Quick Facts
Biography
Gaetano John "Gaten" Matarazzo III (/ˈɡeɪtən ˌmætəˈræzoʊ/; [mataˈrattso]; born September 8, 2002) is an American actor and singer. He began his career on the Broadway stage as Benjamin in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and as Gavroche in Les Misérables. He stars as Dustin Henderson in the Netflix science-fiction-horror drama series Stranger Things, and hosts the Netflix show Prank Encounters. He is also the lead singer of the indie rock band Work In Progress.
Early life
Matarazzo was raised in Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and attended Pinelands Regional High School in Tuckerton, New Jersey.
Personal life
Matarazzo is of Italian descent. Matarazzo has cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD), a trait he shares with his Stranger Things character. He uses dentures as a result of his condition.
Philanthropy
Matarazzo uses his platform to raise awareness of CCD and fundraise for CCD Smiles, an organization that helps cover costs of oral surgeries for people with CCD. Matarazzo has also started a line of T-shirts whose proceeds will go to CCD Smiles. On his social media sites, Matarazzo tells followers how to donate to CCD Smiles and promotes events he will participate in. In November 2017, his sister started a Facebook campaign to raise money for the organization.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | The Blacklist | Finn | TV series (Episode: "The Kenyon Family (No. 71)") |
| 2016–present | Stranger Things | Dustin Henderson | TV series; main role |
| 2017 | Ridiculousness | Himself | TV series (Episode: "Scarediculousness") |
| 2017 | Lip Sync Battle | Himself | TV series (Episode: "The Cast of Stranger Things") |
| 2019 | The Angry Birds Movie 2 | Bubba | Voice |
| 2019 | Prank Encounters | Himself / Host | TV series |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Swish Swish" | Katy Perry |
| "Lost Boys Life" | "Computer Games" (Darren & Chuck Criss) | |
| "Jimmy Fallon's Golden Globes 2017 Opening" | Jimmy Fallon |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Priscilla, Queen of the Desert | Benjamin | Palace Theatre, Broadway |
| 2014 | Les Misérables | Gavroche / Petit Gervais | Imperial Theatre, Broadway |
| 2018 | Cinderella | Jean-Michael | Pinelands Regional Thespians |
| 2019 | Into the Woods | Jack | Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Digital TV Series or Film – Teen Actor | Stranger Things | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Won | ||
| 2017 | Shorty Awards | Best Actor | Won | ||
| 2018 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2018 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best On-Screen Team | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Summer TV Actor | Nominated |