'Stranger Things' star Natalia Dyer says her younger co-stars are 'oversexualized' in the media

• "Stranger Things" star Natalia Dyer has said that she believes her younger co-stars are "oversexualized" by the media.
• Speaking with The Independent, Dyer said: "There are so many layers going on here. I generally feel like, to me, it's oversexualizing them. I feel protective over the younger kids even though they're not kids anymore, they're teens."
• Dyer, who plays the role of Nancy Wheeler, one of the only older central characters on the show, said that she believes the oversexualizing of young actors is a "a very tricky and complex" problem, which is ultimately rooted in a wider "cultural issue."

Natalia Dyer said she believes her "Stranger Things" co-stars are "oversexualized" by the media.

During an interview with The Independent, Dyer said: "There are so many layers going on here. I generally feel like, to me, it's oversexualizing them. I feel protective over the younger kids even though they're not kids anymore, they're teens."

Speaking about her younger co-stars Dyer added: "They're all great people and all having to grow up in very crazy circumstances. As a private person, I just feel like, leave people alone – unless you're talking about their work or what they want to talk about."

Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the 1980s, "Stranger Things" follows the lives of a group of young teens who fight to save their small town from a host of supernatural elements. The show is one of Netflix's biggest hits with its third season watched by over 40 million accounts in the first four days of its release, breaking Netflix's all-time viewing record.

Dyer, who plays the role of Nancy Wheeler, one of the only older central characters on the show, said that she believes the oversexualizing of young actors is a "a very tricky and complex" problem which is ultimately rooted in a wider "cultural issue."

She said: "There must be a bigger concept behind it as to why. Just let people be the people that they are, without any judgment."

British actress Millie Bobby Brown who plays Eleven on "Stranger Things" has been at the forefront of the discussion around the inappropriate sexualization of the show's young cast. In 2017, W magazine named the actress as one of the "Hottests" actors on TV when she was just 13, among a list of much older actors which included Claire Foy, Nicole Kidman and Keri Russell.

In an Instagram post leading up to her 16th birthday, Brown condemned the continued "sexualization" she has experienced from the media during her formative years as a young actor. In the post she said she has felt "pain and insecurity" as a young girl in the public eye.

She wrote in the caption: "There are moments I get frustrated from the inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults that ultimately have resulted in pain and insecurity for me."

16 has felt like a long time coming. i feel like change needs to happen for not only this generation but the next. our world needs kindness and support in order for us children to grow and succeed. the last few years haven't been easy, I'll admit that. there are moments i get frustrated from the inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults that ultimately have resulted in pain and insecurity for me. but not ever will i be defeated. ill continue doing what i love and spreading the message in order to make change. let's focus on what needs changing and I hope this video informs you on the things that go on behind the scenes of the headlines and flashing lights. dont worry I'll always find a way to smile ;) leggo 16 ♡.

A post shared by mills (@milliebobbybrown) on Feb 19, 2020 at 4:49am PSTFeb 19, 2020 at 4:49am PST

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