Millie Bobby Brown is by far one the most praised young actors gracing our television screens. Jumping from relative anonymity to immediate stardom, the young star has stolen all of our hearts ever since landing a role on the hit TV show, Stranger Things.
The stellar job she’s done as Eleven has blown everyone’s mind. Heck, they’ve even dedicated a few memes to her, but unbeknownst to some, the person behind one of the best Stranger Things characters is nearly as fascinating, if not more!
Here are 20 fun facts about Millie Bobby Brown that you probably didn’t know, and which will undeniably make you love her even more…
Interesting Facts About Millie Bobby Brown
1. Millie is British, Born in Spain
If you’ve yet to dedicate your time binging through Millie’s interviews, you might not know that she is actually from England, born to British parents. And what makes her childhood more interesting is that she was born in Marbella, Spain.
Turns out, she had to fake an American accent to play Eleven on Stranger Things. Bonus fact — the reason Millie’s accent is so good is because she used to practice it by watching many Disney Channel shows in her downtime.
2. She’s Also a Singer…and a Rapper
Millie can actually rap, as demonstrated on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2017. She’s also a darn good singer, which she admitted was her first dream. At one point, the famous star even had a YouTube channel where she would cover popular songs and and proudly show off her singing talent.
3. She Got Married at 19 Years Old
In May 2024, Millie tied the knot with American model Jake Bongiovi, who also happens to be the son of legendary rock star Jon Bon Jovi!
Millie first announced her engagement on Instagram in April where she posted a photo of her wearing a diamond ring, captioned: “I’ve loved you three summers now, honey, I want ’em all.” The adorable pair are now happily married after celebrating their special day with a secret ceremony in the US. Aww.
4. Millie is Partially Deaf in One Ear
Millie has faced many challenges throughout her acting career, but one that might surprise you is her partial deafness in one ear. Turns out, while filming Stranger Things, the constant buzz of activity on set made it difficult for her to hear the director’s instructions and cues from her fellow actors, but this clearly didn’t stop her from slaying every scene!
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5. Before ‘Stranger Things’ She Was in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
…and Modern Family! That’s right! Before starring as the beloved Eleven in Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown had several acting gigs including an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, Modern Family, and BBC America’s Intruders.
6. She Didn’t Know She Had to Shave Her Hair for ‘Stranger Things’
In a 2017 interview with W Magazine, Millie revealed that she had no idea she would have to adopt a buzzcut when auditioning for Stranger Things. Once she got the part, she bravely accepted to shave her hair off. Apparently, Millie’s mom was far more upset than her about it, but the dedicated actress remained calm and did what she had to do. Watch the very moment it happened below:
7. One of Her Hobbies is Boxing
She isn’t just a phenomenal actress, singer and rapper. Millie is an avid boxer, too. She loves to unwind by welting a few boxing bags and posts regular videos of her training sessions on her social media. In fact, famous boxer Dan Morley revealed he used to train the actress in the Maldives: “…she’s boxed as an amateur. Yeah she was good, very very good,” he said on talkSPORT.
8. She Has Struggled with Loneliness
Here’s something interesting about Millie that not many people know: she suffers from loneliness. Despite her success, Millie has opened up to interviewers about feeling misunderstood and “not fitting in.”
“Even as a young person, I always felt like I didn’t quite belong in every room I was in. I also struggle with loneliness a bit. I always felt quite alone in a crowded room, like I was just one of a kind, like nobody ever really understood me,” she told Allure in 2022.
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9. Millie’s First Kiss Was With Finn Wolfhard
We all remember that epic Stranger Things moment! The kiss Eleven exchanges with Mike in Season 1 was highly anticipated by fans, but apparently, it was just as much a big moment for the actress, too. Talking to Variety in 2017, she said, “It was a strange experience. Having 250 people looking at you kissing someone is like, ‘Whoa!’”
She revealed in several interviews that she was incredibly embarrassed about it and did not find it much to her taste. In her own words, Millie said Finn Wolfhard was a “lousy kisser” and that “kissing sucks!”
Yeah, we’d expect that, considering they were just 11 years-old at the time!
10. She’s Also a College Student
Millie’s schedule might be jam-packed, but that doesn’t stop her from hitting the textbooks! Millie is currently enrolled as a student at Purdue University where she’s pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Human Services.
Explaining her course to Allure in 2022, she shared, “you learn about the system and how to help young people.” Pretty cool, right?
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11. Millie Was Once Best Friends with Maddie Ziegler
It’s no surprise that these child stars became friends. Back in the day, Millie and Dance Moms alum, Maddie Ziegler were best friends. From constantly hanging out to making videos together, these two would share a lot of their bond on social media.
But what happened to this sweet friendship? Fans on Reddit speculate that the girls stopped talking because “Maddie asked Millie for a role in her movie,” and it was refused.
12. She’s One of the Youngest Stars to be Emmy-Nominated
In 2017, Millie was nominated for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series’ at the Primetime Emmy Awards. She didn’t win, but she got the honor of making history as the (then) youngest Emmy nominee ever. Looking back at the nomination, Millie told WIRED it gives her “anxiety” to think about how she was nominated for an Emmy at the ‘ripe age’ of 13.
Since then, she has however won other prestigious awards including ‘Best Actor in a Show’ at 2017’s MTV Movie & TV Awards.
13. Millie Has 7 Tattoos
Here’s one of the coolest (and more hidden) facts about Millie Bobby Brown! In an interview with WIRED, Brown let it slip that she has a whopping seven tattoos! Besides the epic “011” we all know and love, she’s got some hidden gems.
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Her impressive ink collection includes florals on her back, a touching tribute to her grandma on her ribs, and a teeny tiny cowboy hat on her bicep. We can’t wait to see what she adds next!
14. ‘Enola Holmes’ was Her First Leading Film Role
Enola Holmes wasn’t just another role for Millie – it was her chance to shine as a leading character on the big screen.
In an interview Vogue, she spoke about why Enola resonated with her so much: “She’s brave, vulnerable, honest and witty… Her story is about how she is afraid of being alone, and in the end, she finds her purpose in life. That’s the story of growing up. I’ve gone through that.”
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15. She Has a Great Relationship With Ariana Grande
Regular folk like us tend to turn to our besties for fashion advice. Millie Bobby Brown? She talks to Ariana Grande! In 2018, Millie posted a text conversation about her Golden Globes outfit with Ariana on Instagram. By the looks of it, Ari was obsessed with Millie’s look!
That’s not all! The two like to tease each other, as well. In 2018, when Millie shared a pic of her kissing her ex-boyfriend Jacob Sartorius on the beach, Ariana left the hilarious comment, “I wasn’t even allowed to leave the house till I was 20.” True that, Ari!
16. Millie Uses a Fake Name to Leave Negative Reviews
According to Millie, bad service turns her into a “woke Karen.” Appearing on the Table Manners podcast, the young actress confessed to having a secret online persona dedicated to leaving negative reviews for businesses that disappoint. “Here’s the thing. My whole life is people criticizing me. So, I’m going to give it back to you sometimes, you know?”, she told the podcast.
We feel you, Millie! Sometimes a bad customer service experience just needs to be vented!
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17. She Has Over 20 Pets
If you follow Millie on socials, you’ll know all about her dedication to her adorable fur babies. This animal lover has a house full of pets, with nine dogs, four cats, and some interesting farmyard friends – a donkey, pony, goats, sheep, and a pet rabbit! Think her animal obsession ends there? Think again. On top of her own pets, she’s currently fostering 23 dogs.
Move over Dr. Doolittle — Millie Bobby Brown might just give you a run for your money!
18. Millie Started Her Beauty Brand at Just 15 Years Old
If you weren’t already aware, Mils is a certified clean beauty boss! At just 15, she started her own beauty and skincare brand Florence by Mills. Speaking about her reasons for starting the brand, she said: “I launched Florence by Mills beauty in 2019 due to the lack of clean, high-quality products available for myself and my friends.”
Seriously, is there any limit to Millie’s talents?
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19. She’s a Swiftie
Millie is a die-hard Taylor Swift fan! Not only has she been lucky enough to meet her, but on The Kelly Clarkson Show, she recently revealed her elaborate system for keeping track of which Taylor songs have already been performed at concerts.
“So like we have like a board, me and my sister, and we like cross out the songs that she’s done so we know which songs are left.” Genius!
Her all time favorite Swift song? The Last Great American Dynasty. Obvs.
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20. She Didn’t Train for ‘Damsel’
Did Millie spend hours sweating it out at the gym to prepare for her role in Damsel? Nope!
This princess warrior is all about authenticity — even if it means skipping the bicep curls. Speaking to ExtraTV, she explained, “I didn’t want to be prepared because, like, my character is going through this, too, so I was just, like, ‘Why would I prepare and be this muscular, you know, great climber when I want to see mistakes?’ I fall a lot in the film… It was all real… It makes you fall in love and care about the character more.”
Preach, Millie!
In a quick glance at these facts about Millie Bobby Brown, there’s clearly nothing she can’t do! At just 20 years-old with a net worth of $14 million, this child-actress-turned-superstar has endless talents and capabilities — perhaps more so than Eleven (well, not really, but you catch our drift!)!
Originally published in January 2018.
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