Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Episode: Gaten Matarazzo — Saying Goodbye to ‘Stranger Things’ and Growing Into Himself

Release Date: November 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively, candid episode, Jesse Tyler Ferguson welcomes actor and Broadway talent Gaten Matarazzo (best known as Dustin Henderson on Stranger Things) for a meal at Lure Fishbar in SoHo, NYC. Together, they share laughs and dig into the realities of growing up on camera and stage, saying farewell to beloved projects, and embracing vulnerabilities, uniqueness, and new chapters. Gaten opens up about early theater days, his big break (including bombing his original Stranger Things audition), life with a rare genetic condition, and his long-term relationship with his high school sweetheart—all with his signature warmth and wit.

Key Discussion Points

1. Food, Setting, and Theater Ice-Breakers (03:21–15:00)

• Setting: The intimate atmosphere of Lure Fishbar sets the stage—Jesse describes the restaurant as “boarding a yacht that just happens to be serving some of the best seafood in New York City” (04:10).
• Broadway Beginnings: Both compare high school musical theater experiences, reminiscing about shows like The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Les Misérables. Jesse lovingly mocks his own earnest Phantom of the Opera-inspired senior photos (10:10).
• Audition Anecdotes: Hilarious stories about cell phones going off at the theater, including Jesse’s near-disaster during a Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald opera (06:25).

2. Childhood, Family, and Balancing School with Acting (18:34–22:25)

• Childhood in New Jersey:
  Gaten recounts navigating school alongside theater gigs. “I commuted every day from South Jersey, which was like a two hour drive. To make the 7 o’clock shows I’d have to leave school like half an hour early... I was getting home at 1:30 a.m.” (19:35)
• Family Dynamics:
  Classmates teased, but mostly in a supportive, familiar way.
• Choosing School Over Stage:
  Gaten’s family prioritized academics when theater commitments became overwhelming, only for the opportunity with Stranger Things to arrive unexpectedly:

  “Anytime the conversation came up about ending the run or taking a break... it was so frustrating... And then a month later, the audition for Stranger Things came through.” (21:18)

3. Booking—and Bombing—His “Stranger Things” Audition (22:48–26:55)

• 1980s Nostalgia:
  Jesse, a self-admitted “kid of the 80s,” marvels at how the Stranger Things cast embodied the era’s spirit, while Gaten credits his parents for raising him on classics like E.T., The Goonies, and Stand by Me:

  “My dad, specifically, was locked into the idea of me watching all the stuff he grew up watching...” (23:35)

• The Audition Process:
  • The boys auditioned for multiple roles, shuffling characters before landing final castings.
  • Gaten admits:

    “I butchered my first audition. It was terrible. It was the worst audition.” (24:53)
    He blanked on lines, kept looking down at his script, and was convinced he blew his shot—yet still scored a callback.

  • Insight from casting: “‘It just clicked… We knew we wanted you back after that one.’” (25:26)

4. Insecurities, Uniqueness, and Living with Cleidocranial Dysplasia (36:08–41:12)

• Building Community from Representation:
  After Stranger Things wove his rare condition into the story, Gaten became a “beacon” for others:

  “…since the show has come out, people… saw this show and there’s this kid who has this and I do too… it was the first kind of beacon that people could use as like a reference point.” (37:45)

  • Helped co-found CCD Smiles to support and unite those with the condition.
  • “I always thought of it as a defining trait that I was excited to talk about.” (38:43)
• Role Model Mentality:
  Jesse praises Gaten’s openness; Gaten reflects on how children approach difference with curiosity and connection, while adults tend to tread more carefully:

  “Adults are so hyper fixated on saying the right thing... Kids will always be like, ‘You wanna be my friend?’” (41:48)

5. Saying Goodbye to “Stranger Things” and Navigating Change (42:23–46:58)

• Final Day Reflections:
  Gaten and Jesse bond over the bittersweet graduation-like feel of ending a long series.

  “It didn’t feel like a day on set... It felt more like a press event than anything else.” (42:41) “It felt like a funeral in a weird way... where people showed up that you hadn't seen in, like, forever.” (42:48)

  • A grounding highlight: original parents and families invited to the last day; “It was like the craziest kind of, like, grounding experience ever... being able to go back over and... give my mom a hug like I usually would after takes.” (43:27)
• Pandemic and Change:
  Jesse describes his own Modern Family finale, which wrapped just as COVID lockdowns hit, leaving closure to unfold virtually.

6. What Comes Next: New Chapters, Friendship, and Consistency (46:58–49:14)

• Looking Forward:
  After such a formative decade, Gaten’s priority for post-Stranger Things life is “consistency… I would love to step on stage consistently as much as I can.” (48:05)
• Off-camera Life and Roommates:
  Hilarious tales of messy living with Finn Wolfhard in Atlanta (“This place is disgusting—what are we doing?”) and dodging friends visiting their apartment due to the mess (34:15).
  • “Sometimes that kind of [living together] could ruin friendships… but it was great.” (35:40)
• Media Attention:
  Amusing anecdote about being photographed apartment-hunting with Finn, cropping out Gaten’s girlfriend and recreating a Jason Bateman/Will Arnett moment for the paparazzi (48:28).

7. Long-Term Love and Relatable Relationship Moments (49:26–51:55)

• High School Sweethearts:
  Gaten celebrates his nearly seven-year relationship with girlfriend Lizzy since they were both teenagers:

  “We’ve been together since we were 15... It just did for us. We just thrived in the distance, which is hard to do.” (49:32–49:50)

  • Supportive and independent: “She’s like, do not talk me to me about it [acting advice]... Don’t make choices.” (51:12)
  • Jesse relates: “My husband is so judgy, anytime he helps with an audition, he’s like, ‘Is that how you’re going to do it?’” (51:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jesse on high school theater props:

  “I brought a Phantom of the Opera mask… so earnest and so serious, and I really was taking myself very seriously.” (10:36)

• Gaten on his unique graduation quote:

  “I went with ‘opportunity is not a lengthy visitor’ from Into the Woods...I knew it was bad then and I went with it anyway.” (11:05)

• Gaten on the bonding power of difference:

  “There was such a hunger for it [community]...something that nobody had ever expected to experience.” (37:59)

• On letting go of a show:

  “It was a weird day… It felt like a graduation.” (44:58)

• On youthful vulnerability:

  “When you’re 7, you don’t care...as I got older and it became more noticeable...I started to get more self conscious even after I finished Stranger Things, and that was weird to grapple with.” (25:56)

• On living with Finn Wolfhard:

  “This place is disgusting. What are we doing?” (33:25)
  “Sometimes that kind of [living together] could ruin friendships… but it was great.” (35:40)

• On love and acting:

  “When we do tape... she’s like, do not look at me, turn around and read at the wall. Don’t make choices.” (51:12)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:21 – Opening banter, high school theater, and food ordering
• 18:34 – Gaten’s school life and balancing Broadway
• 21:27 – Landing the Stranger Things audition
• 24:53 – Bombing the audition and still getting the callback
• 36:08 – Gaten opens up about cleidocranial dysplasia and advocacy
• 42:23 – Memories and feelings around the series finale
• 46:58 – Adjusting to post-show life and future hopes
• 49:26 – Gaten on his relationship and growing together

Tone & Atmosphere

Warm, funny, down-to-earth, and occasionally vulnerable. Both Jesse and Gaten mesh theater kid energy with thoughtful reflection and easy teasing. Authentic moments of self-deprecation and gratitude run through the entire chat.

Summary Takeaway

This episode delivers a heartfelt, behind-the-scenes look at what it means to grow up famous—but also simply to grow up. Gaten’s relatable humor and honesty (paired with Jesse’s own experiences) highlight the universal feelings of uncertainty, excitement, and gratitude that come with leaving one chapter and embarking on another. Both men encourage embracing your differences, seeking consistency, and finding connection—in love, friendship, or a community of your own making.