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Sadie Sink: From Broadway to the Upside Down
Early struggles and triumphs
When Sadie Sink was just 11 years old, she began experiencing panic attacks. Despite having already spent three years in professional acting, starring in a Broadway revival of “Annie” became a source of immense pressure. “Singing became the worst thing ever. I was terrified by it,” she recalls. The relentless demands of Broadway convinced her that any mistake would ruin the entire show. This fear led her to give up singing altogether.
Two years later, Sink returned to Broadway, this time in the Peter Morgan drama “The Audience,” portraying a young Queen Elizabeth II alongside Helen Mirren. Although the role did not require singing, the anxiety resurfaced on the first night of previews. She almost didn’t go on stage. “But then I told myself, ‘Sadie, if you don’t do this, what else do you have?’ The anxiety had already taken singing from me. If acting was gone, then it’s just all gone.” That night marked the first time she pushed through her panic.
Rising to fame with ‘Stranger Things’
Now 22, Sink has built a career playing characters who confront their fears head-on. From the headstrong Max in “Stranger Things” to the antisocial Ellie in “The Whale,” and the young heroine in Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well: The Short Film,” her ability to capture the darker complexities of adolescence is remarkable. “She has always felt very raw and real,” says Matt Duffer, co-creator of “Stranger Things.” “Sadie is increasingly able to hit these very subtle, nuanced notes. That’s pretty rare.”
Sink joined “Stranger Things” in Season 2 at the age of 14, but her character truly shone in Season 4. Max’s harrowing journey, targeted by the series’ main villain, captivated audiences worldwide. The character’s arc was so compelling that Kate Bush’s ’80s hit “Running Up That Hill” became the song of the summer in 2022.
Navigating fame and personal growth
Seated in a sunny café near her home in Atlanta, where she’s filming the final season of “Stranger Things,” Sink reflects on her journey. “I really didn’t think people would care all that much about [Max’s] journey,” she says with a good-natured shrug. Sink doesn’t have social media on her phone, so her older brother had to show her how much Max was dominating TikTok. “Still, I was kind of like, ‘That’s cool,’” she says.
Despite her rising fame, Sink remains grounded. “I think I’m definitely numb to a lot of things now, which is a good thing. It keeps you stable.” Unlike many young performers, she doesn’t project a need to be liked. This self-assuredness has been a journey. As a child actor, she was often treated “like a puppet,” but joining the cast of “The Whale” marked a turning point. Director Darren Aronofsky encouraged her to focus on what she could bring to the role, rather than trying to please him. “It was very clear to me that she was an artist,” Aronofsky says.
Embracing new challenges
The experience of making “The Whale” was transformative for Sink. “It kind of changed everything for me,” she says. This newfound sense of creative liberation was put to the test when Taylor Swift cast her in “All Too Well.” Despite never having been in love or experienced a breakup that intense, Sink relied on her years of being a Swiftie to connect with the role. “As I was going, things from my personal life kind of came forward, which fueled it even more,” she says.
Shooting Season 5 of “Stranger Things” has been a nostalgic experience. The cast has been living in the same Atlanta neighborhood to better soak up their final months together. When asked whether her continued filming means Max makes it out of the coma, Sink offers a cryptic clue: “They love having me run.” Whether that means in real life, the Upside Down, or the Void is left to the imagination.
Looking ahead
As fulfilling as playing Max has been, Sink is not keen to join another Hollywood machine anytime soon. “I don’t want to play a superhero or a princess,” she says. “I just want to make sure everything that I’m doing is different than the last. I’m still young, and I’m still learning.”
In early 2023, she signed up for the title role in Searchlight’s 2025 feature “O’Dessa,” an ambitious indie rock opera. This role required her to sing professionally for the first time since she was 11. “There was this moment where I was just like, ‘Oh my God. I can’t believe I said yes to this. What am I doing?!’” she says, still shocked by her decision.
At first, singing in front of strangers was excruciating. “I would sing a song, and no one else would really know that I’m freaking out on the inside,” she says. But eventually, that inner monologue began to fade. “Sometimes, it was like, ‘I feel completely fearless right now, and I’m singing in front of a lot of people!’”
The trick? “She was singing; it wasn’t me,” she says about her character. As long as she was playing a part, she didn’t need to be perfect. “That, I feel comfortable with. But Sadie is not going to be singing anytime soon.”
Final thoughts
Sadie Sink’s journey from a young Broadway star to a key player in one of the most popular TV series of our time is a testament to her resilience and talent. As she continues to grow and take on new challenges, one thing is clear: her story is far from over. Whether she’s confronting her fears on stage or screen, Sink’s ability to connect with her characters and her audience is nothing short of extraordinary.
