone who doesn't like asparagus who has tried mine starts loving asparagus.

B+C: Oh my gosh. What's your asparagus secret?

GVD: I'm not gonna tell you! But it does taste like French fries by the time I'm done with it.