If you are a fan of Stranger Things, you might have wondered if Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin Henderson on the show, is related to Heather Matarazzo, the actress who played Lilly Moscovitz in The Princess Diaries. They share the same last name and both have acting careers, so it seems plausible that they could be mother and son, right? Well, not exactly. Here’s the truth behind the rumors.
Who is Heather Matarazzo?
Heather Matarazzo is an American actress who rose to fame for her role as Dawn Wiener in the 1995 film Welcome to the Dollhouse. She also starred as Lilly Moscovitz, the best friend of Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) in The Princess Diaries (2001) and its sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). She has appeared in other films and TV shows, such as Scream 3 (2000), Saved! (2004), Grey’s Anatomy (2015), and The L Word: Generation Q (2020).
Heather Matarazzo is not related to Gaten Matarazzo, the actor who plays Dustin on Stranger Things. She has clarified this several times on social media and in interviews, saying that he is not her son and that they have never met. According to J-14, she tweeted in 2016, “We are not related. He is NOT my son, though he is adorable and such a good actor.” She also posted a TikTok video in July 2022, writing, “I adore #gatenmatarazzo but he is NOT my son.”
Who is Gaten Matarazzo?
Gaten Matarazzo is an American actor who gained recognition for his role as Dustin Henderson on the Netflix sci-fi horror series Stranger Things. He has been part of the show since its first season in 2016 and has received several awards and nominations for his performance. He also hosted the Netflix hidden camera show Prank Encounters from 2019 to 2021.
Gaten Matarazzo started his career on Broadway, playing Benjamin in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (2011-12) and Gavroche in Les Misérables (2014-15). He made his screen debut in an episode of The Blacklist in 2015. He has also appeared in music videos, reality shows, and animated films, such as Hump (2022) and My Father’s Dragon (2022).
Gaten Matarazzo’s mother is also named Heather Matarazzo, but she is not the actress from The Princess Diaries. She is a supportive parent who encouraged her son to pursue acting and drove him to auditions and rehearsals. She also shares his condition of cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD), a rare genetic disorder that affects the development of bones and teeth. Gaten has used his platform to raise awareness and funds for CCD research and treatment.
Conclusion
Heather Matarazzo and Gaten Matarazzo are not related. They are two different actors with the same last name who happen to have similar careers. Heather Matarazzo is best known for playing Lilly Moscovitz in The Princess Diaries, while Gaten Matarazzo is best known for playing Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things. They have never met each other and have different mothers who are also named Heather Matarazzo.
