Millie Bobby Brown's Candid Quotes About Growing Up Famous

She’s not a kid anymore! Millie Bobby Brown has opened up about growing up in the public eye after stepping onto the Hollywood scene as a kid.

“I’m only 17, but at the end of the day, I’m learning to be a woman. I’m learning to be a young woman, being a young girl, people watch you grow up, right?” the Stranger Things star explained during an March 2021 interview with MTV. “And they’ve almost become invested in your growth and your journey. But they aren’t ready to accept the fact that you’re growing up.”

At 13, the British actress made headlines after becoming the youngest star nominated for the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Now, years later, she finally has her driver’s license and isn’t just Netflix’s breakout star anymore.

“I wear a crop top and people are like, ‘She’s 10.’ I’m like, ‘No … I am 17.’ That’s a thing that girls do. Or I wear high heels. Or I wear an outfit to an award show and they’re like, ‘She looks 50.’ No, it’s because you’ve watched me since I was 10. That’s why you think that,” she said. “That’s what, I think, I’ve found has been most difficult. The transitioning period. They’re not accepting it and I’ve completely accepted it.”

Millie explained that sometimes she feels like she has “50 million people like my parents,” whereas in reality her parents are totally on board with the brunette beauty growing up. “My parents are like, ‘Yay! Thank god. You’re 17.’ Like, ‘Put on a pair of high heels. Let’s go!'” she joked.

While she does plan to finish out her time on Stranger Things as the show’s main character Eleven, Millie has also nabbed roles in a bunch of major movies like Godzilla vs. Kong and 2020’s fan-favorite flick Enola Holmes. “What you’re watching is a young girl trying to find herself in hectic chaos that she doesn’t really know how to handle, but that’s just kind of life in general for a teenage girl,” the star told USA Today in June 2020 about the movie, which won Millie a Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress.

“I’ve been really lucky to know that I want to be an actor,” the talented teen told Glamour U.K. in August 2020. “I think Enola Holmes also taught me that being with yourself, being your own biggest critic, being your own biggest support team is so important, too. I rely on myself to give myself self-love, because that’s just literally the only way I can.”

Scroll through our gallery to read Millie’s most candid quote about growing up famous.

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Mature for Her Age

When she was 10 years old, Millie said she was told she was “too mature.”

“I always knew that I was mature and I couldn’t really help that,” Millie told Allure in August 2022. “Going back to what I said earlier about being kind of very lonely in who I was and feeling like no one was quite like me in school and no one was as mature as I was, [hearing that] was really hard because I thought [maturity] was a good thing. And then being told that it wasn’t, that I wouldn’t make it in this industry, it was so hurtful.”

Dealing With Normal Issues

“I deal with the same things any 18-year-old is dealing with, navigating being an adult and having relationships and friendships, and it’s all of those things,” she shared while appearing on “The Guilty Feminist” podcast in April 2022. “Being liked and trying to fit in, it’s all a lot, and you’re trying to find yourself while doing that. The only difference is that obviously, I’m doing that in the public eye.”

Turning 18

“I’m really excited to experiment with red lipstick,” Millie told Bustle in February 2022. “I’ve always stayed away from bolder looks because I’m quite young. But as I turn 18, I’m looking forward to wearing a statement lip and bolder beauty looks. I’m excited to be bolder in the projects I choose and in my personal life, too. I’m really excited about this year and what it has to offer [beauty brand] Florence [by Mills]. And myself.”

Staying Private

“I keep most things private in my life,” she also told Glamour U.K. “Personally, I struggle with anxiety and in some ways, this has hindered [fame]. When I’m having a bad day or I’m feeling very anxious, some things like when people say, ‘Oh, you looked bad at this award show because you looked like this or you looked like that,’ those things make me a little bit more anxious and that hinders me a little bit more.”

The Challenges

“I’ve grown up in the public eye and, at times, it can be very challenging. As I’m working and doing what I love, I’m still finding myself, so having lots of people watch and criticize that can be overwhelming,” the Netflix star said during a September 2020 interview with British Vogue. “But this experience changed my perspective. It helped me to not be afraid. [Enola Holmes] gave me the strength to say: ‘I’m putting myself first in every situation.’”

Confidence Is Key

“When I was 10 and in the industry, I was very confident and didn’t care what people would say about me. But recently at 15, I started having bad panic attacks and anxiety and I struggled with it and still do,” Millie told Miley Cyrus during a “Bright Minded” episode from March 2020. “It’s getting better. I’m working on it. I’m not as care free as I was at age 10. A lot of people have more to say about me. There’s a lot of good and bad.”

Working Hard

“At the end of the day, I say if I’m doing my best, it’s all I can give you, and if you can’t take it then that’s your problem,” Millie told Harper’s Bazaar in November 2019. “As long as I give my best, and I know I’m centered and know what I’m doing, then that’s all that matters. I’m still learning a bit about that.”

Speaking OutGetting Older! Millie Bobby Brown’s Most Candid Quotes About Growing Up in the Public Eye