Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Lucas Sinclair – the only main Black role in the hit Netflix series “Strange things” – is speaking out against the racism he has received from fans of the show since the series first premiered in 2016.
McLaughlin, 20 years old but started the show at 14, opened up about the issue at Heroes Comic Con Belgium convention, saying “it certainly did a toll on me as a child.”
“Some people aren’t even in my ranks because I’m black,” McLaughlin said of his first comic book.
He added that “some people don’t even stand in my line because I’m black… (at) My First Comic” and “some people have told me (that) they don’t want to line up” my item because I intend with (the main character of the series) Eleven. “
“That definitely took a toll on me as a kid,” “My first comic, some people weren’t in my ranks because I was black. Some people have said to me, ‘Oh, I don’t want to be in your line because you have malice against Eleven,’ McLaughlin said.
🙏Caleb McLaughlin (@calebmclaughlin) brings an important message to the world at @HComicConBE today. ❤️#StrangerThings https://t.co/CnFUuGf14l
– Heroes Comic Con Belgium (@HCicConBE) September 25, 2022
Despite the fact that this incident happened around the time of season One of the sci-fi show, the actor revealed that he continues to face racism from fans even today, especially when he’s abroad, says “it definitely affected me a lot. “
“Even now, some people don’t follow me or support me because I’m black,” McLaughlin continued. “Sometimes abroad you feel racism, you feel bigotry. Sometimes it’s hard to talk and let people understand, but when I was younger, that definitely influenced me a lot.”
The “Stranger Things” star is the least liked on the show and has the least number of social media followers.
The actor said that despite being only 14 years old, he often questioned why he was the least-liked character on the show, with the fewest social media followers compared to his white co-stars.
“Why am I the least popular? The least number of followers? I was on the show like everyone from Season 1,” he recalls.
McLaughlin added that his parents eventually revealed the “sad truth,” telling him “it’s because you’re the (only) black kid on the show.”
“My parents had to say, ‘It’s a sad truth, but it’s because you’re the black kid on the show,'” McLaughlin continued. “Because I was born with this gorgeous chocolate skin, I’m unpopular.”
Racism hasn’t stopped “Strange Things” from spreading from “Positiveness and Love”
McLaughlin said the racism he’s been through hasn’t stopped him from spreading “positivity and love,” saying he will “not return the hate to those who hate me.” .
“I don’t take revenge on people who hate me,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin will return for the fifth and final season of the series. According to David Harbor, the series is likely to begin shooting next year, with a view to a summer release date of 2024.
