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Charlie Heaton<\/strong><\/a> is usually pretty private, but the Stranger Things<\/em> <\/a>star just opened up about a major part of his life fans rarely hear about \u2014 fatherhood.<\/p>\n That\u2019s right, the 31-year-old actor, who plays Jonathan Byers on the hit Netflix series, actually became a dad even before the first season of Stranger Things<\/em> premiered.<\/p>\n Charlie welcomed his son, now 11, when he was just 20 years old. He shares the child with his ex and former Comanechi bandmate, Akiko Matsuura<\/strong>. While he often doesn\u2019t talk about his son, he did get candid about what it was like stepping into fatherhood so young in a November 2025 interview with Wonderland Magazine<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing a young father, you have to grow up very fast. You have to also learn ethical priorities, too, and you\u2019ve got to look after somebody. That\u2019s a big thing. You want to give them good experiences and a lot of love and the hard part obviously is distance. But that\u2019s part of the sacrifice,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n Of course, longtime fans also know Charlie\u2019s life changed again when he met his Stranger Things co-star Natalia Dyer<\/strong><\/a>. The two have been together for nearly a decade, keeping their relationship low-key but steady, even as the show turned them into huge stars. In the same interview, Charlie opened up about why their bond works so well.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a gift to work with my best friend,\u201d he said. \u201cTo be able to have a shared experience with your partner about the anxiety when you don\u2019t get a job \u2013 I know what that feels like, she knows what that feels like. You can be there to talk about it, or when you have a shit day at work, or come away from a scene and you didn\u2019t think it worked. To be able to both understand each other on that level is great.\u201d<\/p>\n Charlie isn\u2019t the only parent in the Stranger Things<\/em> cast, as star Millie Bobby Brown<\/strong><\/a> recently revealed she adopted a baby girl with husband Jake Bongiovi<\/strong><\/a> in August 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy,\u201d Brown and Bongiovi wrote in their announcement post on Instagram.<\/p>\n In November 2025, Brown opened up about becoming a mother for the first time in an interview with British Vogue.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a beautiful, amazing journey \u2014 she\u2019s taught us so much already,\u201d she said. \u201cPerspective is a huge thing. The smaller things in life are so much more precious. Our days are filled with lots of cuddles and laughter and love. It\u2019s just endless joy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n