'Stranger Things' Broadway star Louis McCartney on why he reads critical Reddit comments
NEW YORK – Louis McCartney, who plays the tormented Henry Creel in "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" on Broadway, admits he sometimes lives in the comments. The actor says he reads "every review." Then he takes it a step further.
"I also read the Reddit reviews because those (writers) are the real 'Stranger Things' fans," McCartney, 22, tells Paste BN. "Somebody said that my epileptic fit (in the play) looked too stiff. I can sit here and say, 'No, I worked on that for months and I don't think it is stiff,' but I said, 'What if it is?' I'm always looking for better ways to do it."
McCartney realizes seeking feedback and affirmation can be a "double-edged sword" when it comes to acting. He recalls a conversation with his father, Michael, a screenwriter, after earning a Tony Award nomination for his performance.
"(My dad) was like, 'Great job. So proud of you. But don't take your foot off the pedal,'" McCartney remembers. "'Keep going.'"
McCartney's dream is work with his father on a film for which they both win Oscars. His mother, Ruth, a holistic medium, also encouraged him to pursue acting.
"(My mom) deals with the universe, and I'm very spiritual myself," the actor says. "I attribute her to a lot of my personality and the way I approach problems and deal with stress. She's a cool mom."
How the 'Stranger Things' TV cast responded to Broadway show
"Stranger Things: The First Shadow" serves as a prequel to the hit Netflix series. McCartney portrays Creel, the main antagonist eventually known as Vecna. The actor praises the TV cast and crew, including Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays Vecna on the show.
"I literally have never had a moment where I've sat there and been like, 'Oh, you don't like us,'" McCartney says. "These guys have been going for 10 years now. We've been running for two years. It's nothing comparably.
"We feel every right to be like, 'We're part of the "Stranger Things" family now.' And (the TV cast has) catapulted that. They've been really nice, especially Jamie."
"First Shadow" began on London's West End before moving to Broadway. McCartney says he has yet to meet Millie Bobby Brown because she has been "busy Season 5-ing," but "pretty much everybody" has come to see the show.
As for McCartney's next steps, he says he does not make an appearance in the fifth and final season of the Netflix series, which begins streaming Nov. 26. The Broadway gig marks McCartney's first time in the United States, and he's enjoyed exploring New York City with his girlfriend. Even on show days, the actor will venture to SoHo, Brooklyn or Ellis Island. He lives near Central Park, which has also proved a nice respite from the city.
"I've been doing watercolor," he says. "I've been like just trying to wake up and have a good time and have a day before the show, not live for the show."
McCartney says that eventually he makes his way to the theater and "locks in" for his show, which is probably helpful given that he'll eventually read a review or comment about it.