Stranger Things' Caleb McLaughlin Asks 'Why Am I the Least Favorite?' While Recalling Racism In Fandom

justjared.com:

Caleb McLaughlin is opening up about the racism he has faced within the Stranger Things fandom.

The 20-year-old actor, who has played Lucas in the hit Netflix series since the beginning, reflected on how his career has taken a different turn than his co-stars, and focused in on his race being a factor. Click inside to read more… During his appearance during the recent Heroes Comic Con Belgium, Caleb flat out asked: “Why am I the least favorite? [Have] the least amount of followers?

I’m on the same show as everybody from Season 1.” He then added that fans did treat him differently than Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, and Gaten Matarazzo in the first season, saying that it “definitely took a toll on me as a younger kid.” “My very first Comic-Con, some people didn’t stand in my line because I was Black,” he recalled . “Some people told me, ‘Oh I didn’t want to be in your line because you were mean to Eleven.’ Even now some people don’t follow me or don’t support me because I’m Black.

Sometimes overseas you feel the racism, you feel the bigotry. Sometimes it’s hard to talk about and for people to understand, but when I was younger it definitely affected me a lot.” Caleb continued, “My parents had to be like, ‘It’s a sad truth, but it’s because you’re the Black child on the show…because I was born with this beautiful chocolate skin, I’m not loved.