Millie Bobby Brown gained widespread recognition as Eleven in the Netflix show Stranger Things, but her Millie Bobby Brown fame actually began earlier. As the actress marks her 22nd birthday, many fans are discovering that her initial acting achievements took place before she became a household name in Hawkins, Indiana.
The premiere of Stranger Things came in 2016, when Millie was only 12 years old. The series quickly elevated her to stardom alongside her co-stars, yet this iconic role was not the starting point of her career. Millie’s journey in acting began three years prior, at the age of nine.
The Start of a Career: Early Roles and Guest Appearances
Millie’s first screen appearance was in the 2013 ABC fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, a spin-off of Once Upon a Time. She portrayed a young Alice in two episodes of the series. Following this, Millie secured a main role as Madison O’Donnell in the BBC America series Intruders. Her resume also includes guest parts in popular shows like NCIS, Modern Family, and Grey’s Anatomy, exposing her to a variety of acting experiences before Stranger Things.
After years of smaller roles, Millie landed the supernatural horror role of Eleven in Stranger Things in 2016, a part she would play for nearly a decade until the series concluded in late 2025.
Fan Reactions Reveal Surprise About Millie’s Past Work
In 2025, a Reddit post on an Alice in Wonderland fan forum shared screenshots of Millie’s debut as young Alice. Commenters were amazed to realize they had seen her before Stranger Things. One user said,
I watched that show and didn’t recognise that it was her! She looks so young!
Another posted,
I started [the show] yesterday and was like, ‘Is that Eleven?’. Then she spoke, and yep, 100 per cent.
Overcoming Early Challenges Before Major Breakthrough
Though her career started early, Millie nearly abandoned acting when she was just 10. In a 2022 interview, she recounted a difficult audition that left her in tears after a casting director told her she
wasn’t going to make it in the industry
. This discouragement almost led her to quit.
However, her parents urged her to try one more audition before giving up, which turned out to be the Stranger Things role. Millie shared,
My parents told me, ‘Just do this one last audition on tape, and then you can go outside and play with your friends again.’ So I said, ‘Okay, yeah, I should do this one because it looks cool.’
Securing the role of Eleven became a turning point that launched her rise to international fame.
Current and Upcoming Projects Extend Her Growing Legacy
More than a decade after Stranger Things debuted, Millie continues to thrive in her career. She is set to reprise her role as the lead in Enola Holmes 3, playing Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister. Additionally, she is involved as both star and executive producer in the upcoming Netflix series Prism, signaling her expanding influence behind the scenes.
Millie Bobby Brown’s early acting foundation, combined with her breakthrough role, illustrates a determined journey marked by perseverance and talent. As her career evolves, her story serves as a reminder that success often builds gradually, with determination playing a key role in overcoming setbacks and seizing opportunities.
