Gaten Matarazzo: Dustin's actor, and the condition he talks about openly
Actors · Gaten Matarazzo · Dustin Henderson
Gaten Matarazzo is Dustin Henderson, the group's capped brain, and the actor who turned his own genetic disease into a character trait. Here is his path, from Broadway to Hawkins, and what he did with his fame.
The essentials
- Born: September 8, 2002, Connecticut, raised in New Jersey
- Role: Dustin Henderson, seasons 1 to 5
- Before: Gavroche in Les Misérables on Broadway
- Cause: CCD Smiles, a group for people with cleidocranial dysplasia
Contents
Gaten Matarazzo: Gavroche before Dustin
Gaten Matarazzo takes the stage at eight, in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert on Broadway, then plays Gavroche in Les Misérables in 2014. He is thirteen when he auditions for the show, and it is he who, from the audition, explains to the Duffers why he has no front teeth: he has cleidocranial dysplasia, a rare genetic disease that affects the bones and the teeth.
The creators decide to write it into the character. Dustin explains his condition to his classmates in the first episode, and the actor's lisp becomes the character's. It is the first time a mainstream show shows that condition, by that name.
Dustin's T-shirt, cap not included.
In the shopMen's Dustin Henderson T-shirt39,90 €See the product
Dustin, the heart and the brain of the group
Dustin is the namer: he is the one who baptizes the demodog, the Mind Flayer, Cerebro. He is also the bridge between the children and Steve, then between the group and Eddie, and the funniest character in the show. Gaten Matarazzo plays all of that with musical-theater energy, and an unexpected gravity when needed: Eddie's death, in his arms, is one of the strongest scenes of season 4.
He grew up on screen from thirteen to twenty-two, and his voice, his teeth, his height changed in front of the audience; the show built every change in.
The teethGaten Matarazzo had several operations tied to his condition between seasons. His adult teeth appear gradually on screen: Dustin talks about it himself in Season 2, proudly showing his “pearls” to Max.
CCD Smiles and the advocacy
From 2016 on, the actor uses his fame to talk about cleidocranial dysplasia, and becomes the face of the association CCD Smiles, which funds dental care, often not reimbursed, for people with the condition. He has said that sick children wrote to him to say Dustin had helped them talk about their difference at school.
It is one of the rare cases where a fictional character has changed the visibility of a rare disease.
Broadway, again
| Year | Project | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Broadway) | Benji |
| 2014 | Les Misérables (Broadway) | Gavroche |
| 2019 | Prank Encounters (series) | Host |
| 2022 | Dear Evan Hansen (Broadway) | Jared Kleinman |
| 2024 | Sweeney Todd (Broadway) | Tobias Ragg |
Between two seasons, Gaten Matarazzo goes back to musical theater: Dear Evan Hansen in 2022, Sweeney Todd in 2024. He has also hosted Prank Encounters, a hidden-camera show, and lent his voice to animated films. Cinema, for its part, has tempted him less than the stage.
Markers
| Year | Step |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Birth in Connecticut |
| 2011 | Priscilla, Queen of the Desert on Broadway |
| 2014 | Gavroche in Les Misérables |
| 2015 | Dustin's casting; his condition enters the script |
| 2016 | He commits to CCD Smiles |
| 2019 | Prank Encounters; the duo with Suzie |
| 2022 | Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway; Eddie's death |
| 2025 | End of the show |
After Hawkins
The actor has said he wants to live off the stage after the show, and has announced, between shoots, projects on Broadway. Dustin, for his part, remains the character who best summed up the spirit of the group: “friends don't lie,” and you leave nobody behind.
The Dustin figure, with Dart.
In the shopLego Dustin Henderson mini figure on a bike14,90 €See the product
What you know less about him
Gaten Matarazzo was born in New London, Connecticut, and grew up in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, with an older sister and a younger brother. He trained as a singer from childhood and won, in 2011, a third place at a national contest with a solo. Like Noah Schnapp, he had auditioned for Mike Wheeler; the Duffers chose him for Dustin, and changed the character so he would share his cleidocranial dysplasia.
He has been with actress Elizabeth Yu since 2018, and has spoken publicly about his attention disorder. His first screen appearance was in 2015, in an episode of The Blacklist, a year before the show.
Dustin in 1987: mourning Eddie
The last season gives Dustin his gravest arc. He still wears the Hellfire Club T-shirt, in tribute to Eddie, and is harassed for it; he visits Eddie's grave, fouled with a snake's blood, and is assaulted. His falling-out with Steve, whom he blames for talking about Eddie's sacrifice lightly, blows up in episode 5 and is repaired in episode 6, when he stops him from charging into the melting room: “I can't lose another friend.”
He is also the one who understands the Upside Down: Brenner's notes, the wormhole, the containment wall, the exotic matter, and the bomb that will end it all. In the epilogue, valedictorian, he pays tribute to Eddie in a graduation speech in front of the whole high school. Gaten Matarazzo played Dustin from thirteen to twenty-two.
The voices, and a little cinema
Theater remains his ground, but he has also lent his voice to animated films: Bubba in The Angry Birds Movie 2 in 2019, Boris the dragon in My Father's Dragon from Cartoon Saloon. He acted in a high-school comedy, Honor Society, in 2022, and a comedy produced for a streamer, Pizza Movie, released in April 2026, of which he is also an executive producer.
He hosted Prank Encounters, a hidden-camera show, which he also executive-produced, and he gives part of his time to readings and charity performances, from a parody Star Wars musical to a Dungeons & Dragons night with Jack Black for children's hospitals.
Five Dustin scenes to rewatch
-
The nougat, 1983
Dustin explains the flea and the acrobat with a D&D board: the first physics lesson of the show.
-
Dart in the tunnels, 1984
One last chocolate bar, and the Demodog lets the party through.
-
“The NeverEnding Story”, 1985
The duet with Suzie, above the battle, to get a code.
-
Eddie's death, 1986
Dustin holds him in his arms in the Upside Down, then returns the pick to his uncle.
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The speech, 1989
Valedictorian of his class, he pays tribute to Eddie in front of the whole high school.
The Cerebro keychain, to call Utah.
In the shopDustin Henderson Hawaiian shirt kids and adult44,90 €See the product
TakeawayBorn in 2002, a Broadway kid (Priscilla, Les Misérables). Dustin Henderson in all five seasons, the party's namer. His cleidocranial dysplasia was written into the character. Spokesperson for CCD Smiles; regular returns to Broadway.
Frequently asked questions
Who plays Dustin in Stranger Things?
Gaten Matarazzo, American actor born in 2002, trained on Broadway, across the five seasons.
What is Gaten Matarazzo's condition?
Cleidocranial dysplasia, a rare genetic condition that affects the development of bones and teeth. It was written into Dustin's character.
What is CCD Smiles?
The association he supports and represents, which funds dental care for people with the same condition.
Does Gaten Matarazzo sing?
Yes, he comes from musical theater: Les Misérables, Dear Evan Hansen and Sweeney Todd on Broadway. He also sings on the show, with Suzie.
Did Gaten Matarazzo audition for another role?
Yes, for Mike Wheeler. The Duffers chose him for Dustin and rewrote the character so that he would have, like him, cleidocranial dysplasia.
Does Gaten Matarazzo do cartoon voices?
Yes: Bubba in The Angry Birds Movie 2 and Boris the dragon in My Father's Dragon, between two returns to Broadway.