Originally appeared on E! Online
Charlie Heaton is no stranger to hard things.
The “Stranger Things” star, now 31, recently made rare comments on becoming a dad at 20 years old, as he shares 11-year-old son Archie with ex bandmate Akiko Matsuura.
“Being a young father, you have to grow up very fast,” Heaton explained to Wonderland magazine in an interview published Nov. 25. “You have to also learn ethical priorities, too, and you’ve got to look after somebody.”
The “Industry” star noted that becoming a parent is a “big thing” to balance, especially at that age.
“You want to give them good experiences and a lot of love and the hard part obviously is distance,” he explained. “But that’s part of the sacrifice.”
Meanwhile, Heaton also reflected on his nearly 10-year romance with “Stranger Things” costar Natalia Dyer with the couple making their official red carpet debut in 2017.
“It’s been a gift to work with my best friend,” he added. “To be able to have a shared experience with your partner about the anxiety when you don’t get a job — I know what that feels like, she knows what that feels like.”
READ See Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer’s Rare Public Date Night at “Stranger Things” Broadway Premiere
Indeed, Heaton and Dyer haven’t had any issue continuing their relationship on and off screen. In fact, it informs their dynamic.
“You can be there to talk about it, or when you have a s— day at work, or come away from a scene and you didn’t think it worked,” he continued. “To be able to both understand each other on that level is great.”
Dyer had previously emphasized that working with Heaton amid their relationship was “really fun.”
“It’s an interesting thing to work with somebody who you go home with,” she explained to Refinery29 in 2019. “We’re really comfortable with each other, so we can play and feel more free, and we can talk about it before.”
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