In Stranger Things 5, Episode 7, “The Bridge,” Will Byers opens up to the group in one of the series’ most intimate moments yet — he comes out to his friends and family. 

It’s a scene the Duffer Brothers have been carefully building toward for years. “We probably spent longer writing that scene than any scene we’ve written before,” says Matt Duffer. “We knew we had to get it right.” 

For actor Noah Schnapp, the moment was incredibly personal. “I cried to myself reading it,” Schnapp says in the video above. “I remember texting the Duffers, ‘What a beautiful scene you guys wrote.’ This felt really genuine to my experience.” 

Watch the full video to see Schnapp discuss how he prepared for the scene, learn the advice he got from castmate Maya Hawke, and hear how this moment relates to his own coming-out journey.

Stream the first seven episodes of Stranger Things 5 now, and then tune in for The Finale on New Year’s Eve at 5 p.m. PT. Find out when the last episode arrives in your part of the world here.