Meeting fans and hearing their appreciation is a surreal experience for all celebrities. However, not every encounter turns out as imagined. And Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo, who has experienced the latter, knows this better than anyone else.

Best known for playing Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things, Matarazzo rose to fame at a very young age and has since gained a massive fan following, including fellow celebrities. And despite meeting countless fans over the years, there is one interaction that he remembered and later described as very odd.

During an interview on the Inside of You podcast, Gaten Matarazzo opened up about one of his most uncomfortable fan interactions. He recalled an encounter with a woman who told him that she had had a crush on him since he was 13. While Matarazzo initially thought she was joking, the fan quickly confirmed that she was serious.

“This woman in her 40s said straight up, ‘I’ve had a crush on you since you were 13.’ And I was like, ‘That’s upsetting' ... then she doubled down. She was like, ‘I’m aware of the age difference.’ ... her daughter was with her, and her daughter goes, ‘Mom, what the f---?’ I swear to God,” she said," he said.

Unfortunately, the incident he shared on Inside of You was just one of many odd fan encounters he has experienced. On the 2018 SAG Awards Red Carpet, he shared that a fan once licked his hand while asking for a simple handshake. When he confronted the person about the behavior, the fan acted as if nothing was unusual. Even Finn Wolfhard had an uneasy interaction with a fan, where he was called rude for not sharing his half-drunk water.

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Not all fan interactions are unsettling and uncomfortable for the actor. Some interactions just show how far Stranger Things’ impact has reached, especially among fellow stars.

During an interview with Nick Grimshaw, Gaten Matarazzo revealed that celebrities often approach him first, sharing how much they love Stranger Things. Recalling one such moment, he said that Robert Downey Jr. publicly praised the show, and that meant even more to him because Iron Man is his favorite superhero.

Not just Gaten Matarazzo, but Stranger Things actor Caleb McLaughlin also had such interactions. He was surprised when actor and TV host Terry Crews recognized him as Lucas and praised his performance 2019 People's Choice Awards, recalling it as feeling surreal, especially since he had grown up watching Terry Crews.

Over the years, the cast of Stranger Things has attracted several famous fans. Daniel Radcliffe is one such who expressed immense admiration for the show during an interview on The Breakfast Show. Even after the series concludes with Season 5, both Stranger Things and the cast clearly continue to hold a special place in fans’ hearts.  

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Which of these celebrity encounters do you find the most surprising?