Are you yet to binge on Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things?
Well, then scrap any weekend plans you may have and enjoy that I-must-watch-another-episode feeling as you lay awake at 2am, gripped by this ‘80s-set sci-fi thriller. For mega-fans (including team Grazia), the sleeper hit reminds us all of Winona Ryder's immense talent taking on any role (from goth icon in Beetlejuice to a suburban mum whose youngest son goes missing).
But there’s another female character from the show everyone’s got their eye on – Natalia Dyer aka Nancy Wheeler. Yes, there’s a love triangle element, but Nancy is no damsel in distress in the show, her arc a thrill to watch each episode.
You may not know the Nashville-born star yet, but here’s everything you need to know about the hottest new talent to watch…
How old is Natalia Dyer?
22 years-old - celebrating her birthday on the 13th January. That makes her a Capricorn, if you care about such things.
Her big break was in Disney's Hannah Montana
If you’re a die-hard Miley Cyrus fan, you may remember Natalia appearing in Hannah Montana: The Movie in 2009, her first ever acting role at the tender age of twelve. But ever keen to break out of the Disney Channel teen mould, she showed off her darker side in indie drama Believe in Unicorns which debuted at SXSW festival in 2014, playing a teen runaway.
Are Natalia Dyer and Emmy Rossum related?
Um, no. But the rising star could totally pass as the 33-year-old actress’ younger sister. The chestnut hair, the big eyes…even their smiles are identical.
She did her 1980s research before filming
The show is pretty much a love letter to eighties cult classics from The Clash (Warning: ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ will stay in your head for days after) to Steven Spielberg references peppered throughout. But as she was born in 1997 - playing a character in 1983 – she turned to her mum’s old year books, bought Charlie perfume and binged on slasher horrors from that era for inspiration. Although rather than all-out Madonna vibes (or her on-scren BFF Barb’s geek-chic) Nancy’s fashion in ST is more understated in a series of preppy outfits.
Does she have Instagram?
She certainly does. When Stranger Things began, Natalia was absent from all social media. But we were excited to discover that the actress kicked off her own 'verified' Instagram account in the summer of the first seasons' airing. You can find her @nattyiceofficial. She has more than 6 million followers.
Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton are dating
Who doesn't love a_Stranger Things_off-screen romance? Rumours initially surfaced that Natalia Dyer was dating Charlie Heaton, as the pair grew close after bonding together in Atlanta while filming the first season. They showed that they had mastered the art of fancy dress, at a Halloween party soon after, and later confirmed their romance, in 2017. Their similar styles means that some people wonder if they dress alike on purpose.
'It's literally never on purpose', she said this year. 'You do see articles, and no, we didn’t. I feel like we would naturally go out of our way to not, but it just happens.'
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