The strict set of rules 'Stranger Things' actors must follow

Attention to detail
Strict rules
No makeup
The sparkle of the show
No haircuts
Steve 'The Hair' Harrrington
Beauty standards
The 80s body
Scheduling conflicts
Almost the end of Mike
No smartphones
Screeners and passwords
Tracking the password
No spoilers
It works
Co-workers and friends - officially
Comfortable clothes
Too tight
Attention to detail

Whoever thinks the success of 'Stranger Things' is a coincidence, mere luck, or some kind of witchcraft, is completely wrong. The work and attention to the most unthinkable details in the show are unmatched.

Image: Netflix

Strict rules

An example of that is the strict set of rules that the actors must follow while shooting 'Stranger Things'. The website 'Collider' has made a compilation of some of this surprising list of rules, so let's take a look.

Image: Netflix

No makeup

The first rule in the 'Stranger Things' code has nothing to do with spoilers. The actors have to go to set each morning with clean faces and no makeup. Characterization and the aesthetic aspect of the series are very important, and the creators of the show, the Duffer Brothers, want to fully recreate the '80s vibe.

Image: Netflix

The sparkle of the show

The 'No makeup' rule was established when, one day, one of the protagonists of the show, Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), came to set with her whole face covered in glitter. This delayed the beginning of filming by an hour and, in these huge productions, every delay costs a lot of money…

Image: Netflix

No haircuts

The exact same thing happens with hair. The Netflix stars are told not to cut their hair so the makeup and hair crew can easily style it in the '80s fashion.

Image: Netflix

Steve 'The Hair' Harrrington

This rule especially applies to Joe Keery, whose hair is an iconic part of his character in the show, Steve. So much so, that the Duffer Brothers nicknamed Keery's character 'The Hair.'

Image: Netflix

Beauty standards

The way people looked or dressed in the '80s was very different from today. The Duffer Brothers make sure that the cast looked as '80s appropriate as possible.

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The 80s body

This rule really affected the actor Dacre Montgomery (Billy) who joined the cast just right after being one of the protagonists of the 'Power Rangers' film. He turned out to be too muscular for this role in 'Stranger Things.' In order to transform his body shape, he had to gain a bit of weight and stop dieting and working out.

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Scheduling conflicts

'Stranger Things' doesn't wait for anybody, so when shooting is scheduled, it cannot be changed. If someone has a conflict with it, then it's over for them. It's that simple.

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Almost the end of Mike

In fact, Finn Wolfhard (Mike) was about to leave the show due to a scheduling conflict with the filming of 'It.' Luckily, the Pennywise production was delayed by almost a year and the actor was able to participate in both projects.

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No smartphones

It seems obvious, but the cast is reminded that smartphones, getting on social media, or taking pictures are not allowed on set. Any slip-ups can be very revealing about the show's new season.

Image: Netflix

Screeners and passwords

Any spoilers or details about an episode or the show can cost Netflix millions of dollars. To avoid that, the screeners - recorded fragments of the episodes that the actors may see - can only be accessed by them with an individual password.

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Tracking the password

The images can be traced, so if a cast member decides to share any of them, producers can easily check which password was used to do so.

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No spoilers

Interviews are also a dangerous place for giving away any spoilers, and Netflix knows it. That's why actors are given a list of things they can and cannot share.

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It works

And it's something that has clearly worked for 'Stranger Things' because, after four seasons, the cast has never spilled any spoilers in front of the media.

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Co-workers and friends - officially

The 'Stranger Things' stars have been working together since 2016. Over the course of 6 years of shooting, confrontations between individual cast members or staff may come up. To avoid that as much as possible, nobody is allowed to speak ill of any of their co-workers, neither on set nor in interviews.

Image: Netflix

Comfortable clothes

To ensure a natural and good performance, the costume department insists that actors have to be comfortable in their '80s clothes, especially while they are filming their action scenes.

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Too tight

Joe Keery once complained about their jeans being too tight for certain scenes. The problem was immediately solved, because being uncomfortable whilst trying to kill a Demogorgon is unacceptable.

This is one of the (many) rules that, as we have seen, everyone on the 'Stranger Things' set must follow.

Image: Netflix

 

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