Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 2002-09-08
- Born Place: New London, Connecticut, USA
Also Known As:
Gaten John Matarazzo III, Gaetano John "Gaten" Matarazzo III
Gaten Matarazzo
Born on September 8, 2002, in New London, Connecticut, and raised in Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, Gaetano John "Gaten" Matarazzo III is a celebrated American actor and singer who has successfully transitioned from a Broadway child star to a global television icon. Matarazzo began his professional journey at age eight, performing in high-profile Broadway productions such as Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Les Misérables. However, his life changed permanently in 2016 when he was cast as the lovable and highly intelligent Dustin Henderson in the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things. His performance has been a cornerstone of the series, earning him several awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Beyond Hawkins, Matarazzo has showcased his versatility by hosting and executive producing the Netflix prank show Prank Encounters, voicing characters in major animated features like The Angry Birds Movie 2 and My Father's Dragon, and returning to his theatrical roots with starring roles in Dear Evan Hansen and the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd. Matarazzo is equally well known for his advocacy and openness regarding cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD), a rare genetic condition that affects the development of bones and teeth. Born without collarbones and having undergone multiple complex oral surgeries to manage his dental development, Matarazzo has used his platform to educate the public, even working with the show's creators to incorporate CCD into Dustin’s character. He co-founded the non-profit organization CCD Smiles to help families cover the high costs of specialized dental and medical care associated with the condition and has even visited Capitol Hill to advocate for the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA). His journey from a young actor who was told his condition might prevent him from finding roles to a leading man who embraces his unique appearance has made him a powerful symbol of authenticity in Hollywood. As of 2026, Gaten has officially closed the chapter on Stranger Things with the release of the final season and the behind-the-scenes documentary One Last Adventure. In the final episodes, his portrayal of Dustin took on a more somber and complex tone as the character navigated intense grief, leading to what Matarazzo described as a "bone-deep" emotional reconciliation with his on-screen mentor, Steve Harrington. Looking forward, Matarazzo is expanding his career into "edgier" and more diverse projects, including a voice role as the piglet Lucky in Andy Serkis's adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm, set for release in May 2026. He is also set to executive produce and star in an untitled Hulu comedy. Personally, he remains in a long-term relationship with actress Elizabeth Yu and continues to balance his Hollywood success with a grounded life, famously recalling the "college-like" chaos of sharing a messy apartment with co-star Finn Wolfhard during their final year of production.
