Sadie Sink Talks Stranger Things, First Kiss, & the Tony Awards

Sadie Sink wishes she were a bit more like her Stranger Things character, Max. The 23-year-old, who first appeared on the series when she was 14, envies Max’s ability to speak her mind. “Max just says everything how it is,” Sink tells W’s Editor at Large, Lynn Hirschberg. “She's very honest.” The native Texan, meanwhile, has a hard time being blunt with people. She’s more soft-spoken and doesn’t like to speak up, even if, say, someone is chewing gum very loudly next to her—her biggest pet peeve. “I would never say if it was bothering me, but in my head I'm slowly dying.”

Sink, however, has something Max does not—a Tony nomination. More than a decade after she made her debut as Annie in the Broadway musical, Sink landed her first nod for her role as Shelby in the thought-provoking, Me Too–inspired drama John Proctor Is the Villain. “To have that kind of recognition from the people who mean the most to me in the Broadway community, it's such a dream,” she says. Below, Sink discusses Stranger Things ahead of the show’s fifth and final season, her favorite reality show, and her go-to karaoke song—and no, it’s not “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”.

How did Stranger Things come into your life?

Stranger Things started when I was 14, a freshman in high school. It was already a big success when I joined the cast during the second season. I binge-watched it the week before my audition, and I knew that Max, my character, was going to be a skateboarding tomboy who was wise beyond her years.

Could you skateboard?

Oh no, absolutely not. But I lied and said that I had Rollerblading experience because I thought that would help.

At Halloween, do you ever see versions of Max?

I have. I also saw someone made a kind of dummy version of me, and they hung it outside their house, which was crazy.

Do you get dressed up for Halloween?

I love Halloween. I always forget it's coming, and then I never have a costume planned, but this year I do. I’m going to be Nathan [Fielder] from The Rehearsal, and I'm going to wear one of those things that carries a laptop.

You were nominated for a Tony for your performance in John Proctor Is the Villain. Where were you when you heard the news?

My brother always livestreams the announcement, no matter if he knows someone in the race or not. He loves the Tonys. I mean, I love the Tonys, but I didn't want to watch it because there was so much pressure. I went down the stairs after I woke up, and he immediately ran up and met me on the staircase and was like, “You just got nominated for a Tony!” I didn't scream. I just was like, "No way. No way. No way." This is the biggest thing that's ever happened to me, because I'm such a theater geek and I watch the Tonys every year.

Do you have a favorite reality show?

RuPaul’s Drag Race. I kind of fell out of it this last year, but I was obsessed and went back and watched all the earlier seasons. I watched so much, everything blurred together, and I can't remember which queen was on which season and who won. [RuPaul’s Drag Race] All Stars is my favorite. It has the best challenges and incredible talent.

Where was your first kiss?

My first kiss was on set. It was so embarrassing. You don't want to have your first kiss in front of your mom. She watched it on the monitor, and his mom watched it on the monitor too. It was sweet, though, looking back at it.

When was the first time you wore high heels?

The first proper pair of heels that I can remember wearing is when I was doing press for Stranger Things. I was 15—I was nervous about heels, nervous about makeup. I didn't want to look older than I was. I remember someone tried to put a pink lip on me, and I said, “No, it's too much. I can't do it. I don't want people to know I'm wearing makeup.”

What’s your go-to karaoke song?

I really don't like karaoke. But if I'm doing it, I would do “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which is an ambitious choice, but it presents a good opportunity for backing vocals with someone else for [sings] "Turn around..."

What is your astrological sign?

I’m an Aries. I'm told Aries are natural-born leaders, very ambitious, driven, kind of loud, and also bossy. They're the rams, so they're headfirst. I'm also a Gemini moon and a Cancer rising. So I think my Cancer rising really comes across more so than my fire.

Are you more like a cat or a dog?

I am more like a cat. I don't really like to leave the house that much. I love being at home and having one or two friends rather than a lot of friends, which I think is catlike behavior.

Produced by AP Studio, Inc.; executive producer: Alexis Piqueras; producer: Anneliese Kristedja; production manager: Hayley Stephon; production coordinator: Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick; lighting technician: Eduardo SilvA; lab: picturehouse+thesmalldarkroom; retouching: picturehouse+thesmalldarkroom; fashion assistants: Tyler VanVranken, Amir La Sure, Celeste Roh, Lila Hathaway, Natalie Mell; production assistants: Linette Estrella, Ariana Kristedja, Sammi Kulger, Ryan Carter, Cameron Bevans, Chase Walker, Rory Walsh; hair assistants: Courtney Peak, Austin Weber, Simone Domizi; makeup assistants: Mika Iwata, Anna Kurihara, Nana Hiramatsu; manicure assistant: ​​Rieko Smith; set assistants: Kevin Kessler, Cedar Kirwin, Paul Levine; tailor: Lindsay Amir Wright; tailor’s assistant: Natalie Wright.