Stranger Things Star Fires Back at Criticisms About Her Look

Honestly, it’s hard not to talk about the appearances of the Stranger Things cast. Even though just a few years have passed between the show’s season one premiere and the fifth season, nearly a full decade has passed in the real world, and the kids who make up the main characters certainly wear every one of those years. The people who are supposed to be portraying high schoolers are in fact grown adults in their twenties, some married with children.

But if there’s one Stranger Things cast member whose appearance does not deserve any criticism or scrutiny, it’s that of Linda Hamilton, who plays new character Dr. Kay on the show. Like everyone else at age 69, Hamilton has wrinkles on her face, and she doesn’t hide them, even on screen. Speaking with AARP’s Movies for Grownups (via Hollywood Reporter), Hamilton defended that decision. “I do not spend a moment trying to look younger on any level, ever,” she declared. “I have just completely surrendered to the fact that this is the face that I’ve earned.” 

Stranger Things isn’t the first time that Hamilton’s appearance has been a topic of conversation. The star famously impressed viewers when she revealed her muscled body for Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Yet, even then, it was an appearance she earned, working hard to truthly portray Sarah Connor in that moment of the character’s life. After the events of the first Terminator film, in which she had to survive an attack by a robot from the future (Arnold Schwarzenegger) come to kill her, Sarah can no longer be the carefree waitress she was. Whether captured in an insane asylum or hiding in the Mexican desert, she has become a warrior, ready to do whatever is needed to stop Judgement Day.

Sarah Connor may be Hamilton’s most famous genre role, but it’s hardly the last. In addition to appearances in the Stephen King movie Children of the Corn and the disaster flick Dante’s Peak, Hamilton earned praise for her portrayal of Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, alongside Ron Perlman as a gentle monster. Since then, Hamilton has been a pleasant surprise in numerous genre shows ready to pay homage to her excellent work, putting in guest appearances on Chuck and Resident Alien.

Hamilton’s Stranger Things part stems from that impressive resume. She joins the show for its fifth and final season, which means that we still know little about her part. But from the trailers, we can tell that Dr. Kay will be involved with the government research into the Upside Down being done in Hawkins, which likely means that she’ll be facing down Vecna.

To stay fit for the part, Hamilton said she goes to the gym three times a week. “It was Pilates, it was yoga, a lot of free weights, machines, cables, everything,” she explained. “And I kind of love that: to go in and not have a chest and back day, but just have a ‘what do you need to loosen up and stretch out today.’”

In short, Linda Hamilton looks amazing and clearly works hard to look that way, and only a fool would disagree.

Stranger Things season 5 debuts on Netflix at 8 p.m. ET on November 26.