80s sci-fi, fourth round. Filming is in the can, anticipation is rising – for the lisping Dusty-Bun, played by Gaten Matarazzo.
Toothless lisp. Makes him a bullying victim in the playground, not an actor – for the time being. The little man attends countless auditions, but doesn’t get any roles thanks to his dental anomaly, articulation disorder and insufficient height. Giving up is not an option. At the age of 8, he appears on Broadway for the first time, and at 11 he gets a proud 60 seconds in the crime series “Blacklist”. A year later, the decisive audition tape: “My name is Gaten Matarazzo and I’m twelve years old.” Stranger Things: Matarazzo slips into the lead role of Dustin Henderson – who lives in the 80s, goes to school in Hawkins and hunts monsters with his best friends. One of them eats his cat. Praise be to the Duffer Brothers: with umpteen awards, for the authentic 80s feel, and the series character with CCD. Cleidocranial Dysplasia: The brothers endow Dustin with Matarazzo’s rare hereditary disease. His character has a lisp, purrs like a kitten and climbs into narrow air ducts. Directors and fans alike are fascinated – Matarazzo is happy to raise awareness of his illness: he has no collarbone – not no teeth, but too many. Four operations. The actor pulls out 14 extra milk teeth, posts it on Instagram, refers to CCD Smiles: NGO for cleidocranial dysplasia. “You need your teeth, okay?” The health insurance company often doesn’t care. Matarazzo is actively involved in the organization and uses every interview to raise awareness of the hereditary disease. Specialists in pediatrics become fans and see Matarazzo as an ambassador and role model. Meanwhile, he buys a set of false teeth. For the red carpet, the six nominations – the awards: He scoops two, one in the Stranger Things ensemble and the Shorty Award for Best Actor. The little man made it – even in the music clip by Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj. Swish Swish: A diss track against all those who try to take her down. As for Matarazzo – he’s 19 now, has a steady girlfriend and his own prank show. Nobody bullies him anymore.
