While it’s hard to forget that the stars of the smash hit Stranger Things are pop culture sensations, it’s harder to remember most of them are just teenagers who like to do teenager stuff. Case in point, Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers on the show, recently got a new summer job as a (double checks notes) lifeguard.
That’s right, next time you go running around the pool when you’re supposed to be walking, it could be none other than Schnapp himself blowing the whistle on you. The star, in an interview with Flaunt, described how it all came about.
“It’s kind of a ‘just for fun thing,’” he said. “I’ve kind of grown up with a normal life and normal friends and stuff outside of Stranger Things, so it’s kind of kept me grounded.” The politics of getting a job “just for fun” aside, Schnapp admitted he doesn’t actually need the job, but he at least attempts to be like other teenagers his age (Schnapp is 17, and was just about to turn 11 when he filmed the first season).
He’s also doing other normal 17-year-old stuff, like applying for college. He’ll be attending the University of Pennsylvania, so he has to think about things like shared showers and cafeteria food soon. And while most would assume he’d study something like acting or drama, perhaps Schnapp has his eye on a future outside of acting.
“I was thinking of going for acting,” he said, but instead decided on the business school. “Acting was just kind of repetitive, and I wanted to try something new. Millie [Bobby Brown] is doing the same thing with her schooling—she’s kind of learning about other things. I thought it would make more sense to do something different. And business was a pretty clear next thing for me. ”
Stranger Things is currently streaming on Netflix.