What drew you to the character of Robin?
Maya Hawke: It was the Duffer brothers as writers. It’s very rare always, but especially today, to find writers who have such a unique sense of style — where you’re really entering a world that has a tone and has a style to it. Every character is individual, every character is specific, but they all fit into this very particular world that the brothers built. The humor of their dialogue, the charm, the emotion built in, the adventure, the optimism — all of those things are really elements of the kinds of projects I want to make. I want to make optimistic art. Although these kids are always going through the most horrible and traumatic experiences in Stranger Things, it’s still optimistic art. They win, they defeat the bad guy, they kill the Demogorgon. They overcome. They feel joy, find joy. And that’s where I get the most excited.
What did it mean to you to play the show’s first L.G.B.T.Q.+ character?
MH: I was really happy about it for a simple reason. There are a lot of complicated reasons, but the simple reason was that I think it’s really amazing to show a male-female relationship form on camera that isn’t about sex. Most of the time, that’s an undercurrent in one direction or another, and for Steve and Robin, it really isn’t. Even if Steve thinks it is for a little while, or it gets confused, as soon as it’s taken off the table for him, he’s equally invested in the friendship. He reacts so unbelievably well, and their friendship gets deeper. That was really important to me because that, also, was unique — not just being the first L.G.B.T.Q.+ character, but having one of the few aromantic friendships between a man and a woman on mainstream TV. It’s really cool to me.
Was it gratifying to see Robin become such a fan favorite after the third season debuted?
MH: I mean, gratifying is a funny word. It was definitely a relief. I was so nervous. Whenever you enter a big show like that, where the characters are so beloved and any new presence can sometimes seem like a threat, it’s always a risk. I am a big fan of a lot of TV shows, and whenever they bring in new characters, I’m almost like, Are you going to ruin it? Are we going to spend too much time with you? So I was really concerned about fans having that reaction to Robin. I was really afraid. I’ve never been on anything with such a close eye on it and with such intense fan investment. That was really intimidating. The fans responding well to Robin was just a relief.
(or the other way around?, I'm not sure).
Nicolas Ghesquière - Designer, Creative Director of Louis Vuitton (9 Viewers)
