Whether or not you tuned into the latest season of Stranger Things, you’ll no doubt have seen the praise being showered upon Sadie Sink.

Spoilers aside, the actor – who has played the role of Max Mayfield in the Netflix series since season two – came to play a central role in Stranger Things 4, and her performance was next-level.

In fact, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the role of Max – but according to Sink, that’s exactly what nearly happened. In a new interview with Fashion Magazine, the actor revealed that she almost missed out on the role due to her age, and had to put in a lot of work with the show’s team to prove she could play the part.

Netflix’s Stranger Things: why Sadie Sink almost missed out on the role of Max