Linda Hamilton says Stranger Things is now “ruined” for her

Jessica Cullen
Linda Hamilton in Terminator: Dark Fate holding a gun and wearing sunglasses

Linda Hamilton is set to join the cast of Stranger Things Season 5, but the star has admitted that she’s probably not going to be able to watch the show anymore.

Stranger Things has always been able to pull a few acting legends out of the bag. From Winona Ryder to Matthew Modine, and Sean Astin to Robert Englund, the series has included plenty of familiar ’80s faces over the years.

But their biggest win to date would be bringing aboard Linda Hamilton for the upcoming final season of the Netflix series. Her casting was announced back in June 2023 during the Tudum event, and fans can’t wait to see how she’ll fit into the climactic finale.

Hamilton has admittedly watched every prior season of the show. However, since she’s joined the Upside Down crew, things have changed. These days, she’s not so keen to jump back into another Stranger Things binge.

Linda Hamilton says Stranger Things was “ruined” for her

Linda Hamilton admitted that her own Stranger Things casting has ruined the show for her, since she says it’ll break the reality of the story.

“I’ve watched every season with relish. I just love it,” she told Us Weekly. “So it’s kind of, like, imposter syndrome where I don’t [feel that I] fit in there. That’s a whole world set in the ’80s.”

“When you really buy into something, you don’t see yourself in it. So I think in a way, it kind of ruined the show for me. I never watch [a project], once I’m in something. It would just completely take me out of the reality of it to see myself in there. So I won’t be watching [Season 5].”

The details of Hamilton’s character haven’t been revealed yet, so it’s anyone’s guess as to who she could play. However, with Stranger Things Season 4 revealing the death of the show’s long-standing antagonist, Papa, there’s definitely room for a new villain.

Perhaps Hamilton will be part of Colonel Sullivan’s tactical team attempting to capture Eleven? Fans will have to wait and see, but one thing’s for sure: even if Hamilton won’t be watching Stranger Things’ final season, we sure will be.

About The Author

Jessica Cullen is a TV and Movies Writer at Dexerto. She's previously written for The Digital Fix, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, Slate and more. Aside from being the residential Yellowstone expert, she also loves Westerns, '90s action movies, and true crime. You can email her here: jessica.cullen@dexerto.com.