Living with your best friend sounds like a dream—until the dishes pile up and nobody wants to take out the trash.
Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo recently opened up about his unconventional roommate situation while filming the show’s fifth and final season.
He and costar Finn Wolfhard shared living quarters for roughly a year, and their bachelor pad quickly descended into what Matarazzo described as organized chaos.
Speaking candidly on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Dinner’s on Me podcast, the 23-year-old actor revealed the messy truth behind their friendship-turned-roommate dynamic.
When Best Friends Become Roommates
Matarazzo didn’t sugarcoat their living situation during the November 18 podcast episode.
It was a little bit of a college experience. I would look around three months after we lived together and [be] like, ‘This place is disgusting.’
The problem wasn’t a lack of awareness—both actors knew their shared space needed attention. Instead, their close friendship became the very thing preventing them from maintaining basic cleanliness standards.
According to Matarazzo, he and Wolfhard, 22, were so comfortable with each other that accountability went out the window.
Matching Energy, Mismatched Priorities
We match each other’s energy a little bit. We got along so well and had been so close for so long that we didn’t really hold each other to a standard. So we were like, ‘Ah, f–k it. Whatever, man. We’ll get to it later.’
This “we’ll deal with it later” mentality is remarkably common among young adults living together for the first time. Psychologists note that when friendship boundaries aren’t clearly established in cohabitation situations, domestic responsibilities often fall by the wayside.
Neither roommate wanted to be the “bad guy” enforcing rules, creating a cycle of procrastination and accumulating clutter.
The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
Reality hit hard when social situations forced Matarazzo and Wolfhard to confront their living conditions.
Planning outings with friends became awkward when others suggested meeting at their place.
We would plan to go out and somebody would be like, ‘Alright, we’ll meet you at yours.’ Both of us would be like, ‘No. Do not come [within] 10 feet [of] our home.’
That moment of embarrassment served as the catalyst for change. Suddenly, external perspective made them realize just how far their standards had slipped.
Sometimes it takes potential judgment from outsiders to motivate behavioral change—a psychological phenomenon known as social accountability.
Finding Balance Before Move-Out Day
Fortunately, Matarazzo reported that both actors improved their housekeeping habits as their cohabitation came to an end. They managed to establish routines and maintain cleanliness “towards the end” of filming.
More importantly, their friendship survived the ultimate test—living together without destroying their bond.
Protecting Friendships Through Roommate Boundaries
Matarazzo showed surprising maturity when reflecting on potential risks of cohabiting with close friends.
When you’re moving in with one of your best friends, you never know if you’re going to live together well. That could ruin friendships. It ruins a dynamic. If you’re mature enough, you can be like, ‘This isn’t working for us, so for the sake of our friendship, we should end this.’ [But] it was great.
His perspective highlights an important reality: not every friendship translates well to shared living spaces.
Different cleanliness standards, sleep schedules, social habits, and personal boundaries can strain even the strongest relationships.
Key Lessons From Their Experience
Matarazzo and Wolfhard’s roommate journey offers valuable insights for anyone considering living with friends:
- Establish expectations early: Discuss cleanliness standards, shared responsibilities, and house rules before moving in together
- Create accountability systems: Being comfortable doesn’t mean abandoning all standards—agree on basic maintenance routines
- Communicate openly: Address issues before resentment builds or living conditions become unacceptable
- Know when to reassess: Be willing to change arrangements if cohabitation threatens your friendship
- Give each other grace: Learning to live together takes time, patience, and mutual understanding
The Stranger Things Cast Remains Close
Despite production wrapping on Netflix’s beloved sci-fi series, Matarazzo and his castmates continue maintaining their tight-knit relationships.
Millie Bobby Brown recently told E! News that the young cast—including Matarazzo, Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, and Caleb McLaughlin—actively coordinates hangouts through their group chat.
We’re always just trying to hangout. So, it’s always just us going, ‘When can you? Where are you? Where are you in the world?’
The fact that Matarazzo and Wolfhard’s friendship survived their messy roommate phase speaks volumes about their genuine connection and emotional maturity.
Many friendships don’t survive the transition from hanging out occasionally to sharing daily living spaces, bills, and household responsibilities.
Moving Forward After Filming Ends
As Stranger Things concludes its groundbreaking run, cast members face transitions beyond their characters’ storylines. They’re navigating adulthood, evolving careers, and maintaining friendships formed during their formative years.
Matarazzo’s candid discussion about his living situation with Wolfhard reveals the human side of celebrity life—complete with dirty dishes, procrastination, and awkward social moments.
Their experience proves that even successful young actors face the same mundane challenges as anyone else navigating early adulthood and independent living.
Ultimately, Matarazzo and Wolfhard’s roommate story offers reassurance: friendships strong enough to withstand shared mess, conflicting habits, and temporary chaos can survive almost anything life throws at them.