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Gaten Matarazzo
Gaten Matarazzo.jpg
Matarazzo at the 2022 Tony Awards
Born
Gaetano John Matarazzo III

(2002-09-08) September 8, 2002 (age 22)
Occupation Actor
Years active 2011–present

Gaetano John Matarazzo III (/ˈɡtən ˌmætəˈræz/; Italian: [ɡaeˈtaːno mataˈrattso]; born September 8, 2002) is an American actor. He began his career on the Broadway stage as Benjamin in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (2011–12) and as Gavroche in Les Misérables (2014–15). Matarazzo gained recognition for playing Dustin Henderson in the Netflix science-fiction-horror drama series Stranger Things (2016–present). He also hosted the Netflix show Prank Encounters (2019–2021). In 2022, he co-starred in the coming-of-age comedy film Honor Society and voiced Boris the Dragon on the animated fantasy comedy film My Father's Dragon.

Early life

Gaetano John Matarazzo III was born on September 8, 2002, in New London, Connecticut, to Gaetano Jr. and Heather Matarazzo (no relation to the actress of the same name), but raised in Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and is of Italian and jewish descent. He was born with cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD). He has an older sister and a younger brother.

Career

He pursued vocal training at Starlight Performing Arts Center in New Jersey. In 2011, he competed and won third place with his vocal solo titled “Ben” at the Starpower Talent Competition Nationals in Uncasville, Connecticut. His first professional credit was in the Broadway musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, for which he was cast as a replacement in 2011. Following the production, he took part in a special "Cast of 2032" professional youth performance of Godspell at Circle in the Square Theatre in 2012. In 2013, he joined the Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Tour in the United States in the role of Gavroche; the following year, he played the same role in the Tony-nominated 2014 Broadway revival of the musical.

Matarazzo made his screen acting debut in a 2015 episode of The Blacklist. After he was cast as Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things, the character's background was modified to have CCD as well. The show's first season premiered in July 2016 to critical acclaim. Over the next several years, Matarazzo also appeared in music videos and various reality and competition shows. On May 11, 2018, it was announced that he was cast in the animated film, Hump.

He began hosting the Netflix hidden camera series Prank Encounters in 2019; he also served as an executive producer. That year, he also appeared in the Hollywood Bowl production of Into the Woods. He provided the voice of Buba in The Angry Birds Movie 2.

In May 2022, it was announced that Matarazzo would return to Broadway, joining the final cast of the musical Dear Evan Hansen as Jared Kleinman. He starred in the Paramount+ film Honor Society with Angourie Rice, which was released on July 29, 2022. He voiced as the dragon in Cartoon Saloon's film adaptation of Ruth Stiles Gannett's My Father's Dragon novel series. It was announced in December 2022 that Matarazzo would be returning to Broadway as Toby in Thomas Kail's revival of Sondheim and Wheeler's Sweeney Todd, alongside Josh Groban, Annaleigh Ashford and Jordan Fisher.

Personal life

Since 2018, Matarazzo has been in a relationship with actress Elizabeth Yu.

Philanthropy

He uses his platform to raise awareness of CCD and fundraise for CCD Smiles, an organization that helps cover costs of oral surgeries for people with CCD.

In February 2020, he was as part of Andrew Barth Feldman and Adrian Dickson's Star Wars musical parody fundraiser SW: A New(sical) Hope to help raise funding for NEXT for AUTISM. Matarazzo joined the cast of Elf for a virtual table reading on December 13, 2020, in support of the Democratic Party of Georgia's campaign in the 2021 Georgia runoff elections.'

On April 6, 2021, Matarazzo participated in an hour-long charity Among Us stream on The Tonight Show's Twitch account with Jimmy Fallon, Questlove, Tariq Trotter, Captain Kirk Douglas, Sykkuno, Valkyrae, Corpse Husband, and his Stranger Things co-star Noah Schnapp, with proceeds going towards Feeding America. In December 2021, he played Dungeons and Dragons with Jack Black and other stars in the Lost Odyssey: Promised Gold livestream event that benefited Extra Life and the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

During the first week of November 2022, he performed in the musical Parade to ensure that the performing arts can be enjoyed at an affordable rate for fans at the New York City Center.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2019 The Angry Birds Movie 2 Bubba Voice role
2022 Honor Society Michael Dipnicky
My Father's Dragon Boris the Dragon Voice role
2023 Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain Himself

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2015 The Blacklist Finn Episode: "The Kenyon Family (No. 71)"
2016–present Stranger Things Dustin Henderson Main role
2017 Ridiculousness Himself Episode: "Scarediculousness"
Lip Sync Battle Episode: "The Cast of Stranger Things"
2018 Drop the Mic Episode: "Darren Criss vs. Gaten Matarazzo / Chandler Riggs vs. Chad Coleman"
2019–2021 Prank Encounters Host and executive producer
2021 Nickelodeon's Unfiltered Episode: "Be My Valentine"
Waffles and Mochi Casey the Electrician Episode: "Mushroom"
2024 Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy Sig Greebling Main voice role

Music videos

Year Title Artist Ref.
2017 "Swish Swish" Katy Perry (feat. Nicki Minaj)
"Lost Boys Life" Computer Games (Darren & Chuck Criss)
2020 "Meet Me on the Roof" Green Day

Theater

Year Title Role Venue Notes Ref.
2011–2012 Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Benjamin Palace Theatre Broadway replacement
2012 Godspell Jesus Circle in the Square Theatre Special performance
Radio City Christmas Spectacular Ben US tour Rockettes' 85th Anniversary Celebration
2013 Les Misérables Gavroche North American tour 25th Anniversary
2014–2015 Gavroche / Petit Gervais Imperial Theatre Broadway
2019 Into the Woods Jack Hollywood Bowl Special performance
2022 Dear Evan Hansen Jared Kleinman Music Box Theatre Broadway replacement
Parade Frankie Epps New York City Center Encores!
2023 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Tobias Ragg Lunt-Fontanne Theatre Broadway
Gutenberg! The Musical! The Producer James Earl Jones Theatre Broadway
(One night only)

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2017 Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a Digital TV Series or Film – Teen Actor Stranger Things Nominated
2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Won
2017 Shorty Awards Best Actor Won
2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated
2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best On-Screen Team (with Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp and Sadie Sink) Nominated
2019 Teen Choice Awards Choice Summer TV Actor Nominated
2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated
2022 Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Streaming) Nominated
2023 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Male TV Star (Family) Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Gaten Matarazzo para niños

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