Holly Wheeler is not a new character in the Stranger Things universe, but in Season 5, the youngest member of the Wheeler family takes center stage as a key player. After her mother, Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono), wields a broken wine bottle to save her, Holly ends up being taken by a Demogorgon in Vol. 1 of the series, which debuted its first four episodes on Nov. 26.
Nell Fisher, the 14-year-old British actor who plays an adolescent version of Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things 5, joined the cast knowing she would be portraying a very different side of the character than fans had previously seen.
“Holly Wheeler had been played for the first four seasons by Anniston and Tinsley Price, who did a wonderful job creating a character the fan base knows and loves,” Fisher says. “Holly’s been important but on the periphery, and this season, Holly becomes a protagonist. Things start happening to her, and she starts getting things done. I’m really excited to be able to play this character.”
To echo Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) going missing in Season 1, creators Matt and Ross Duffer elevated Holly this season to return to the themes of childhood and lost innocence. They even titled Stranger Things 5’s second episode “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler” as a throwback to the name of the series’ debut episode in 2016.
“For this season, the Duffer Brothers wanted to centralize Holly as a main character. Many, many years ago, we had two 3-year-old twins play Holly, back when I was shooting her following Christmas lights down a hallway,” says executive producer Shawn Levy, who also directed Episodes 6 and 7. “So this time around, there was both an opportunity, but also a necessity, to find someone to play Holly who is around the same age — that innocent, defining age — that our kids were when this started.”
“Centering Holly not only gives us a new character to explore and root for, but is also very thematic because, in many ways, this show has always been about childhood, about the vulnerability of innocence, but also the superpower of innocence,” Levy continues. “We’ve all watched these kids grow up and have this very visceral connection to the kids of Stranger Things.”
Below, Fisher reflects on what it was like to join Stranger Things for its final season and why the novel A Wrinkle in Time is a guiding light for her character.
Where do we find Holly at the start of the season?
She’s in the Wheeler household, and the Wheelers and the Byers are living together. At first, Holly has this imaginary friend called Mr. Whatsit, who we later discover to be Henry. She goes through a big journey this season, discovering this new, crazy supernatural world.
What is Holly’s mindset this season?
Holly’s story is kind of a girl growing up through a crazy series of events, but it’s still a coming-of-age story. At the start, she’s kind of the object of the story. Things are happening to her, and she goes missing. But as the season continues and she learns more, her mindset evolves, and she starts to really be able to change and drive the story by what she does.
What was it like to be on set for the final season of Stranger Things?
It was so wonderful. For me, it’s my first season, so it’s exciting and new and fresh, but for a lot of the cast and crew, it’s the end of a very long road. I’m just lucky to be a part of that and to join this story. I’m kind of in awe of them, of the people who've been on this show for nearly a decade, but I’m just loving it. Everyone is just so lovely and welcoming. I learn so much from them every single day, and it’s just wonderful.
What do you remember from your first few days on set?
I remember feeling extremely intimidated. My first day I was filming with Cara Buono and being directed by the Duffer brothers in the Wheeler House set. These are actors and sets I’ve seen for four seasons. It was pretty terrifying, but everyone was so kind and welcoming and I eased into it.
How does Holly use A Wrinkle in Time, the classic science fantasy novel, to understand her own journey?
A Wrinkle in Time was a big part of my preparation for this role because Holly’s been an important character who’s kind of touched the surface of this weird supernatural world. She uses A Wrinkle in Time to understand what’s happening to her and to orient herself in this new crazy world. Henry [Jamie Campbell Bower] is Mr. Whatsit, Henry’s mind prison is Camazotz, and Vecna is IT.
What was it like filming the Demogorgon attack scene?
Holly is in her room one day after hearing her parents arguing, and all of a sudden lights start flickering. That’s never a good sign.
A Demogorgon hops through the roof. I won’t go into too much detail because fans should go and watch it, but it’s absolutely amazing and was so much fun to film. I filmed it with Cara Buono, who plays my mother, and the Duffer brothers, and it was such a blast.
What’s it like to work with the Duffer brothers?
They’re amazing. They’ve got such creative minds. This show is their baby, and they came up with this brilliant world and amazing characters who inhabit it; and it’s incredible to see the thought, the work, and their process that goes into this amazing show that gives so many people joy.
Why do you think Stranger Things connects with so many fans?
I honestly think it’s the fact that it’s about love conquering evil, and it’s so many different types of love. It’s platonic love, love between a father and a daughter, love between siblings, love between a community, and romantic love. Those are all things people can relate to.
The first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 are streaming now on Netflix, followed by three more episodes on Christmas Day and The Finale on New Year’s Eve. Click here for a deep dive into how Volume 1 ends, find out when new episodes arrive in your part of the world here, and test your knowledge of Stranger Things with our superfan quiz.
