Maya Hawke shares what it was like to join the Stranger Things cast

Stranger Things season 4 star Maya Hawke is excited to become a series regular

After the release of Stranger Things 3, there was quite a lot to talk about! We met so many new and interesting characters, including Robin Buckley, played by Maya Hawke, encountered new dangers and threats, and laughed a whole lot with all the situations our heroes were thrown into.

One character from the hit Netflix original we particularly enjoyed is Robin Buckley, who is portrayed by actress and singer-songwriter Maya Hawke. Robin was introduced to us in season 3 as Steve’s friend and co-worker at the Scoops Ahoy ice cream shop at Hawkins’ Starcourt Mall and she quickly became a fan favorite in the series.

From basically coining the term “dingus” to solving the Russians’ secret code, Robin became a beloved member of the Scoops Troop and the Stranger Things family.

In an interview shared on Variety with the Stranger Things casting director Carmen Cuba, Hawke shared:

"For an actor, you’re a fan of the show not just as an entity…You’re a fan of the people who make it, the action that goes on in it, the dialogue, the environment [and] the fun it looks like people are having. I had a thrilling reaction to the idea I could get to say that dialogue that the Duffer Brothers write so intelligently and so specifically."

The article shares that both the Duffer Brothers, who created and directed the series, and Cuba knew that Robin would be a “demanding role” and sought recommendations for the role from other actors that Cuba has worked with. Once Maya Hawke’s name came up, everything was history!

Hawke shared her love for the show and her fellow castmates with Variety, saying how she “felt so fortunate” and even praised the fellow Scoops Troop cast, Joe Keery, Priah Ferguson, and Gaten Matarazzo.

She also shared how playing Robin was beneficial to her personally as well. She shared:

"I love playing this character. She really allows me to embrace parts of myself that I’ve often tried to hide. She has this darkness to her, this kind of physical awkwardness, a little bit of a social outcast feeling to her and an intense intelligence. Those are all pieces of my personality, but they’re not necessarily the ones that I try to put first."

One thing I personally loved about Robin that Hawke mentions as well is her friendship with Steve (Joe Keery). I know a lot of people, including myself, thought that the pair would end up as a couple by the end of the season. However, that wasn’t the case.

Robin came out as gay to Steve towards the end of the season and confessed her crush on a classmate, Tammy Thompson (let’s hope that we meet her in season 4!). It’s such a great way to show representation on a huge platform like this! Hawke even described it as “almost revolutionary”. I think their friendship grew even stronger after Robin’s confession.

It’s so great to see some of our favorite characters become series regulars as we head into Stranger Things 4 like Brett Gelman (Murray) and Priah Ferguson (Erica), and now we know that the Scoops Troop will forever be together with Robin returning as well!

I have a feeling that Stranger Things 4 is going to be huge, and it’s so exciting to see Maya Hawke thrilled about returning as a series regular for the new season!

Make sure to stay tuned as more information comes in about the production and release date of Stranger Things 4!