Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown, who played “El” in the show, recently raised eyebrows because she said that she became a “feminist” not because of any deeply held beliefs, but because a psychic told her that she is one.
That came in an interview with Glamour, during which the actress explained the origins of her being a feminist, a political belief which now seems to be dominating her career, as she is staring in a film, “the theme” of which “is feminism,” in which she will play a dragon-fighting princess.
Glamour, reporting on what Brown said, wrote, “She credits her feminist awakening to a visit to a psychic, who informed her that she was, in fact, a feminist. Brown went home and googled ‘How do I know if I’m a feminist?’ After reading articles and books, she ‘really grasped the idea of feminism and what it means to me,’ she says. ‘Ultimately it’s about opportunity.’”
She also commented on wanting to be the person who makes “things happen,” saying, “I don’t need to do a whole big thing and change the world. I don’t need that. But if I can do the small things that help people—their heart, their mind, their spirit—then that’s what I’ll do.”
Similarly, commenting on her feminist projects, she said, “It’s like—I know I should make this movie now. I know I should write this book now. I know I should do this now.” She continued, “It’s not because I can’t do it in 10 years; of course I can do it in 10 years. But why, when I know that it’s going to work now? Just like Florence will be there in 10 years. You’ll be able to see my movie in 10 years on TV. And I know that Jake and I will be okay.”
Bizarrely, Brown also added that things like Advil and tampons should be free and that we need to work to improve access to them, as if the issue of Advil access is such a pressing one that it is what the world really needs to get a grip on.
In any case, Brown will appear in other things besides the feminist knight movie. One such film is The Electric State, a postapocalyptic adventure movie in which she will appear alongside famous Christian actor Chris Pratt.
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Commenting on that, Brown said, “To be able to go toe-to-toe with Chris Pratt! It’s a very exciting opportunity that I never thought I’d be able to have, to be able to be treated the same as him and to be looked at and respected the same as him on the set by the production, by the studio.”
Pratt, for his part, told Glamour, “In a way it’s hard to believe she’s so young. There’s a rawness to her performances. She’s present, capable, talented, and her process is like shooting from the hip—it takes real confidence. The people who can do it are especially electric.”
Featured image credit: By Laviru Koruwakankanamge – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=124946117