Bizarre way Aussie Stranger Things star avoids the limelight

Dacre Montgomery may bring the nasty heartthrob Billy Hargrove to life with uncanny ease on Stranger Things, but it turns out the Aussie actor wants nothing less than the bright lights of fame.

Within two years of first cracking Hollywood, the 24-year-old has landed a leading role in both 2017’s Power Rangers reboot, and one of the world’s biggest series, Stranger Things.

Scared of the Stranger Things fame

Speaking to Yahoo Lifestyle, the Perth-born actor revealed he got a kind of ‘whiplash’ from the accelerated rise, and had a surprising reaction to news of his big break.

“When I first got Power Rangers I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to lose my anonymity’,” he admits.

“I had a total kind of moment of freaking out and a realisation that I didn’t really want a public version of my life that was constructed for a public audience.”

That said, the actor has just shy of two million followers on Instagram, and the upcoming Stranger Things 3 sees him take on a far more central, and captivating role.

Speaking about the third season of the cult hit, he explained he drew on a turbulent past of being bullied, and observation of bullies, to bring the darkly fascinating character to life.

“It’s a combination of all of that stuff and trying to funnel it into my performance,” he tells us.

“Rather than trying to play an evil character I’m just trying to play a human being.”

And he’s maybe done it a little too well, with the actor’s performances so far gaining him enough fame that he feels compelled to dodge the spotlight in an unorthodox way.

‘You crave normalcy’

With co-stars including Winona Ryder and Millie Bobbie-Brown, celebrity was never going to be far away, but he has a few tricks up his sleeve that come in handy when passing through a crowd.

It turns out the actor has taken to donning a disguise or two to keep the recognition at bay.

“I don’t wear a face mask or anything, I think I’d probably stand out more... in the street if I was wearing one” he laughs.

“I’m just trying to conceal as much of my face as I can, and grow out a beard and just try to blend in you know.”

He says it’s the only way he stays sane in the midst of the mayhem.

“Trying to keep a little anonymity in my life is really important for me - well for anyone - for your sanity,” he says.

Now with Stranger Things 3 around the corner, Dacre Montgomery is about to hit an all-time high, and might just need that ski mask after all.

Stranger Things 3 premieres in Australia on July 4th.

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