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Stranger Things: Natalia Dyer Revisits Nancy's Journey from Playing by the Rules to Bravely Facing Danger
Season 5, Ep. 27
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Stranger Things features a number of powerful character arcs, but a personal favorite of the bunch is Nancy Wheeler’s evolution from timid student finding her way in the high school social scene to a sheer force who’s willing to throw herself into danger to fight for her loved ones. That epic transformation is exactly what we break down in this new edition of Collider Ladies Night with Nancy Wheeler herself, Natalia Dyer.
In Season 1 of Stranger Things, Nancy is inspired to step up and face the Upside Down after Barb’s (Shannon Purser) disappearance. It’s a mighty powerful early point of change for the character, and it's something that the Duffer Brothers continued to build upon as Nancy’s circle of loved ones grew and as the threat of the Upside Down intensified. Throughout much of Season 2, Nancy teams with Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) to expose Hawkins Lab, and then in Season 3, she applies that tenacity to overcoming intense disrespect from the staff of the Hawkins Post to see an investigation through that proves vital to battling the Mind Flayer.
As we see in Stranger Things 4, Episode 9, “The Piggyback,” every single character proves vital to the plan to defeat Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), but Nancy in particular shows off an especially essential ability to assess the threat and figure out what's necessary to power through the mission, a quality that will undoubtedly be crucial to saving Hawkins in the show’s final season.
Hear all about Dyer's journey from discovering her passion for acting to becoming a Netflix powerhouse on this episode of Collider Ladies Night!
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