Key Highlights
- Charlie Heaton’s son Archie is starting to watch his father’s hit show, “Stranger Things.”
- The actor shared this information at the Industry premiere for season 4.
- Heaton and Akiko Matsuura welcomed their son Archie in 2014.
- Heaton has been keeping his family life private, including his son’s presence on social media.
The “Stranger Things” Dad Dives into Fatherhood
Charlie Heaton, the star of Netflix’s hit series “Stranger Things,” is sharing a new milestone with fans: his young son Archie is finally getting interested in his dad’s show. Speaking at the Industry premiere for season 4, Heaton revealed that his 13-year-old son has “just started getting into” Stranger Things.
“He has just started getting into it,” Heaton told PEOPLE. “He got to come to set last year and that was really cool.”
A Family of Actors
The revelation comes as no surprise, given the entertainment industry background of both Charlie Heaton and his ex-partner Akiko Matsuura. The pair welcomed their son Archie in 2014, a time when Matsuura was also starring in her own TV projects.
“That’s a big thing,” Heaton noted about raising a child while working in the industry. “You want to give them good experiences and a lot of love and the hard part obviously is distance. But that’s part of the sacrifice.”
Maintaining Privacy
For 11 years now, Heaton has managed to keep his family life out of the spotlight. Archie has not appeared in any photos or details about his personal life on social media or in interviews. This decision reflects Heaton’s overall approach to privacy, both during his relationship with Matsuura and since moving on.
“We didn’t really know what the relationship was,” Heaton told GQ in February 2020 of keeping their romance private at the time. “The caginess, anyway, might have been unnecessary.”
The Evolving Role
Stranger Things fans have watched Jonathan Byers, the character played by Heaton, grow from a teenager to an adult over the show’s five seasons. Similarly, Heaton has had to navigate his own role as a father while maintaining his career in Hollywood.
“Being a young father, you have to grow up very fast,” he shared with Wonderland Magazine ahead of season 5. “You have to also learn ethical priorities, too, and you’ve got to look after somebody.”
This blend of personal growth and professional commitments makes Heaton’s journey unique among the show’s cast members, adding depth to both his on-screen character and real-life persona.
