Stranger Things Star Becomes a Parent at 20 & It’s Not Millie: Everything You Need to Know

While the world watches Eleven battle the Upside Down in Stranger Things Season 5, another cast member has been quietly navigating one of life’s biggest challenges since way before the show even existed. Charlie Heaton, who plays the lovably protective Jonathan Byers, became a father at just 20 years old.

Now 31, the British actor is finally opening up about his journey through young fatherhood, and his story is giving fans a whole new appreciation for the man behind the character. Here’s everything you need to know about Heaton’s life as a young dad, including some rare insights he just shared with the world.

Charlie Heaton’s Fatherhood Journey at 20

Charlie Heaton | Credits: Entertainment Tonight / YouTube

Charlie Heaton shares an 11-year-old son named Archie with his ex, Akiko Matsuura, who was his bandmate before his acting days took off. In a recent heart-to-heart with Wonderland magazine, Heaton shared what it’s like becoming a parent when most people your age are still figuring out their lives. The actor didn’t sugarcoat it when he said,

Being a young father, you have to grow up very fast. You have to also learn ethical priorities, too, and you’ve got to look after somebody. That’s a big thing. You want to give them good experiences and a lot of love and the hard part obviously is distance.

Heaton’s acting career has him jet-setting across continents, which means quality time with Archie takes serious planning. But what’s really admirable is that Heaton doesn’t see this as a failure or something to complain about. He calls it “part of the sacrifice.”

His main goal is to give Archie amazing experiences and loads of love, even when work pulls him thousands of miles away.

Add Fandomwire as a Trusted Source

Balancing Stranger Things Fame with Natalia Dyer Romance

Now, let’s talk about Heaton’s nearly decade-long relationship with his Stranger Things co-star Natalia Dyer (aka Nancy Wheeler). The couple officially stepped out together on the red carpet back in 2017, and they’ve been going strong ever since. According to Heaton, working with your best friend is pretty much a gift. He told Wonderland Magazine,

To be able to have a shared experience with your partner about the anxiety when you don’t get a job – 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 sh*t day at work, or come away from a scene and you didn’t think it worked. To be able to both understand each other on that level is great.

Dyer also shared with Refinery29 back in 2019 that:

It’s an interesting thing to work with somebody who you go home with. It’s always really fun. We’re really comfortable with each other, so we can play and feel more free, and we can talk about it before.

Here’s a quick breakdown of Heaton’s life milestones:

YearEvent1994Born in Leeds, England2014Became a father to Archie at age 202016Cast as Jonathan Byers in Stranger Things2017Made red carpet debut with Natalia Dyer2025Opened up about fatherhood in Wonderland magazine

The combination of early fatherhood and a demanding Hollywood career would break most people, but Heaton seems to have found his rhythm. His relationship with Dyer clearly provides stability to him while he navigates the complexities of co-parenting and international fame.

What do you think about Charlie Heaton’s journey as a young father? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 (Episodes 1-4) premieres on Netflix on November 26, 2025, at 8:00 PM ET, with Volume 2 (Episodes 5-7) dropping on December 25, 2025, and the epic finale on December 31, 2025. Don’t miss it!