Millie Bobby Brown has opened up about her struggles to separate reality from fiction, particularly regarding Jamie Campbell Bower’s character, Vecna, in Stranger Things. During the recent Stranger Things Epic Con panel held on October 20 in Jackson, Georgia, the 20-year-old actress responded to a fan’s inquiry about her favorite scenes with Bower, humorously stating, “None of them. He terrifies me when he is Vecna. I am scared of his costume. It scares me.”
Brown elaborated on her phobia of masks, revealing, “I don’t like masks, which is crazy because I’m at Comic-Con. But I don’t like people covering their faces. It’s a phobia I’ve had since I was little.”
Recalling her first encounter with Bower in full costume on set, Brown described her initial reaction: “He comes on to [the] set, and I’m like, ‘Who is that?’ And they’re like, ‘It’s Jamie,’ and I’m like, ‘That’s not Jamie. That’s a gremlin that lives in my closet, waiting for me to fall asleep to kill me.’” This dramatic reaction prompted crew members to encourage her to find a way to connect with Bower despite her fear.
“I was sobbing in my tent, and I’m like, ‘Nothing reminds me of Jamie,’” she recalled. “Then I closed my eyes, and I smelled cigarettes on his breath. I’m like, ‘That’s Jamie.’”
Brown went on to explain that any scene requiring her to pretend to be scared is rooted in real fear, saying, “Yes, Jamie is the best. I love working with him—but not other him.”
Bower, who portrays Peter Ballard and Vecna, has previously spoken about his close friendship with Brown. In a July 2022 interview, he expressed, “Mills and I became very close while working together. I knew that we would bond from the read-through. When I started doing the Henry stuff, she turned around, looked me in the eyes, and smiled. It created an amazing, instant vibe.”
Fans can catch all seasons of Stranger Things on Netflix, with the much-anticipated fifth and final season scheduled for release in 2025. The bond between Brown and Bower continues to capture the hearts of audiences, adding another layer of intrigue to their characters’ complex relationship on the show.
