Actor Gaten Matarazzo, who’s popularly known for playing Dustin Henderson in the Netflix hit show ‘Stranger Things,’ has won the hearts of the viewers with his character’s brash and cocky behavior. He has been playing the role since he was thirteen. Matarazzo indeed does a great job
While many viewers might not have realized, both he and his character Dustin have a rare medical condition. The actor recently talked about it.
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Gaten Matarazzo Explains The Disorder He Lives With And Its Involvement In ‘Stranger Things’
In ‘Stranger Things,‘ Dustin Henderson has the same condition that Gaten Matarazzo has in real life. They both have an extremely rare disorder called Cleidocranial Dysplasia. The creators of the show haven’t shied away from making references to this on the show. Dustin, like Matarazzo in real life, has struggled with his teeth coming in. While his co-stars started the show with fresh chompers, Dustin was toothless in the first season.
In the most recent season, he also joked about his lack of collar bones. According to Matarazzo’s interview on ‘Live With Kelly and Ryan,’ producers wrote his condition into the show. “They looked at me and asked me a bunch of questions about my life. They had no idea what it was,” he said.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, this disorder affects around “one in a million people.” The disorder causes bones that “might be formed differently or might be more fragile than normal… Skull and collarbone abnormalities, along with dental abnormalities, are the main features of CCD.”
Matarazzo Has Been Having Surgeries Since He Was 14 Due To His Rare Medical Condition
The host of ‘Prank Encounters‘ has had multiple surgeries throughout his life, especially on his teeth. On Instagram, the actor opened up about a surgery he had in 2020 to remove extra teeth. His first surgery was on his mouth when he was only 14. In the post, he wrote, “I’ve had several surgeries to extract these teeth from within my gums and help expose the teeth that should have already grown in considering my age.“
In total, Matarazzo had at least 14 teeth extracted. Matarazzo said many of his teeth don’t grow in right or are in the wrong spots — surgery and extractions are necessary to remove extra teeth. But he doesn’t fear going to the dentist’s office. It’s one of the places he felt like an equal growing up.
He said, “There were days in which I would go to the orthodontist, it would hurt a lot. But I would look forward to it because it was one of the only environments in which I got to walk in and feel like an equal rather than feeling talked down to.” Matarazzo is actually thankful that his parents didn’t try to hide his disorder from him.
Matarazzo Struggled To Become A Hollywood Actor
Like many other people who have a dream of becoming a Hollywood actor, Matarazzo also struggled to get his big break. Unfortunately due to his condition, casting agents wouldn’t take a chance on him. The star struggled to land small-time gigs in commercials and advertisements before being cast on the hit sci-fi show. In an interview with Michael Rosenbaum, he said agents showed their ignorance of his disease over his lack of teeth.
“They didn’t realize how seriously my disease would affect me until I was an adult,” he said. “‘Oh kid, we adore you, but sure, just get those teeth in,’ casting directors would urge me all the time. I’d always hear, ‘Get those teeth in,’ and then they’d say, ‘Well, you’re not going to have much luck in this field then,'” Matarazzo continued.
In a separate interview on ‘The Doctors,’ he talked about the stigma. “It’s one of the biggest reasons why I [hadn’t] been getting roles, because of my lisp, and the teeth situation, and my height.”
But, on ‘Live With Kelly and Ryan,’ the actor said he is also happy to be an advocate for others who have similar conditions and is thankful for the exposure his platform lends. “That’s really exciting to know that your work is affecting other people besides yourself, that you are making an impact in the world,” he said.
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