Millie Bobby Brown

The first time I met Millie Bobby Brown was inside an ice cream shop. My wife and I had superfanned her, like most of the public did when they first saw her onscreen in Stranger Things. We asked if she wanted to meet up, and she said yes. We screamed. We picked a little ice cream shop in New York City, and then, suddenly, we were all together.

The moment we started speaking, I realized we were in the wrong setting. I had thought, Oh, she’s 12, let’s get ice cream. No. She may have been 12 in years, but her spirit and mind were timeless. A wise woman was speaking from her cherubic face. It was like speaking to a future mentor with a perspective and groundedness that I could only have dreamed of at that age. Or at any age, if I’m being honest.

Maybe that’s why she’s such an extraordinary actor. She somehow understands the human experience as if she has lived it for a thousand years. I’m proud to know her. To call her a friend. To call her my adopted daughter.

Paul is an Emmy-winning actor