Millie Bobby Brown and Hearing Loss

Eleven Stranger Things

Did you know Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown has hearing loss in one ear? The Emmy nominated actress (for her role as Eleven) opened up about her hearing loss a few years ago. She was born with partial loss of hearing in one ear; however, she gradually lost all hearing in that ear. Her character Eleven doesn’t talk much in Season 1 of Stranger Things but she makes use of her other senses. Brown claims “You can talk with your face” and “It’s easy for someone to say, ‘I’m mad. I’m sad. I’m angry’. I have to just do it with my face”. Brown enjoys acting and singing more than anything else. Although she cannot fully hear herself when she performs, she doesn’t let that stop her from doing what she loves. She told Variety Magazine, “You don’t have to be good at singing. You don’t have to be good at dancing or acting. If you like to do it, if you genuinely enjoy doing it, then do it. No one should stop you”. I think we can all agree that Brown is an amazing actress and from the looks of it she really enjoys herself while doing it. It takes a unique kind of actress to bring Eleven’s character to life and Brown is exactly that. As the executive producer, Shawn Levy, says, “We knew Eleven was a cool character on the page — it took the magic of Millie to make it this culturally iconic figure”. If you’ve watched any of the Stranger Things seasons then you know that she is the heart of the show. She’s not only my favourite character but everyone’s favourite character. Any other actress simply wouldn’t be able to bring the same life to the show or master Eleven’s signature stare. Millie Bobby Brown is a role model for young actors and actresses everywhere. She has never let her hearing loss prevent her from following her dreams and she has clearly been incredibly successful.