Stranger Things star Natalia Dyer has amassed a huge fan following through her breakthrough role as intelligent and fearless Nancy Wheeler in the Netflix sci-fi hit.
But the actress has admitted that she doesn't enjoy sharing details about her personal life or posting on social media, explaining that she avoids posting on Instagram because it causes her "anxiety".
"I really don't find social media easy. Almost increasingly so," she told ELLE. "Everybody's different and some people are very good at it. And some people really enjoy it.
"For me, it kind of just seems like a lot of anxiety and asks a lot. I've always been very private."
Related: Stranger Things star Natalia Dyer says season 4 is "a while" away
The actress, who is in a relationship with her Stranger Things co-star Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), revealed that before the show was was released she had "maybe three followers" on Instagram – she now has over six million.
She rarely shares content on social media and has only posted on Instagram twice during 2020, which she explained is because she finds personal posts "a little tricky".
"It's almost expected of the 'celebrity' to have it and engage and it's just counterintuitive to my nature," she said.
"Sometimes there are times I really get into it, and then there are times like during this whole year where it's been very nice to not be there except for certain moments where I just want to be clear on where I stand and what I think."
Dyer revealed that she also struggles when fans ask to take photos with her, explaining that she sometimes feels like a commodity.
Related: Stranger Things season 4 reveals new teasers
"I love talking to people but sometimes people come up and literally just say, 'Can I get a photo with you?' and then leave and you feel very commodified," she said. "It feels very weird, it leaves you for a few hours like, 'That didn't feel good'.
"Now, if people ask, I generally say – unless they're very young – 'I don't like taking pictures'. But, I'd rather stop and have a real conversation."
The actress is now back filming season four of Stranger Things after a break in filming caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and although she's not giving away any details, she did tease that she is "so excited for this season" and that "there's a lot going on".
Dyer also stars in new movie Yes, God, Yes, which drops on Netflix in the UK this month. She plays Catholic schoolgirl Alice, who lives in the 'Bible Belt' of the US and is taught that abstinence is the only approach to sex for her.
Related: Why Stranger Things' long delay is a good thing
When Alice discovers masturbation she becomes guilt-ridden, leading her to attend a religious retreat in an attempt to suppress her urges – which proves far from easy.
The actress revealed that making the movie made her realise how much she cares about the portrayal of female sexuality, saying that she is keen to show that it should not be "a taboo".
Stranger Things seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Netflix.
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Reporter & Sub-Editor, Digital Spy Susannah is a freelance writer and sub-editor, specialising in the entertainment industry. She graduated in 2014, with a BA in English and American Literature and Creative Writing, and an MA in Creative Producing. She’s been writing for Digital Spy ever since, after first getting involved through work experience, and has written hundreds of stories for the site on a range of topics, from The Sims to Doctor Who. Susannah has also written for Reveal Magazine. Her special interests are soaps (her Mastermind subject would be 2000s Coronation Street), Marvel and Star Wars. She can also quote far too many lines from Friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
