Noah Schnapp was only 11 years old when he reached national fame after securing the role of Will Byers in the iconic Stranger Things series.
Today, he has over 27 million Instagram followers as the massively popular show launches into its fifth and final season.
Noah Schnapp From Stranger Things Has Been Working As a Lifeguard So He Can Stay ‘Grounded’ Before College
Noah, who is now 17, is one of the world’s star-studded young actors, and he consistently makes buzzy headlines.
However, the child actor has always strived to live a normal life and his followers are often left surprised by consistent (and sometimes accidental) reminders that he is actually just a regular teenager.
Earlier this month, folks were surprised to see Noah in an Instagram Live that was being hosted by Love Island UK stars Luca Bish and Jacques O’Neill.
After joining the chat, Noah commented: “I LOVE U,” having previously admitted to being obsessed with the British reality show.
And in 2018, Noah seemed to forget who he was entirely when he joined his costar Millie Bobby Brown’s Instagram Live and immediately started to complain about his mom.
“Oh my god, Millie. My mom has been texting me and she was like: ‘I’m so done with you, I’ve lost all my patience. I’m taking away your laptop and your phone,’” he admitted.
Millie then reminded him that thousands of people were watching as she exclaimed: “Noah, we’re on live!” to which he responded: “Oh, I forgot, hi everyone,” before leaving the live stream.
In a new interview with Flaunt magazine, Noah revealed that maintaining a normal life outside of Stranger Things is a major part of keeping himself “grounded.”
And while he has an estimated net worth of $4 million, the young actor has revealed that he took on a job as a lifeguard over the summer.
Working as a lifeguard at Camp Hillard during summer was unexpectedly fun! Met a new family and invested a whole energy during summer break was quite an experience ⛱️ pic.twitter.com/KybZrmqOj7
— (Not) Noah. (@shvitz) August 21, 2022
RELATED: 35+ Hilarious Stranger Things Memes That Only Real Fans of the Show Can Appreciate
“It’s kind of a ‘just for fun thing,’” he said of his part-time gig. “I’ve kind of grown up with a normal life and normal friends and stuff outside of Stranger Things, so it’s kind of kept me grounded.”
And, just like those of millions of other high school graduates, Noah’s summer job is actually just a precursor to college, which he will begin this fall.
In December, Noah posted an emotional video that saw him jumping for joy with his parents and twin sister after he received an acceptance letter from the University of Pennsylvania.
This video of Noah Schnapp learning he got accepted to college is the purest thing in the world. Congrats Noah!! ???? pic.twitter.com/uJRZGueizw
— Netflix (@netflix) December 17, 2021
And to the surprise of many, despite his wealth and fame, Noah plans to share a dorm, eat in the dining hall, and use the communal showers like every other first-year student.
Noah told Flaunt that he originally considered studying acting at school, but instead, he is attending the private Ivy League’s business school.
“Acting was just kind of repetitive, and I wanted to try something new,” he explained. “Millie [Bobby Brown] is doing the same thing with her schooling — she’s kind of learning about other things. I thought it would make more sense to do something different. And business was a pretty clear next thing for me.”
And while Season 4 of Stranger Things has only just aired, it is believed that filming for the fifth season will start next year, and Noah admitted that it was “very crazy” for him to think about the show coming to an end.
“Will is like my baby,” he the outlet. “I’ve curated and built this character for years, and it’s very crazy to think that it will be over before I knew it and that’s it.”
“But, it’s such a big franchise that it’s never really going to be over,” Noah continued. “There will always be spin-offs and things to come. I don’t know, I’ll do movies with Millie and whatnot in the future. There’s always more to look forward to.”