Stranger Things Star Hopes Her Character’s Coming Out Sends Hopeful Message

In Stranger Things‘ third season, Maya Hawke joined the cast as Robin, the Scoops Ahoy! co-worker and object of Steve Harrington’s (Joe Keery) affection. Unfortunately for Steve, though, when he confessed his feelings for Robin, she ended up coming out to him as a lesbian. The scene was a powerful one, and it’s one that Hawke says she hopes sends a positive message to fans.

Speaking with Variety on the red carpet during the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiere Monday night in Los Angeles, Hawke revealed that Robin’s sexuality wasn’t set in stone right away and developed over time, but it’s one that she’s very happy with.

“It was kind of a collaborative conversation, and I’m really really happy with the way that it went,” Hawke said.

Part of that satisfaction with the direction her character went on Stranger Things is the impact she hopes Robin has on viewers.

“Sometimes we can have empathy for people on screen that we wouldn’t normally have empathy for in real life,” Hawke said about the scene. “If I can hope for anything it’s that maybe some people fell in love with Robin and that helped them fall in love with girls who love girls and boys who love boys,” she said.

Hawke also revealed that she’s grateful that people have responded so positively to the character, considering she was a new addition to the well-established cast of a beloved television series.

“I loved Robin, and I gave her everything I had, and I tried to make her as human and multidimensional as I could, and I wanted people to love her,” she said. “But honestly when you bring a new character onto a TV show that is already so beloved, it’s very rare that it’s received that well… and I’m so grateful that people fell in love with Robin the way that I did.”

It’s clear from Hawke’s comments that she took the role of Robin very seriously and it’s something that fans got to actually see a bit of the preparation for, thanks to a behind-the-scenes video shared by her Stranger Things co-star Finn Wolfhard earlier this month. In the video, which Wolfhard shared on Instagram, Hawke and Keery are practicing the emotional scene and, despite the construction noise and chaos on set behind them, the pair pretty much nail the moment.

What did you think about Hawke’s performance as Robin in Stranger Things Season 3? Let us know in the comments below.