Millie Bobby Brown recalls the emotional last day of Stranger Things 5: 'It was very sweet...'

Dubai: It is an end of an era. After years of battling the Upside Down, Millie Bobby Brown has finally said goodbye to Eleven and it wasn't easy.

The British actor, who was just 12 when she first stepped into the role that would define her teenage years, described wrapping the final season of Stranger Things as deeply 'emotional' and 'nostalgic' in an interview with Reuters.

"The last day we were very present though. It was a very sweet day," Brown shared, reflecting on those final moments with her co-stars who've become like family over the years.

It's hard to imagine the show without her—or her without it. For nearly a decade, we've watched Brown grow up on screen, transforming from a breakout child star into one of Hollywood's most bankable young actors.

What's next for Eleven?

Don't expect Brown to shy away from the genre that made her famous. If anything, Stranger Things has only fuelled her appetite for more science fiction adventures.

"It has only excited me to step more into that world," she said. And true to form, she's keeping her options open: "I never say no until I read a script."

With projects like The Electric State, helmed by the Russo brothers of Avengers: Endgame fame, and the fantasy action film Damsel already under her belt, it's clear Brown knows how to pick roles that keep audiences hooked.

The rejection that almost changed everything

Here's something most fans don't know: we almost never got to see Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven. Before she became the telekinetic powerhouse who launched Netflix into the stratosphere, Brown nearly quit acting altogether.

The culprit was losing out on playing Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones.

Opening up on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Brown admitted the rejection stung. "I think I was just very disheartened by the rejection… this industry is just full of rejection 24/7," she explained. "I then auditioned for Game of Thrones, and I got a no for that, then that's kind of when I was like, 'Oh, this is really difficult.' I guess I really wanted that role."

It's one of those sliding-doors moments that makes you wonder how different things could have been. The role went to Bella Ramsey, who absolutely owned it across nine episodes with cutting one-liners and fierce stares that launched a thousand memes.

But Brown's loss became our gain. Instead of walking away, she poured everything into becoming Eleven, creating a character so visceral that shaved heads and bloody noses became Halloween staples. Then came Enola Holmes, proving she could carry a franchise on her own. Not bad for someone who nearly gave up.

Bringing Stranger Things to the Middle East

Brown's Stranger Things journey has now come full circle with her new role as Yas Island's brand ambassador. She joins an impressive roster of Hollywood heavyweights including Ryan Reynolds, Jason Momoa, and Kevin Hart.

The partnership couldn't be better timed. Yas Island is hosting the region's first Stranger Things: The Experience, an immersive walk-through that lets fans step into the show's world. Running from November 14 2025 until February 15 2026 in Abu Dhabi, it's a chance for Middle Eastern fans to experience the Upside Down for themselves.

As one chapter closes with the final season, another opens with fans getting to live inside the world Brown helped create.