Stranger Things is among Netflix's most expensive series, made with a budget of $470 million (Rs 4,220 crore). Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Joe Keery, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink, David Harbour, Charlie Heaton, and Winona Ryder as regulars, its finale dropped today in India, and it has taken the internet by storm.
Among the actors, Gaten Matarazzo, who played Dustin Henderson, has emerged as one of the fan favourites on the show. While one reason is his character development and friendship with Steve, the other is how he graciously carried his real-life and on-screen genetic condition.
Like Dustin In Stranger Things, Gaten Matarazzo Was Also Born With Cleidocranial Dysplasia
Despite being an ardent follower of the show from season one, you might not know that Gaten Matarazzo was born with Cleidocranial Dysplasia (CCD), a rare genetic condition. He does not portray Dustin with that condition, but he has been suffering from it since his birth.
In fact, he has thanked the Duffer brothers, the creators of Stranger Things, in the past for not just incorporating the condition on the show but also portraying it with sensitivity and reality.
In one of the interviews, Gaten said, "I think what the Duffer brothers wanted to make sure was each character in the show was unique. They had something realistic and personal. They wanted unique characters that were relatable and were different."
He explained the condition to them, and they asked him if it would be okay if the show had Dustin bullied because of missing teeth. Gaten agreed and said that it was "realistic".
What Is Cleidocranial Dysplasia
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Cleidocranial Dysplasia is a rare genetic condition that affects teeth and bones of legs, collarbones, face, skull, and spine. People with this condition have a different formation of the bones, they might be more fragile than others, or maybe missing bones altogether.
The word Cleidocranial Dysplasia comes from 'cleido', meaning collarbones, and 'cranial', referring to the skull. Hence, skull, collarbones, and dental abnormalities are the main symptoms of CCD.
How Cleidocranial Dysplasia Impacts Stranger Things Star Gaten Matarazzo
In Gaten's case, he was born without collarbones. In an interview with Health Insights, he opened up about living with the rare genetic condition and how it impacts him.
The Stranger Things actor said, "My experience with cleidocranial dysplasia has been pretty good, honestly. I have a very mild case of it, and it hasn't really caused me to be bullied or anything. It has benefited me in many ways because it's basically started my acting career."
"In some way, it affects me - whether it be my height or my teeth or making me look younger. Hopefully, I can evolve from that, and not just get roles because of the condition, I can play parts that don't have physical disabilities or anything like that. I can play someone who isn't associated with the condition," he added.
In his bid to spread awareness about CCD, Gaten shared that people should know that having teeth is not related to cosmetics, but it affects a person's well-being.
Speaking about the same, Gaten added, "Teeth will not come in on their own, and it's not just a matter of waiting because if you wait too long, the teeth could fuse to the jaw and you could never have your own teeth, and then you would have to get implants. I need people, and specifically doctors, to understand that it needs to be done through appliances and through medical procedures and not just time."
If you remember, Dustin was missing a few teeth in the first season. It was because of CCD. In February 2020, he shared he underwent a big surgery and added, "I've had several surgeries to extract these teeth from within my gums and help expose the teeth that should have already grown in, considering my age."
"In this surgery, the team of amazing medical professionals extracted 14 supernumerary teeth and exposed six of my adult teeth," the Stranger Things actor further explained in his Instagram post, which he has deleted. There are no posts on Gaten Matarazzo's grid before May 2020.
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