Noah Schnapp
Noah Schnapp | |
---|---|
Born | Noah Cameron Schnapp October 3, 2004 New York City, U.S. |
Citizenship |
|
Education | University of Pennsylvania |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2014–present |
Known for | Stranger Things |
Noah Cameron Schnapp (born October 3, 2004) is an American actor. He gained recognition for playing Will Byers in the Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things. His film roles include Roger Donovan in Steven Spielberg's historical drama Bridge of Spies (2015) and the voice of Charlie Brown in the animated The Peanuts Movie (2015).
Early life
Schnapp was born in New York City to Mitchell and Karine Schnapp (née Perez), and was raised in Scarsdale, New York. He is Jewish and had his Bar Mitzvah in Israel. He has a twin sister. He holds both U.S. and Canadian citizenship. His father is of Russian Jewish descent, while his mother is of Moroccan Jewish descent.
Schnapp's desire to act started when he was about five years old after watching the Broadway production of Annie. He performed acting roles in school and community plays. When he was 8, his acting teacher suggested he attempt a professional career. Schnapp's parents registered him for an acting program at Star Kidz in Westchester, where he was guided by coach Alyson Isbrandtsen. It was under her guidance that he was subsequently introduced to MKS&D Talent Management, which opened up avenues for his career.
Schnapp attends the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in entrepreneurship and innovation. He is scheduled to graduate in 2026.
Acting career
Schnapp's acting debut was in the Academy Award-winning 2015 film Bridge of Spies, directed by Steven Spielberg. He played Roger, the son of character James B. Donovan. Concurrently, Schnapp voiced the lead character, Charlie Brown, in the animated movie The Peanuts Movie. He also voiced the character for the video game The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure.
His breakthrough came in July 2016, when he began starring as Will Byers in the Netflix science fiction horror television series Stranger Things. He was promoted to series regular for the second season of the series, which premiered on October 27, 2017. Schnapp also starred in independent films like Abe (2019) and Waiting for Anya (2020). He appeared in the 2020 Halloween comedy film Hubie Halloween. In April 2022, Schnapp joined the cast of The Tutor.
Other ventures
In 2019, Schnapp launched a YouTube channel under his own name. Active for a year and a half, he primarily created vlogs and lifestyle videos. As of June 2022, the channel has 4.2million subscribers and has gained 110million views.
In November 2021, he launched To Be Honest (TBH), a sustainability-focused snacking company he co-founded with Elena Guberman and Ba Minuzzi. In November 2022, Schnapp announced a crowdfunding campaign for this venture on the Republic platform that aimed to raise a maximum amount of $1.235million at a $15million valuation cap. The launch of TBH on Republic made him the youngest entrepreneur on the platform. In 2023, he launched TenderFix, a delivery-only virtual restaurant brand operated by IHOP with a menu of chicken tenders.
Personal life
Schnapp publicly came out as gay in a video posted to his TikTok account on January 5, 2023. The video saw him express relief that family and friends had accepted his coming out, and he quipped in the video's caption, "I guess I'm more similar to Will [Byers] than I thought", a reference to his statement about his Stranger Things character also being gay.
In October 2023, Schnapp voiced support for Israel in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, saying in part "The same people who love to jump on fashionable causes like supporting Ukraine and combating climate change have been chillingly quiet. ... The Jewish people are seeing your silence and we won't forget it." He has promoted stickers reading "Zionism is sexy" and "Hamas is ISIS."
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Refs. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Bridge of Spies | Roger Donovan | ||
2015 | The Peanuts Movie | Charlie Brown | Voice role | |
2016 | The Circle | Lucas | Short film | |
2018 | The Legend of Hallowaiian | Kai | Voice role | |
2018 | We Only Know So Much | Otis Copeland | ||
2020 | Abe | Abe | ||
2020 | Hubie Halloween | Tommy | ||
2020 | Waiting for Anya | Jo | ||
2021 | Who Are You, Charlie Brown? | Himself | Documentary | |
2023 | The Tutor | Jackson |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Refs. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016–present | Stranger Things | Will Byers | Recurring role (season 1); main role (season 2–present) | |
2017 | Lip Sync Battle | Himself | Episode: "The Cast of Stranger Things" | |
2018 | Liza on Demand | Evan / Trevor | 2 episodes | |
2021 | Stranger Sharks | Himself | TV special (Shark Week) |
Music videos
Year | Title | Artist | Refs. |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | "LA Devotee" | Panic! at the Disco | |
2018 | "In My Feelings" | Drake | |
2020 | "See You" | Johnny Orlando |
Awards and nominations
Award | Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MTV Movie & TV Awards | 2018 | Best Frightened Performance | Stranger Things | Won | |
Best On-Screen Team | Stranger Things | Nominated | |||
People's Choice Awards | 2022 | Male TV Star of 2022 | — | Won | |
Queerty Awards | 2023 | Closet Door Bustdown | — | Won | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2017 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Stranger Things | Won | |
2018 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | ||
2020 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | ||
Teen Choice Awards | 2019 | Choice Summer TV Actor | — | Won | |
Young Artist Awards | 2017 | Best Performance in a Digital TV Series or Film – Young Actor | Stranger Things | Nominated |
- 2004 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American Jews
- 21st-century American male actors
- 21st-century American LGBT people
- American gay actors
- American male child actors
- American male film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- American people of Moroccan-Jewish descent
- American people of Russian-Jewish descent
- American Zionists
- Jewish American male actors
- Gay Jews
- LGBT people from New York (state)