Whether or not you tuned into the latest season of Stranger Things, you’ll no doubt have seen the praise being showered upon Sadie Sink. 

Spoilers aside, the actor – who has played the role of Max Mayfield in the Netflix series since season two – came to play a central role in Stranger Things 4, and her performance was next-level.

In fact, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the role of Max – but according to Sink, that’s exactly what nearly happened. In a new interview with Fashion Magazine, the actor revealed that she almost missed out on the role due to her age, and had to put in a lot of work with the show’s team to prove she could play the part. 

Explaining how, at 14, the casting directors had thought she might be too old for the part, Sink said she decided not to take no for an answer.

“I just begged and pleaded with them to give me more material so I could show them something fresh,” she explained, adding that the part of Max just felt “right” to her.

Luckily, all this effort paid off – and it didn’t take long for her to be called in for a chemistry read with Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin. The next day, she found out she’d got the part, and soon, she was stepping into the spotlight alongside her cast members.  

“It’s such a weird and specific situation that the Strangers Things cast and I are all in because the world knows who our characters are but we’re still trying to figure out who we are as people,” Sink said about becoming famous so young.

“I think being in the industry accelerates you and you mature faster. But for the most part, it’s just so fun because the cast is all going through it together.”

If one thing’s for sure, we’re glad Sink got the chance to show the world what she’s got – and we can’t wait to see her and the rest of the Stranger Things gang in action in the fifth and final season.

Stranger Things seasons one to four are now available to stream on Netflix  

Images: Netflix