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Stranger Things star Sadie Sink has been at the center of a Season 2 controversy involving an unscripted kiss between her character, Max, and Caleb McLaughlin’s Lucas that occurs near the end of the final episode of the season, “Chapter 9: The Gate.” However, the actress denies ever feeling uncomfortable about filming the scene in a new interview with The Wrap.
Sink revealed on an episode of the talk show Beyond Stranger Things that the kiss between the characters was unplanned and that she was notified day-of on set about the scene change. Neither Sink nor McLaughlin had ever kissed anyone before.
“I mean, of course I was nervous because it’s a first kiss, right?” Sink told The Wrap. “But I never objected to [it] or felt pushed into anything. I always felt comfortable and the Duffer Brothers, they do the best job. And always create a comfortable space. And if I felt uncomfortable with anything, I wouldn’t have done it.”
During the second episode of Beyond Stranger Things, Sink appeared unnerved while recalling being on set and finding out that she would have to kiss her co-star by showrunners The Duffer Brothers. As Sink explained on the show: “I get there, the first day of [filming the] Snow Ball…one of you, I think it was you, Ross, you say, “Ooh, Sadie, you ready for the kiss?” I’m like, “What! No! That’s not in the script…that’s not happening.” So the whole day I was like stressed out, I was like, “Oh my god, wait, am I gonna have to”… And it didn’t happen that day, but then the second day of filming the Snow Ball.”
Ross Duffer’s follow-up comment suggested that Sink was clearly uncomfortable with the decision. “You reacted so strongly to this — I was just joking — and you were so freaked out that I was like, ‘Well, I gotta make her do it now,’” he said. Sink admitted that she was “stressed out” by the scene, especially since it had to be acted out multiple times in front of extras, the crew, and the actors’ parents. You can watch the discussion below.
Stranger Things fans who watched Sink and the Duffer Brothers talk about the scene quickly took to social media to express discomfort with the situation. The idea that a child actor would be pushed into filming a surprise kissing scene has rubbed many viewers the wrong way, although Sink’s new comments to The Wrap seem designed to clear the air.
Stranger Things 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
