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After Millie Bobby Brown took on the role of Eleven in Stranger Things, it put her on the map as an actress. Part of dedicating herself to the role, however, was shaving her head to remain true to the character. Maybe the crew could have used some TV magic on her hair to make it so she didn’t have to actually shave her head in real life, but she was totally committed to the role from the start.
But, according to Millie on the On Purpose podcast, she dealt with bullying as a direct result of shaving her head. During the interview, she credited her mother for preparing her for the inevitable, but at the time, as a kid, she thought she was just giving the Netflix role her all. What followed was merciless bullying and then years of public scrutiny. So fun, right?
Yes, Millie Bobby Brown actually shaved her head to play Eleven.
@jayshettyarchive In this deeply personal conversation on the On Purpose Podcast, Jay Shetty sits down with Millie Bobby Brown as she reflects on the childhood defining moments that truly shaped her identity. At just ten years old, Millie made the bold decision to shave her head for her iconic role as Eleven in Stranger Things. While society often tells young girls that their hair defines their beauty and worth, Millie shares how this pivotal experience completely challenged traditional standards and taught her the true meaning of self-expression. With powerful guidance and support from her mom, Millie learned to prioritize her own happiness and dedication to her craft over the inevitable noise of public opinion. Her story serves as a beautiful reminder for anyone struggling to balance societal expectations with authentic self-love. Watch until the end to see how choosing personal fulfillment over external validation can completely transform your life. What is a defining moment from your own childhood that completely shaped who you are today? @Jay Shetty #JayShetty #MillieBobbyBrown #StrangerThings #SelfLove #Inspiration ♬ Motivational Story – Carla bxd
During the first season of Stranger Things, when Eleven escapes the facility and she’s found in the woods, some characters mistake her for a little boy because of the buzzcut. To be fair, the hair is a big part of Eleven as a character, because she has to have her head shaved in order to be experimented on. And, outside of the fictional world of Hawkins, Millie actually went through with shaving her head.
“I remember when it was happening I thought, ‘wow, this is really me showing my dedication to my job,'” Millie said on the podcast. “I was 10 years old…your hair as a girl is what defines you as being a girl and pretty and whatever. I just didn’t care about that, I wanted to do what made me happy.”
She also said that landing the role was a job for her and shaving her head went along with that. What she probably didn’t expect, however, was the public backlash and jokes at her expense because of her decision to go all out to play Eleven. A character, by the way, who pretty much made the show what it eventually became to fans around the world.
She admitted to being bullied for years.
During the podcast interview, Millie shared that, because she agreed to shave her head and totally dedicate herself to the Stranger Things role, she was bullied for years. But she was able to get through it at the time, mostly because her mom helped prepare her for the reactions that some people might have to that choice.
“My mum was really trying to help me understand,” Millie explained. “No matter what people are going to say about you, what people are going to think… because she was preparing me, she’s a logistical person.” She also said that her mom reminded her, “You did this because you wanted to do it and this made you happy.”
Because her mom warned her about the bullying that would come, Millie was able to think back to what her mom said about cutting her hair short because it made her happy. That’s how she got through the bullying she’d faced.
The ‘Stranger Things’ star was also bullied for her appearance in the final season.
A Millie Bobby Brown cheia de botox com só 21 anos já nem consegue mexer mais a sobrancelha pqp
— Italo (@peppipets) December 28, 2025
É essa cara aqui a temporada inteira pic.twitter.com/C9FryOUbDo
When the final season of Stranger Things premiered on Netflix, there was so much online discussion about the way the actors, mainly Millie, had changed, that it was likely hard for her to ignore this as a form of bullying all over again. Users took to social media to speculate on plastic surgery or fillers that Millie might have gotten prior to filming the last season.
“She’s an actress and the Botox/fillers hinders her ability to act,” someone commented on a Reddit thread. “It ruins the viewing experience for us, and we pay money to watch this show.”
It just goes to show that Millie was under a microscope for the duration of the show’s long run on Netflix.
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