‘Stranger Things‘ Dustin Henderson was another victim of junior high bullying. Fans sympathized with the character when his classmates made fun of his lisp and lack of front teeth. However, Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin, revealed that his character’s impediment is based on his real-life genetic disorder.
Cleidocranial dysplasia is a disorder that affects bone and tooth formation in the body and is often accompanied by birth defects. Dustin explains his condition in season one but it does not stop his bullies. Matarazzo revealed how The Duffer Brothers learned about his disorder and wanted to incorporate it into Dustin’s character.
Gaten Matarazzo Though It Was “Realistic” To Include His Genetic Disorder In ‘Stanger Things’ Script
Gaten Matarazzo appeared in an episode of Mythical Kitchen where he revealed how he agreed with the Duffer brothers to include cleidocranial dysplasia in the ‘Stranger Things‘ script. Show creators Matt and Ross Duffer wanted to make Dustin’s bullying background stronger. Therefore they asked Gaten if they could include the disorder in Dustin’s character.
Gaten said, “Once I got the part, they said they’re gonna incorporate that and use it in a realistic way.” He continued, “They asked me if it was okay if the kids in the show had bullied me because of it. I said it’s totally cool. It’s realistic.”
In 2018, Gaten revealed on The Doctor how difficult it was for him to get roles because of his disorder. He said that it was “one of the biggest reasons” why he was not getting roles. Therefore when Matt and Ross Duffer approached Gaten with the idea, the actor was completely on board.
Gaten Matarazzo Wants To Create Awareness About Cleidocranial Dysplasia
Not only did Gaten Matarazzo want the ‘Stranger Things’ story to appear more realistic, he also wanted to spread awareness about cleidocranial dysplasia. Gaten has suffered from the disorder since birth. Therefore it is only understandable why he wants people to be more aware of the struggles with the disorder.
In 2016 he stated on The Johnathan Ross Show, “It’s a condition where you are born without your collarbones; I don’t have any. It affects your facial growth, your skull growth, it affects your teeth. That’s why I don’t have any – these are fake – I have teeth but they’re all baby teeth.”
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Gaten bravely said, “I just want to raise awareness for it and let people know that it’s not something that you should be afraid of showing.” ‘Stranger Things’ became the first platform to represent people with cleidocranial dysplasia and Gaten has been praised by the industry for his admirable efforts.
