Pizzolo also tells PEOPLE which of her former ‘Stranger Things’ castmates she keeps in touch with the most
Credit: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty; John Lamparski/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Gabriella Pizzolo said Natalie Portman inspired her to pursue a psychology degree alongside music, calling it a “smart” alternative to studying drama
- The Stranger Things actress balanced filming with college life on campus, saying the experience helped her grow and meet people outside the industry
- Pizzolo also said she still keeps in touch with her former costars, especially Gaten Matarazzo
Stranger Things star Gabriella Pizzolo revealed that Natalie Portman inspired her to pursue a psychology degree.
Pizzolo, 23, who played fan-favorite Suzie Bingham on the Netflix sci-fi series, recently caught up exclusively with PEOPLE at the Broadway premiere of Beaches in New York City on April 22. During the conversation, the actress shared that she holds two college degrees.
“I have a degree in psychology and music,” she said, before sharing that Portman, 44, was the reason she chose to major in psychology.
Credit: Charley Gallay/Getty
“I remember I was looking for what to study, and I saw Natalie Portman studied psychology, and not necessarily anything in the world of drama,” Pizzolo said.
“And I was like, ‘That's actually really smart.' It's an alternative to drama and theater, but you still learn a lot about people and how they interact through that,” she explained.
Portman attended Harvard University from 1999 to 2003 while working on several Star Wars films in her off-time.
Pizzolo went on to say that she also continued her work as an actress while attending school.
“I was filming all the time at night and then going to school during the day. And I think the best part of that is that I didn't do it from home or anything. I was on campus,” she said.
Credit: Jim Smeal/WireImage
Pizzolo said that campus life helped open her up to people and experiences that she never would have encountered had she just stuck to acting.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I kind of got to get to know new people that I would've never known, and they kind of got to share all of that stuff with me while I was going out and doing those things,” she said.
Credit: Netflix
“I feel like it's a very Suzie track to go to school, and be in school while everyone else is out saving the world, doing their things, demogorgons, all that,” she added, referring to her brainy character on Stranger Things.
As for what she plans to do next?
“I feel like theater is where I am, and film and acting,” Pizzolo said. “But I feel like psychology helps a lot of actors.”
Pizzolo also told PEOPLE that she still keeps in touch with many of her former Stranger Things costars since the series ended — something which she says has “been great.”
“I have gotten to see the people from the show, and it's been great to get to reunite and go over everything after [the show ended], and be people together who aren't on the same show anymore, but still have that connection,” she explained.
She added that she and Gaten Matarazzo, who played her on-screen love interest Dustin on the series, “talk all the time.”
“He's doing a lot of theater now, so it's really, really exciting to get to see,” she said.
Read the full article here
