Gaten Matarazzo Biography

(Best Known for Playing ‘Dustin Henderson’ in the Netflix Hit Series ‘Stranger Things’)

Birthday: September 8, 2002 (Virgo)

Born In: Connecticut, United States

Gaten Matarazzo is an American actor, best known for his excellent portrayal of Dustin Henderson in the Netflix web series ‘Stranger Things’. Inducted into the entertainment industry at a young age, he has portrayed several roles in theatre and television series until now. Though he is still very young, he has already done several noteworthy performances in television shows like ‘Prank Encounters’ and ‘Nickelodeon's Unfiltered.’ He has also starred in films like ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2,’ ‘Honor Society,’ and ‘My Father's Dragon.’ Gaten Matarazzo is afflicted with a rare condition called cleidocranial dysplasia which he has talked about on several platforms. He has also shared that he had been rejected from several acting roles for around two years owing to his disability. Gaten Matarazzo is active on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Gaetano John Matarazzo III

Age: 22 Years, 22 Year Old Males

Family:

father: Gaten Matarazzo Sr.

mother: Heather Matarazzo

siblings: Carmen Matarazzo, Sabrina Matarazzo

Born Country: United States

Actors American Men

Ancestry: Italian American

Diseases & Disabilities: Cleidocranial Dysplasia, Pinelands Regional High School

U.S. State: Connecticut

  • 1

    Is Gaten Matarazzo related to any other actors?

    Yes, Gaten Matarazzo is related to Heather Matarazzo, who is also an actress known for her roles in movies like "The Princess Diaries" and "Welcome to the Dollhouse."
  • 2

    Has Gaten Matarazzo ever appeared in any Broadway productions?

    Yes, Gaten Matarazzo made his Broadway debut in 2011 in the musical "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" and later appeared in "Les Misérables" in 2014.
  • 3

    Does Gaten Matarazzo have any hidden talents?

    Yes, in addition to acting, Gaten Matarazzo is also a talented singer and has showcased his vocal abilities in various performances and events.
  • 4

    What charity work is Gaten Matarazzo involved in?

    Gaten Matarazzo is actively involved in raising awareness about cleidocranial dysplasia, a condition he was born with, and has partnered with various organizations to support those affected by the condition.
  • 5

    Has Gaten Matarazzo ever done voice acting for animated films?

    Yes, Gaten Matarazzo has lent his voice to animated films such as "The Angry Birds Movie 2" where he voiced the character of Bubba.
Career

Gaten Matarazzo began his career in the acting industry with Broadway performances at a young age. In 2011, he portrayed the character of Benjamin in the Broadway musical ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ at the Palace Theatre. In 2014, he played the character ‘Gavroche / Petit Gervais’ in the Broadway musical ‘Les Misérables’ which was staged at Imperial Theatre. The following year he was cast in an episode of the crime thriller television series ‘The Finn’. In 2016, he joined the cast of the science fiction-horror web series ‘Stranger Things’ as Dustin Henderson. His performance in the show earned him the ‘Screen Actors Guild Award’ and ‘Shorty Award.’ He is all set to reprise his role as Dustin Henderson in the upcoming fifth season of the series. Gaten has also appeared in television series and shows such as ‘Ridiculousness’ (2017), ‘Lip Sync Battle’ (2017), ‘Drop the Mic’ (2018), ‘Prank Encounters’ (2019-2021), ‘Nickelodeon's Unfiltered’ (2021), and ‘Waffles and Mochi’ (2021).

Gaten Matarazzo made his silver screen debut in the 2019 computer-animated action comedy film ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ where he voiced ‘Bubba.’ The film opened to a positive reception and grossed over $152.8 million at the box office. In 2022, he starred as ‘Michael Dipnicky’ in the Oran Zegman-directed coming-of-age comedy film ‘Honor Society.’ The film garnered praise from critics, earning an 85% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes. That same year, he also voiced ‘Boris the Dragon’ in the 2D-animated fantasy adventure film ‘My Father's Dragon’ directed by Nora Twomey. The film was released on Netflix and received a positive response from critics.

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Spreading Awareness About Cleidocranial Dysplasia

Gaten Matarazzo has revealed on several occasions that he is afflicted with a rare genetic disorder known as ‘Cleidocranial dysplasia’. The condition affects the overall facial, skull, and teeth development. Gaten was born without collar bones and still has his baby teeth, which causes him to speak with a lisp. While generally this disease is passed through genes, his case is considered a non-genetic and mild one. He believes that sharing his knowledge and experience about the condition will help build awareness and confidence among persons affected by this condition. In his hit project ‘Stranger Things,’ his character was affected by the same health condition.

Personal Life

Gaten Matarazzo was born on September 8, 2002, in New Jersey, USA to Heather Matarazzo and Gaten Matarazzo Sr. He has two siblings, Carmen Matarazzo, and Sabrina Matarazzo. His siblings have acted in television commercials as well. His mother, Heather, has been supportive of the artistic inclination of all her children and makes an effort to encourage them to pursue performing arts. She calls herself ‘Broadway stage mom’ on Twitter and has been instrumental in shaping Gaten’s career in acting. During his initial school days, Gaten used to travel regularly between New Jersey and New York City for his Broadway performances. Gaten Matarazzo has mentioned that he was inspired to enter into musical theatre by his sister Sabrina, who is a singer and actress.

In 2018, Gaten Matarazzo started dating Instagram Lizzy Yu. He has a pet dog.

Facts About Gaten Matarazzo
Gaten Matarazzo is not only a talented actor but also a skilled musician, playing the guitar and singing in a band called Work in Progress.
Despite his fame, Gaten remains down-to-earth and often uses his platform to raise awareness about cleidocranial dysplasia, a condition he was born with that affects the development of bones and teeth.
In addition to his work in the entertainment industry, Gaten is passionate about giving back to the community and has been involved in various charitable initiatives, including fundraising for organizations supporting individuals with disabilities.
Gaten is known for his sense of humor and love of comedy, often posting funny videos and memes on his social media accounts to entertain his fans.
Outside of his acting career, Gaten has expressed an interest in pursuing a career in film production and hopes to one day work behind the camera as a director or producer.

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Article Title
- Gaten Matarazzo Biography
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- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/gaten-matarazzo-32665.php

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