Finn Wolfhard Says He's 'Really Proud' of 'Stranger Things' Costar Noah Schnapp for Coming Out as Gay

Wolfhard revealed that he "had a big smile" on his face when he saw Schnapp come out as gay in a TikTok video last month

Photo: Christopher Polk/People/Shutterstock

Finn Wolfhard is showing his support for Stranger Things costar Noah Schnapp.

The 20-year-old actor shared his sweet reaction to Schnapp coming out as gay in a TikTok video last month.

"When I saw it, I just had a big smile on my face," he told GQ. "I was just really proud of him."

Wolfhard added the cast of Stranger Things functions like a family.

"We're not on everyday-text vibes in any way, and not because… it's like," he said. "Do you text your cousins every day? Probably not. They're our family. We'll talk on each other's birthdays. We'll talk once in a while.

He continued, "But in the same way that family works, if I ever needed anything, they're there."

As the cast of the Netflix sci-fi series gears up to begin shooting its fifth and final season this spring, Wolfrad admitted "everyone's on their own quests in real life" as they discover the next chapter in their careers.

Theo Wargo/Getty

Last month, Schnapp shared his truth and came out as gay in a TikTok video. In the clip, the 18-year-old star lip-synced to an audio clip which said, "You know what it never was? That serious. It was never that serious. Quite frankly, will never be that serious."

Over the video, Schnapp wrote, "When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was 'we know'"

"I guess I'm more similar to Will than I thought," he captioned the clip, referring to his character Will Byers on Stranger Things.

Over the show's four seasons, fans have repeatedly questioned whether Will was gay, with some even criticizing the series for not explicitly stating the seemingly obvious sooner.

In July, Schnapp addressed Will's sexual orientation, confirming that the teenager has romantic feelings towards best friend Mike (Finn Wolfhard).

"Obviously, it was hinted at in Season 1: It was always kind of there, but you never really knew, 'Is it just him growing up slower than his friends?'" Schnapp told Variety. "Now that he's gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing. Now it's 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike."

Schnapp added that this huge part of Will's character took time to unpack because in real life, it is a complicated space, specifically for kids who don't want to be labeled.

"But before, it was a slow arc," the actor said. "I think it is done so beautifully, because it's so easy to make a character just like all of a sudden be gay."

Courtesy of Netflix

Schnapp also spoke about playing a gay character at such a young age while in real life, also handling his own personal growth and self-identity.

"I think it's all just part of the challenge of acting," he said. "Like, yes, it has been a challenge, but I think it's just been fun to be able to step into his shoes. Because I really have to take into account, like, this isn't just a single layer thing of he's struggling with coming out."

"It's this multifaceted trauma that goes years back, because he was taken by the Demogorgon and then his friends, they never acknowledged him, and now he's scared to come out and doesn't know if they'll accept him," Schnapp told Variety. "And then Eleven [Millie Bobby Brown] is like his sister, but he doesn't want to hurt her because if he says he likes Mike, that's gonna hurt her feelings. There's all these things running in his mind. So I kind of just have to make sure that I'm conveying the depth of all his traumas."

Back in May, Schnapp opened up to PEOPLE about how viewers of the series would see his beloved character of Will "in a different light" this season.

"I feel like people are used to seeing him fighting a monster or struggling with the supernatural side of Stranger Things," he said. "But this season, it's just more about his personal struggles and struggles with his identity, and I think it's interesting for the audience to see that."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix.