Ross Partridge, who played Will Byers’ dad Lonnie in season 1 of Stranger Things, is looking back on his time in Hawkins with a mix of fondness and honesty. The show may have taken off like a rocket, but not every character got the chance to grow with it. Partridge remembers stepping into a world that felt rich and full of possibilities, yet his own storyline stayed more narrowly defined than he expected.

As he reflects on those early episodes now, he admits there was room for more depth in his part, hinting that a certain stereotype may have kept his character from becoming something more layered.

Ross Partridge, in an exclusive conversation with Netflix Junkie, said that his Stranger Things character, Lonnie Byers, filling the “stereotype” of a runaway dad, limited it from showing more nuance. He explained that although Lonnie was criticized for abandoning his son, the audience “never really got his side of the story,” and the character’s choices were not as “black and white” as they seemed. Partridge added that deeper elements of Lonnie’s relationship with his family were planned but ultimately was never explored.

The actor told us Lonnie’s arc was originally intended to be more substantial, with early conversations with the Duffer Brothers focusing heavily on the adults and their complicated histories. But once Stranger Things became a phenomenon built around its young cast, the show shifted away from developing parental storylines. Ross Partridge suggested that this pivot meant Lonnie’s trajectory stalled, leaving several intended layers of his backstory and motivations untouched. Well, with the epic Netflix sci-fi show now in the past for Partridge, his future appears to be only shining.

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Ross Partridge’s next project is still taking shape but has drawn significant buzz due to its horror themes and expansive lineup.

Ross Partridge’s next outing, Blood & Rust, is already generating buzz as a fresh horror entry set to screen at the New York City Horror Film Fest. Directed by Jeremy Herbert, whom Partridge appeared very appreciative of when he spoke to us, the film will also star Morgan McLeod, Mark Kelly, Beau Roberts, Philip R. Garrett, and more, per IMDb. Herbert pens the script for the offering alongside Wolf Stahl of Worst Laid Plans and The Things with the Glowing Green Eyes.

Though Lonnie Byers never received the full arc Ross Partridge might have hoped for, the experience shaped his path in undeniable ways. Now, with Blood & Rust, he steps into a world where his talent can unfold more fully, and his character can breathe beyond stereotypes. For Partridge, it is proof that each role, brief or central, adds to an actor’s journey, and the most exciting stories may still lie ahead, waiting to be told.

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What do you think about Ross Partridge calling out the stereotype that limited his character’s arc in Stranger Things? Let us know in the comments.