Gaten Matarazzo joined Cheddar News from the Nintendo store in NYC to talk about season four of 'Stranger Things' and his preparation for Broadway's 'Dear Evan Hansen.' Matarazzo is also teaming up with Nintendo to pitch the 'Mario Strikers Battle League' and 'Nintendo Switch Sports' games for the iconic brand. “My first console ever, the first time I ever got into video games was the Wii, and so from then on it was just, I was just locked in, and 'Nintendo's Switch Sports' is really cool," he said. "I mean if you like 'Wii Sports,' it's gonna basically satisfy you completely because it just expands upon it so wonderfully."

Between Bells

Gaten Matarazzo on 'Stranger Things' 4, 'Evan Hansen,' and Nintendo Faves

Hello Friends Welcome back to Between Bells and baker Machado. You've seen our next guest literally grow up right in front of our eyes. We're talking about actor and netflix star of Stranger Things Gate Matarazzo, the 19 year old is keeping busy with various upcoming projects and he's even teaming up with Nintendo that to share his love of gaming with the entire world. Now earlier I sat down with the Star all to talk about his love for video games and season four of Stranger Things watch this. I think I'm always shocked at how how excited people usually get about the show and uh how much love there is about it. It's always incredible. Uh photos look cool. You know, I'm not at all shocked with the ones they picked. I think there definitely really cool look into it, but they don't spoil too much at all, which is fun. Do you kind of love it that everybody sort of just waiting for these episodes to drop and you're just like, yeah, it's my favorite thing in the world. People always ask for spoilers. I'm like I don't ever want to give spoilers. It's so much fun having secrets. So fans obviously I've seen you grow up on this show and have watched your character really come into its own. In what ways do you feel like Dustin really has grown this last year? I think he just feels a little more confident in himself, You know, he's focusing a little bit less on being accepted and liked by other people and more making sure that he appreciates himself and who he is and stays true to that instead of sacrificing himself for the sake of others, which is cool and it's, it's something that a lot of younger people, especially freshmen in high school, don't usually get to have all that much. So it's fun. It's also so weird to sort of see you grow with this role as well. Has it been strange to grow up with this character? Yeah, of course it has. I mean, I've been doing the show since I was 13 and it has been just of course a whirlwind, crazy, crazy ride and I've loved it now, I know you won't give any way anything, but if there were three words, maybe you could describe part two of season four, what would you say happens? What if she happens girl man, I can't say anything. Even in three words. Even in three words, you can't even just be like, it is crazy! It's it is crazy. Okay, I did it for you. All right. So by the way, you're also getting back to broadway, you're starting enhancing this summer, which by the way, one of the best musicals ever, I cry every time I watch it, you're playing Jared Kleinman, what's it like joining such an iconic production at this time? It's wonderful. The show has meant so much to me over the course of my time enjoying it, which has been since the beginning of its run. I've seen it many times uh and to be able to be a part of it is just wonderful. Uh, this summer is going to be one of the best of my life, I can imagine. And it's just great getting back into it. And of course, the fear of it all of going back into something like that is, is getting stronger by the day before I get into rehearsals. But just pure gratitude and excitement. And it's being part of that show specifically because it's surreal. Well, let's talk about rehearsals because rehearsals are intense. They are how it's been like sort of preparing for this role, especially since it's a musical because it's, it's a lot of work here. Yeah, it's a lot of work going into it. I think just continuing vocal training and stuff. I haven't sang consistently in a show like this since before my voice change. And that's where the biggest issue. I used to do it all the time. And uh, as I transitioned into into film with stranger Things, it was not as much of a priority. So getting back into it. It's a lot of reminders about technique and all that jazz and on top of that, there's not a lot of time really before the run starts when you start rehearsing. I only have about around three weeks of rehearsals before we, before we open. Well, you, by the way, No Stranger to broadway. I mean, you've done this before 2011. You and Priscilla, the Queen of the desert you're in Layton is back in 2014. What's, what's your favorite part performing on stage? What do you really enjoy about it? I don't know honestly. It's hard to say. A lot of people assume it might be the adrenaline or just the, uh, a lot of that. I think it's like the instant gratification of an audience there. But really it isn't, it's kind of weirdly enough, it's the schedule of it in a weird way like doing eight shows a week in a scheduled time, which, you know, it's going to happen, telling a story from start to finish every night. You get the gratification of, of opening of starting a production and finishing it every single day. And I feel like I noticed that every time I do a show long term I become so close with the people I'm working with so rapidly and so intensely. It's wonderful. So as your fans will know. And by the way, we can see this from the background that you're in right now. You are a video game fanatic. You're teaming up with Nintendo. You're announcing the release of Mario strikers Battle League and the new Nintendo switch sports. So what do you love the most about these games? Okay. I'm so stoked to be here and that like Nintendo wanted to work with me at all. And once they approached I was like, yes, 100%. That's amazing. My first consul ever, the first time I ever got into video games was the we and so from then on it was just, I was just locked in and Nintendo's from sports is really cool. I mean if you like sports it's gonna basically satisfy completely because it just expands upon it so wonderfully. Uh my favorite is actually tennis and what's great about it is that like now there's a lot more challenge to it. I think it's a lot harder than, than I expected to be, I take pride and I think I'm pretty good at video games, but this is made me realize that I am not as good as, I highly doubt that by the way, but for viewers who may be like unfamiliar about this Mario strikers Battle League, this is the third game in the Mario strikers series, I mean, I know you said you're not good at this, but I'm curious what are some tips maybe tricks for winning a lot of these matches. Um patients I realized when I first started playing Mario strikers Battle League, I was not great at it initially and it only took me a couple of times to kind of get into it and I think it's good to know how you're going to play because what's great is that each character have a specific strategy for weaknesses, like if you're playing his toad, you're gonna be a little bit more speedy but you're not gonna have as much strength So if you like to dart around and not be like a big tank character, which is really cool because sometimes characters are just for like the aesthetic of it and here's the reason to play as each, I usually mean as Yoshi, which is cool, kind of a jack of all trades vibe with a bit more emphasis on passing and shooting, which is fun and it's kind of what you want to do. It's basically soccer. Okay, that's easy. By the way, it's like you're emerging FIFA and Mario Kart almost together. It's like the best things together. Okay, while we have just a few little time left with you and we do want to play a little rapid fire game with you for this interview, Do you remember the very first game you ever played? Yeah, that was the first game I ever played because it came with the week. Oh, interesting. Okay, what is the one game that always puts you in a really good mood? Ah, Legend of Zelda breath of the interesting, interesting. Okay, for any of the, any of those elders, I mean he's right links right there. Is there a reason why I put you in such a good mood? Nostalgia? I guess it's one of the first games I played that that kind of got me into like really trying to like get a video game that wasn't just for like passing time, it was when I like invested in for the first time. Okay, okay, okay. What is your favorite hyper strike move in Mario strikers? Battle league Bowser's just classic, you know what, it's just a fireball, it's just a big fireball that you just get to chuck in a person and that's final, final one, Gaitan favorite Nintendo character of all time. Who is it? Link or Kirby. Oh, interesting. My total process really? Yeah. Total princess. Always always the fastest to in Mario kart, of course, exactly. For Mario kart and of course the one and only actor which of course you can watch on Stranger Things right now.