"Couldn't wait to wear my bow tie": Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin recalls his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Caleb McLaughlin recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The Stranger Things fame made his first solo appearance on the late-night talk show after a decade of showing up for the first time.

Caleb, aka Lucas Sinclair, is all grown up now, and that’s what Jimmy Fallon pointed out as he surprised the actor with his old photo from the show. At that time, the baby-faced Caleb was donning a bow tie, which instantly became the highlight of the conversation.

When asked about the core memory from his first appearance, Caleb recalled the moment, saying:

“I couldn’t wait to wear my bow tie on Jimmy Fallon.”

Caleb McLaughlin on his first Tonight Show appearance

Caleb McLaughlin showed up on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon again. Soon, Jimmy dug up an old photo from nearly 10 years back, when Caleb first showed up with the Stranger Things crew. When the host asked what stood out from that visit, Caleb said he was excited about the bow tie. It turns out that wearing it for national TV was a big deal for the young star back then.

The 24-year-old actor also shared a little story behind that fashion moment. As it turns out, his mother was the creative head of most of his bowtie appearances, particularly when he attended Broadway events as a minor. Putting on a bowtie during The Tonight Show appearance was very significant to McLaughlin because he was aware that a big crowd, including Fallon, would see him in a bowtie.

In the same interview, McLaughlin talked about his upcoming animated movie GOAT, where he is the voice of the main character. Stephen Curry’s Unanimous Media is behind the film and has Curry as a member of the voice cast. McLaughlin gave a short account of the project and his participation, signifying another advancement in his career apart from live-action TV.

Caleb McLaughlin’s role in Stranger Things

Caleb McLaughlin in Stranger Things is the group’s rational thinker, a skilled marksman, devoted boyfriend to Max Mayfield, and protective brother to Erica, all through the nonstop Upside Down terror.

In Stranger Things Season 1, he and his friends, Mike, Dustin, and Will, call themselves The Party. They usually play D&D in Mike’s basement until everything goes downhill with Mike disappearing during a stormy bike ride. As the gang goes searching for him, they come across Eleven, who is running from Hawkins lab.

Lucas simply does not trust her. Her shaved head and strange powers freak him out, so he calls her a “lab experiment.” He watches government agents, tips off the Byers and Hopper, and joins up with Dustin to track Eleven over the radio. When it comes down to it, he helps blast fireworks at the Demogorgon during the Byers’ house showdown, and things smooth out with Eleven before she shuts the gate.

A year later, in Stranger Things Season 2, Lucas scouts a new girl, Max Mayfield, on Dustin’s behalf, but they hit it off, especially once she helps battle Demodogs with fireworks. He starts calling her “Zoomer.” Sparks really fly at the Snow Ball dance after a game of truth or dare. Lucas helps defend the junkyard, torches a pumpkin patch infected by the Mind Flayer, and takes his slingshot to the demodog pack in Hawkins Lab’s tunnels.

Stranger Things Season 3 shows Lucas’s summer romance with Max hitting a few bumps as he is stuck babysitting while she goes out with friends. He keeps an eye on Starcourt Mall, looking for Billy’s Russian base, and faces off with The Party against a possessed Billy.

Lucas and Erica use radio codes from Suzie to figure out Billy’s Mind Flayer weakness. He is right in the middle of the chaos, throwing Molotovs during the mall inferno, surviving Billy’s sacrifice, and mourning Heather after Hopper is presumed dead.

In Stranger Things Season 4, Lucas joins the Hawkins High basketball team and gets a taste of popularity, but it drives a wedge between him and Hellfire Club and strains things with Dustin and Mike. Still, when Vecna goes after Max, Lucas doesn’t hesitate.

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He helps Max escape Vecna’s grip with some Kate Bush blasting in her headphones, fights Jason Carver after Max collapses in his arms, and ends up shooting Jason. He watches Eleven bring Max back, but she is left unconscious, blind, and on life support as Hawkins falls apart.

Nearly two years later, in Stranger Things Season 5, Hawkins is quarantined. Lucas visits Max every day at the hospital, sketching her portrait while the high school moves locations. Demogorgons start attacking kids like Holly Wheeler, so Lucas teams up with Erica to set traps and sneak into military bases. He survives a few close calls thanks to Will’s psychic help and swears he will do whatever it takes to bring Max back, even as Vecna starts possessing new people.

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