Irish Actress Amybeth McNulty Discusses Joining Stranger Things and Personal Journey on The Late Late Show

Irish actress Amybeth McNulty, aged 24 and originally from County Donegal, recently appeared on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show, where she described the past few years as ‘weird’ following her casting in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. She joined the show in its fourth season, portraying Vickie, a Hawkins High School student who becomes the girlfriend of Robin Buckley. McNulty, previously best known for starring as Anne Shirley in the acclaimed series Anne with an E, explained that being a longtime fan of Stranger Things aided her audition process, as she understood the show’s style and pacing. She recalled screaming and crying with joy upon receiving the role via phone call. Tragically, this was the last audition her parents knew about before their passing; she noted they had a strong positive feeling about it. Raised in Letterkenny by her Irish father and Canadian mother, McNulty moved to Canada at 14 for Anne with an E, crediting her retired parents for their immense support in relocating with her. She began her career with early roles, including in the 2014 RTÉ series Clean Break, and trained in ballet while participating in local theatre. McNulty also shared her experience growing up as a queer kid in Donegal, coming out as bisexual online at 16 or 17 amid some local negative reactions, which now motivates her to authentically portray such characters. She emphasized the importance of normalizing queer storylines in shows like Stranger Things, where they form a natural part of the narrative alongside supernatural elements set in the 1980s, aiming to represent and inspire young people similar to her younger self.