Nell Fisher just turned 14, but she’s already stealing scenes in one of Netflix’s biggest shows ever.
The young actress takes center stage as Holly Wheeler in the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things,” stepping into a role that had been played by twin toddlers for the previous four seasons.
Fisher’s journey from New Zealand to Atlanta—and ultimately to the Upside Down—reveals how a pandemic-era audition and a horror film trailer led to her breakthrough performance.
And if you’re worried about spoilers, turn back now—because Holly Wheeler’s story gets dark.
From Background Character to Central Player
For four seasons, Holly Wheeler existed as little more than set dressing—a blonde toddler occasionally glimpsed in the Wheeler family home. Twins Anniston and Tinsley Price played the role when they were just 3 years old at the show’s 2016 premiere.
Season 5 changes everything. With an 18-month time jump, Holly becomes integral to Vecna’s sinister endgame, which somehow involves her and her entire grade of classmates.
Fisher auditioned for the role in early 2023 after directors Matt and Ross Duffer spotted her in the trailer for “Evil Dead Rise.” She moved to Atlanta later that year to begin filming, not realizing she’d signed up for a year away from home.
They didn’t tell you she needed to spend a year in the U.S.? They didn’t,
Fisher confirmed with a laugh during her interview with Variety, her father chiming in from the background.
A Pandemic Led to Hollywood
Fisher’s path to “Stranger Things” started in the most unexpected place: COVID-free New Zealand during the pandemic.
Well, it turns out that the way you break into the industry is by going to New Zealand in the middle of a pandemic! New Zealand was COVID-free, so all the Hollywood studios sent work over to New Zealand,
Fisher explained.
In 2020, she landed a role in “Evil Dead Rise,” the 2023 horror reboot that would eventually catch the Duffer Brothers’ attention. Before that, Fisher had only worked on one micro-budget film—nothing that made her think acting could become a career.
Her mother, a former British diplomat who served as ambassador to New Zealand, had prevented Fisher from watching “Stranger Things” before the audition. The reason? The show was supposedly too scary for her mom, not for Nell.
When the audition came through in February 2023, Fisher finally had her excuse to binge the series.
The Audition That Changed Everything
Fisher’s initial audition scenes included the school corridor conversation with Mike and a trickier solo scene where Holly talks to a Tiffany cassette tape.
Originally in the script, it was a Barbie. I found that scene quite tricky, because I’m rambling and talking out loud,
she recalled.
The chemistry read with Sadie Sink came next—a nerve-wracking experience for the then-11-year-old actress. Sink, who plays Max Mayfield, immediately put Fisher at ease and even took her and her father out for lunch afterward.
When Fisher learned she got the role, she was in New Zealand filming “Bookworm” opposite Elijah Wood. Her father delivered the news that the Duffers wanted to call her.
When I say I was speechless, I was speechless. I think I sat there with my mouth open for like a minute, and when I did speak, I was like, ‘Thank you!’
Creating Holly Wheeler From Scratch
Because the Price twins were so young, Holly had essentially been a blank slate—a baby sister with no real personality. That gave Fisher and the Duffers creative freedom to build the character from scratch.
Initially, Holly was written as more shy and reserved. But Ross Duffer revealed that Fisher’s extroverted personality influenced the character development, leading to script changes that made Holly “a bit more out there.”
Fisher drew inspiration from Holly’s older siblings, Nancy and Mike Wheeler, who’ve demonstrated fearlessness throughout the series.
There’s this really lovely scene in Episode 1 where Mike is talking to Holly, and she’s crying, she’s upset. She has this imaginary friend, and she’s very scared. And Mike talks about how he likes to imagine himself as someone else—as Mike the Brave—whenever he gets scared or nervous,
Fisher explained.
Holly’s Dark Journey Into Vecna’s World
Volume 1 of Season 5 thrusts Holly into terrifying territory. Vecna appears to her as Henry Creel—handsome, clean-cut, and friendly. Holly calls him “Mr. Whatsit,” inspired by her favorite book, “A Wrinkle in Time.”
Henry/Vecna warns Holly about monsters in Hawkins, failing to mention that he’s the monster. He then sends a Demogorgon to kidnap Holly from her mother Karen, who fights valiantly but futilely against the nearly indestructible creature.
Once captured, Holly believes she’s hanging out with Henry in the Creel house—but it’s a carefully constructed fantasy world. Her physical body exists elsewhere, under Vecna’s control.
At the end of Episode 3, Holly discovers she’s not alone. Max Mayfield, who’s been in a coma since Season 4’s finale, reveals herself—and the two join forces.
The Bathtub Scene That Took Two Weeks
Fisher’s favorite sequence to film was the Demogorgon attack—specifically the bathtub scene with Cara Buono, who plays Karen Wheeler.
It was my favorite part of the year! I say that, and I was also covered in goo, and dripping wet for most of it. But it was so much fun,
Fisher said.
The two-minute sequence required two weeks of filming, with Fisher and Buono spending three full days in a specially designed bathtub with one glass side.
They developed a hand signal system—squeezing each other’s hand three times when they needed to surface for air. What started as a safety measure evolved into an unspoken competition.
The rules weren’t ever made very clear, but we would squeeze each other’s hands if we needed to come up for air and breathe. And as we progressed, the periods of time we stayed under just kept getting longer and longer, and it was clear that you didn’t want to be the person who came up first,
Fisher admitted.
Literary References and ’80s Culture
Holly likens Vecna’s mind space to Camazotz from “A Wrinkle in Time,” calling Henry “IT” and drawing parallels to Madeleine L’Engle’s classic novel. Fisher reread the book specifically to prepare for the role.
The season also features Holly dancing around her house to Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now”—a freestyle dance Fisher had to improvise on the spot.
My dad is quite into forcing his ’80s culture onto us. Which is a good thing most of the time!
she laughed.
Life on Set With a Legendary Cast
Joining a show in its final season—one where the cast had worked together for nearly a decade—could have been intimidating. Fisher admitted feeling nervous about how she’d be received.
But on her second day of filming, during the breakfast scene with the Wheelers and Byers, every cast member approached her to say how excited they were to work with her.
Fisher bonded closely with Sadie Sink, learning from her more experienced co-star. She also developed a genuine mother-daughter relationship with Cara Buono during their extensive underwater scenes together.
Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays Henry Creel/Vecna, waited 30-40 minutes after finishing his workday just to meet Fisher during her first costume fitting in December 2023.
What Comes Next
Fisher has returned to regular school in London, where she lives with her family. She describes herself as “a bit of a geek” who genuinely loves academics, though keeping up with schoolwork during her year in Atlanta proved challenging.
While filming “Stranger Things,” Fisher developed a routine in Atlanta’s Cabbage Town neighborhood, where most of the cast lived. She’d walk 15 minutes with her grandparents to their favorite coffee shop each morning before heading to set.
This is the first time I actually feel like I’m an actor. And I feel like I belong in this world, and I’m no longer just like a sort of lucky kid who stumbled across a film set. And I feel like I’m here to stay now,
Fisher reflected.
Nothing is set in stone for her next project, but after her breakout performance as Holly Wheeler, opportunities are inevitable. Fisher met the Price twins at a trampoline park and paid tribute to them on Instagram, grateful to carry forward the role they originated.
At just 14, Fisher has already proven she can hold her own against Demogorgons, underwater breath-holding competitions, and one of Netflix’s most iconic ensemble casts. Holly Wheeler may have started as background decoration, but Fisher has transformed her into someone audiences won’t forget.