Stranger Things heads were rather delighted with Gaten Matarazzo AKA Dustin Henderson’s role in Paramount Plus’ Honor Society. Borrowing characteristics from Election blended with the sarcastic wit of Mean Girls, the film doesn’t buck any trends around classic high school cinematic troupes. It delivers surprisingly layered characters that one cannot help but root for. While the movie finds its winning personality in Angourie Rice. Matarazzo along with Christopher Mintz-Plasse steals the show.

Directed by Oran Zegman, the movie sees a smart girl, Honor, work to earn her place in an ivy league school. But she has a big threat to surpass. A boy, as intelligent as her, who could rob her of the dream. Surprisingly, our Dusty bun turns out to be that boy. Honor’s mission to eliminate the competition eventually finds her falling for Michael Dipnicky (Matarazzo). Fans of Stranger Things will enjoy watching Matarazzo transform Dustin Henderson’s sweetness into a new, edgy form. And did you know it was an enriching experience for the actor himself?

In a recent interview with Screen Rant, the actor discussed the difficulties he faced and how he coped with them while playing Michael in the film. 

Gaten Matarazzo compares his character in Stranger Things with that in the Honor Society

Unlike Stranger Things, where he could use his comedic skills for a show that is usually dark and serious. Honor Society was quite the opposite. “What’s interesting is that Dustin is a much more comedically driven character in a project that’s not really driven by its comedy. And I think Michael [in Honor Society] is a character that’s not necessarily driven so much by his knack for comedic timing in a movie that is driven through comedy,” he said.

“That was a really different vibe, trying to match those tones up. Because you’re trying to dial something back when the surrounding people around you are bringing the comedy forward. I’m used to doing [the opposite] on Stranger Things, so that was really interesting. But it was a lot of fun.”

Honor Society has compelled Matarazzo to adopt a new style of comic delivery. According to the actor’s remarks, his positive experience with the movie might inspire him to embark on more diverse projects and push his talent in fresh, intriguing directions.

Are you excited to see Gaten Matarazzo playing diverse roles in the future? Do let us know in the comment section below.