Stranger Things has returned for its fifth and final season this November as fans brace for an exciting end to their favorite show. The show that started with a bunch of small kids running around Hawkins is ending with those same kids scattered across Hollywood, some rising, some drifting, and some nearly forgotten by the very machine that once lifted them.
Almost ten years after season one, many of the young stars have stepped out into the world with mixed results. Millie Bobby Brown remains a prominent presence in the entertainment industry. Finn Wolfhard burned bright early on, but then he cooled off quicker than anyone expected. Others have also met with similar outcomes.
Then there is Sadie Sink, who has seen a quiet, steady, and determined rise in the entertainment industry. But she once had to plead to get her role in Stranger Things.
Sadie Sink Surging Ahead Of The Pack
Sink earned a Tony Award nomination for John Proctor Is the Villain, becoming the second youngest woman to achieve that honor. In 2022, she delivered a striking turn in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, one of the most acclaimed projects tackled by any of the young cast.
In other words, she has already circumvented the quicksand that often engulfs former child stars tied to a single giant show.
SADIE SINK THE ACTRESS THAT YOU ARE #StrangerThings5 pic.twitter.com/DWnDifeMQK
— best of stranger things (@stonetflix) November 27, 2025
The Stranger Things Star Who Almost Lost the Role
Despite her success with the show, Sadie Sink almost never made it to Stranger Things at all. Sink entered the story in season two as Max, the skateboarding outsider who reshaped the group and gave the plot a new pulse. Even those who lost interest in the show after the first season often admit Max brought something real back into the mix. Yet her spot in that cast hung by a thread.
She auditioned at 14 for a role written for a 12-year-old, and the age gap raised genuine concerns. Kids grow fast at that age; a year can shift their face, voice, and entire presence onscreen. The casting directors liked her, but they hesitated because of her age. However, Sink refused to let the role slip, and she pushed for more material. She pushed hard, almost pleaded, for another chance to prove herself.
“I just begged and pleaded with them to give me more material so I could show them something fresh,” she recounted her words to Fashion magazine. She showed some real determination behind that push and endured four call-backs.
Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5. pic.twitter.com/mB1ATwy1y0
— A Shot (@ashotmagazine) November 28, 2025
The Chemistry Test That Changed Everything
The turning point came during a chemistry test with Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin. Anyone who has watched the series knows how that trio can bring a scene to life. The casting team could see it at once, and the next day Sink secured the role. The effect of that decision shaped the entire trajectory of the show. While Max carried the emotional weight the series needed as it drifted into bigger and louder storylines, Sink held the ground under it with a maturity that pulled everything tighter.
Now she stands as one of the only young actors from the franchise moving forward with real force, carving out a path that feels like the start of a long run. She nearly lost the role that launched her, and now she looks ready to become one of Hollywood’s biggest breakout stars.
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