5 reasons Millie Bobby Brown is the role model we all need in our lives
Let's face it, we all want to be Millie Bobby Brown. Not only is she super talented - she acts, raps, AND has an amazing sense of humour - she's turning out to be quite the role model for young women, despite only being 13!
Just last night, the Stranger Things star shared an important message about beauty with her 12 million Instagram followers, as she reflected on the time she shaved her head for her breakthrough role as Eleven in the hit Netflix series.
Instagram content
"The day I shaved my head was the most empowering moment of my whole life," Millie wrote. "The last strand of hair cut off was the moment my whole face was on show and I couldn’t hide behind my hair like I used to. The only image I had in my head about what I could possibly look like is Charlize Theron in Madmax."
She continued: "As I looked at myself and couldn’t see my old self, I realized that now; I have a job to do and that is to inspire other girls that your image or exterior part is not what I think is important. What I find important is caring, loving and inspiring other girls. Thought to share my thoughts during this life changing moment."
However, this isn't the only time the teenage actress has shared some inspiring food for thought. Here are five reasons why she's the role model we all need in our lives...
When asked about her kissing scene with co-star Finn Wolfhard in Stranger Things 2, she simply said: "I got up and I was like, kissing sucks!"
Instagram content
Instagram content
Getty ImagesShe’s not American
You might think that Millie Bobby Brown is American, but she is actually British, although she was born in Marbella. Her parents are British and she taught herself the perfect American accent by watching the Disney channel.
Instagram/ milliebobby_brownHer family
Millie’s mum and dad nearly went broke trying to help Millie achieve her acting dreams and even had to borrow money from her manager. Millie is one of three and has a brother and a sister – her whole family moved to Orlando in Florida in 2011, which is where Millie went to acting class at the weekend.
Getty ImagesThe big spot
Millie was spotted by a Hollywood talent scout and he was so impressed with her that the whole family moved to Los Angeles to help her pursue her dream. It didn’t take long for her to get her first break because after three months of being in Hollywood, she landed a role as Alice in Once Upon A Time In Wonderland.
Getty ImagesThe break-through role
Regardless, after a couple of smaller roles in Modern Family and Grey’s Anatomy it wasn’t enough to keep her family in America and they moved back to England to stay with her aunt. It was here in the UK that she got the call inviting her to audition for the role of Eleven in Stranger Things. She had to audition for the show using ‘dummy slides’ - fake scenes used to test an actor’s ability without giving away the show’s plot. So because of that, when she got the role she didn’t really know anything about her character.
Instagram/ milliebobby_brownShe shaved her head (and didn’t cry)
The creators of Stranger Things forgot to mention to Millie that she’d need to shave her head for the role of Eleven, but she handled it like a pro! Speaking to SciFiNow she said: “I was like, ‘Mum, let’s just cut it off, it grows back, it’s not permanent and I need to show how much I’m involved with this character and how much I’m involved with the show.’ I wanted the best for the show and if that’s what I had to do, then that’s what I had to do!” A video of her actually shaving her head went viralat the height of the show’s success.
Getty ImagesShe swotted up on 80s movies
The Duffer brothers, the creators of Stranger Things, asked Millie to watch Stand By Me, The Goonies, and Poltergeist, but it was ET that was the most important.
Getty ImagesShe loves roast dinners
A girl after our own hearts – she loves her Sunday nights with her family and they have a good ol’ fashioned roast dinner followed by a film. Cute!
Getty ImagesShe’s home-schooled
When you’re a megastar in a Netflix hit, there’s no time for school, but Millie gets home-schooled. Bless her though – she says sometimes it can get quite lonely.
Instagram/ milliebobby_brownShe loves to box
Don’t mess with her because Millie is a big fan of boxing, telling Vulture: “I do Thai boxing Mondays, jujitsu Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Wednesdays I do boxing with Mark – he was a world champion at one point. I absolutely love it. I actually have a punching bag outside in my garden. I’m obsessed with working out. I eat like a pig so it kind of makes up for that.”
Instagram/ milliebobby_brownShe has a good voice
Could she be featuring on the Stranger Things soundtrack one day soon? Millie can actually sing – and if you’ve not watched her rap yet, you’ve got to see it. Her favourite singers are Adele, Amy Winehouse and Ed Sheeran.
Getty ImagesHer and Winona are BFFs
Winona Forever! Millie is definitely a fan of her Stranger Things co-star, saying: “Winona’s just a phenomenal, amazing actress! We have a really good friendship, and because she was a child actress and she cut her hair, and I’m a child actress and I cut my hair, I think we just have so much in common.” The pair even were photographed at New York Fashion Week together, sat front row at the Coach show.
Getty ImagesHer dream co-star
Millie is desperate to work with Jodie Foster and would love her to guest star on Stranger Things for series 2.
Getty ImagesHer first kiss
Spoiler alert – in Stranger Things Eleven has a kiss with Mike, but that was actually her first kiss ever. After the cameras stopped rolling, she shouted “Kissing sucks!”
Instagram/ milliebobby_brownShe’s mates with Maddie Ziegler
Sorry, but is this not the coolest friendship ever!? Millie and the former Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler have created their very own squad and revealed they're recruiting for members. One glitch, you need to know what bae really means, and you need to have the word 'lit' in your day-to-day vocabulary.
"Me and Maddie are taking castings now," the Spanish-born, English actress joked. "Let's go with the test, shall we? What does bae mean?"
Watch out, World!
By the way, it means 'before anyone else'.
Rex FeaturesSo much so...
That they went to the 2017 Teen Choice Awards together. The pair were the ultimate BFFs as they posed together on the red carpet. Want to know how they met? It was backstage at a "So You Think You Can Dance" taping in 2016. Ziegler didn't know who Mille was so she went home and binged watched Stranger Things. Afterwards she DMed the actress on Twitter. The rest, as they say, was history.
Instagram/ milliebobby_brownSocial time
Millie is a lover of Snapchat (milliebbrown), Twitter (@Milliebbrown) and Instagram @Milliebobby_brown) where she posts countless pics of her and her mates from the Stranger Things cast. During her time away from filming, she posted a cute pic of her cuddling her co-stars telling them she missed them. ALL the feels.
Getty ImagesShe needs some R 'n' R
In March 2016, Millie announced she had to cancel a Comic Con appearance to “rest”. Posting a video of herself on Instagram, she told fans: She told her fans: “Hey guys, I’ve never had to do one of these videos before, but I have had to cancel a Comic-Con last minute, which is something I’ve never done and I’m planning on never doing again".
She continued: “I just think I’ve worked too hard and I have to rest, as I’ve had a really long shoot and I’m still filming Stranger Things.
“I’m sorry to everyone who was going and I promise you guys I’m going to get back to you,” she added. “I love you guys all, thank you so much for your continued support and thank you.”
Alamy/RexCareer dreams
At her spotlight panel during Emerald City Comicon, Millie Bobby Brown was asked by a fan which role she’d play if she could choose any. And the actor settled for royalty.
“Princess Leia,” Brown responded. “I love Carrie Fisher and it would be amazing to carry on her legacy.”
Getty ImagesShe thinks Eleven is a badass
At the MTV Movie & Video Awards, Millie broke down as she picked up the prize for 'Best Actor in a Show'. The star went on to deliver a heart-felt speech. After thanking her family and crew, she turned to the creators of the Netflix show, Matt and Ross Duffer, saying:
"They've created a badass, female character that I've got the honor to play. Thank you guys so much. I love you".
Getty ImagesAnd when she met Emma Watson it was just the cutest
She's met her match! After Millie Bobby Brown got emotional at the MTV Awards, she met Emma Watson and her face just says it all, dontcha think?
The XX via YouTubeShe stars in The XX's music video for I Dare You
Millie has lent her she her acting skills to The XX for the band's new track, I Dare You. She's not alone - the video also stars Paris Jackson, Ashton Sanders, and models Lulu and Ernesto Cervantes.
Getty ImagesShe's not all about winning
At the 2017 Emmy Awards Millie lost out on the award for supporting actress in a drama but she didn't get upset over not winning. During an ad break, after the Stranger Things star lost out to The Handmaid's Tale's Ann Dowd, Millie's costar David Harbour snuck across the aisle to console her, giving the 13-year-old actress a big hug and clutching her hands.
Getty ImagesShe earns the same as her Stranger Things co-stars
According to reports, all five of the Stranger Things main stars – Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Noah Schnapp (Will) and Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas) earn the same amount.
It was reported by The Hollywood Reporter that the fivesome earn around $30,000 (£23,000) each.
@milliebobbybrown / InstagramShe made everyone's day when she posed with Drake
Millie Bobby Brown and rap superstar Drake sent Instagram into meltdown after posing together for photos in Australia. Drake shared a snap of himself and Millie pretending to use telekinetic powers with their hands raised – along with the caption: “Hawkins very own.”
Millie chose to share this picture, with the caption: “this guy…” alongside a heart emoji.
Rex FeaturesShe has a penchant for fashion
Millie might be just 13 years old, but the actress is cooler than most grown adults. Between starring in a Calvin Klein campaign, landing magazine covers and sitting front row at the fashion week shows, we have plenty of reason to follow her fashion lead.
Check out next: Millie Bobby Brown's style file
