Gaten Matarazzo – Biography and Facts

Gaetano John Matarazzo III, also popularly known as Gaten Matarazzo is an actor, theater artist, and singer from the US. He is most recognized for his performance in the Netflix Original Series “Stranger Things” as Dustin Henderson. While this sci-fi series got him a lot of recognition, it’s not where he began his career. See the following Gaten Matarazzo – biography and facts to know more about him.

Gaten Matarazzo

Early Life

Matarazzo is a second child to Heather and Gaetano Matarazzo. He was actually born in Connecticut but grew up in New Jersey. He was really active in the performing arts when he was a kid, particularly singing. 

As of today, he has yet to further his studies. He went to Starlight Performing Arts Center to improve his singing ability. In 2011, Matarazzo competed in a national competition in Connecticut and performed a vocal solo “Ben” which got him third place.

Personal Life

This Stranger Things actor was born with a condition named cleidocranial dysplasia. It’s a genetic condition that affects the development and growth of his bones and teeth. Matarazzo has spoken openly about his health issue, even sharing his surgery on Instagram.

Right after he was successfully obtained a role as Dustin Henderson in the Netflix series “Stranger Things”, the production crew decided to modify the background of his character to also have the rare condition. While he was filming Season 1, he had to take off his dentures.

Career

Gaten Matarazzo began his career as a Broadway actor. In 2011, he played his first theatrical character as Benjamin in the broadway production entitled “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” at the Palace Theater. Three years later, he starred in another theatrical production “Les Miserables” as Petit Gervais at the Imperial Theater.

In 2015, Matarazzo made his first television debut in “The Blacklist” as a character named Finn. A year later, he rose to popularity after appearing in the popular Netflix series “Stranger Things”. He landed one of the main roles in this series, Dustin Handerson, which is the show’s most prominent role to this day.

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His popularity as Dustin led him to star in two different music videos: Katty Perry’s “Swish Swish and Computer Games’s “Lost Boys Life”. In 2017, he performed as an opening act at Jimmy Fallon’s Golden Globes. That’s all about the Gaten Matarazzo – biography and facts, the Stranger Things star that will be reprising his role in Season 4.

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