Millie Bobby Brown says she has a harder time connecting with people her own age, explaining that she grew up mainly around “men on crews” and adult talk from the film and TV world.
When Millie Bobby Brown hears a fan call her name. she can still freeze for a second—“Millie!”—and respond with a surprised “Aah!” But it’s not just celebrity nerves. On the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. the actress admitted she struggles to connect with people her own age after growing up around “primarily” men on crews.
The “Enola Holmes” star said the mismatch shows up most when she’s around kids and young peers. “I just don’t know how to react sometimes to people my own age,” she explained. “I have a harder time. Because I grew up with primarily men on crews, let’s change that.”
Brown added that she was often surrounded by 40-year-old men, which shaped the conversations she absorbed growing up. “So I heard a lot of adult talk growing up and didn’t really talk about the things you’re meant to talk about as a kid,” she said.
For her, that meant hearing industry talk more than normal childhood chatter. She recalled hearing phrases like. “Where’s the grip?” and “Let’s grab a ladder.” “So that’s your whole conversation. ” Brown said. “So I could talk to that person extensively for hours about different lens changes and shots. but I can’t talk about. you know. ‘Oh My god. what bars do you like around this area?’ I’m like. ‘I don’t know.’”.
The way she puts it, it wasn’t a lack of personality—it was what she was given to practice. Instead of milestones built around friends her age, she learned how to hold a different kind of conversation, one dominated by sets and production details.
Brown also made clear she’s working on changing that now. She said she’s trying to get into her “social era,” pointing to her husband Jake Bongiovi as an example. “Jake Bongiovi is the most social butterfly,” she said.
Brown married Bongiovi in May 2024. The couple welcomed a daughter via adoption the next year, sharing on Instagram at the time: “We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy.”
Her full “Happy Sad Confused” podcast interview is available to watch above.
Millie Bobby Brown Happy Sad Confused podcast Stranger Things Enola Holmes Jake Bongiovi social era child star adoption
so she grew up around men on crews and now she cant talk to kids? must be tough i guess.
I feel like this is just celebrity stuff. Like yeah she’s famous but everyone else had a normal childhood? Also “Where’s the grip” is so random lol.
Wait, didn’t she say she couldn’t relate to people her age because she was basically on sets 24/7?? That kinda sounds like an excuse to not have friends. But then she says she’s entering a “social era”?? Like girl what, you’re married already.
Not to be mean but I always think these child stars are weirdly isolated. Also the Jake Bongiovi part—wasn’t he already famous? Like if he’s a social butterfly then she should just copy that, right? My brain can’t decide if this is relatable or just PR talk. She freezing when someone says her name is literally what happens to me at the DMV though so… idk.