Irish actress Amybeth McNulty has described her rapid ascent in the entertainment industry as a “weird couple of years” since joining the global phenomenon Stranger Things. The County Donegal native, who entered the Netflix series in its fourth season as Vickie, Hawkins High School student and Robin Buckley’s girlfriend, shared her profound journey on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show with host Patrick Kielty.
McNulty characterized her experience on the massively popular sci-fi horror series as feeling like “a little cog in this very massive machine,” emphasizing the surreal nature of her transition from fan to cast member. Her deep familiarity with Stranger Things proved instrumental during the audition process, providing her with unique insight into the show’s distinctive pacing and narrative style.
The 24-year-old actress recounted the emotional moment she received news of her casting, describing how she was “screaming, crying down the phone” with excitement. This professional milestone carried additional emotional weight as it marked the final audition her parents knew about before their passing. “They said they had a good feeling about it and they were right,” McNulty reflected with poignant remembrance.
Her artistic journey began in Letterkenny where she was raised by her Irish father and Canadian mother. McNulty’s childhood involved rigorous ballet training and performances in local productions at An Grianán Theatre, experiences she credits to the supportive community that fostered her early development. “There is a real sense of family there. It was everything,” she affirmed.
McNulty’s breakthrough came at age 14 when she relocated to Canada to star as the lead in CBC/Netflix’s Anne with an E, a move made possible by her retired parents’ complete dedication. “They moved with me to Canada… I was very, very lucky they were able to do that for me,” she expressed with enduring gratitude. “They said they would do anything for me and they did. I will always appreciate it.”
The actress also addressed the significance of her LGBTQ+ representation on Stranger Things, drawing from her personal experience as someone who came out as bisexual at 16/17 while growing up in Donegal. McNulty recalled encountering prejudice in her hometown, where some community members approached her parents to express sympathy about her sexuality.
“I’m going ‘right okay, nothing to apologise for’, so it gives me more of an invigoration when I do roles like this,” she stated, emphasizing her commitment to authentic representation. McNulty strives to “do it justice and do it right for kids like me growing up,” viewing the normalization of queer storylines within broader narratives as particularly valuable. “It doesn’t have to be about that. It is just a part of it. I think that is ideal.”