Stranger Things Season 5 star Jake Connelly reveals he started watching the Netflix horror "only when Season 4 came out"

Watching Jake Connelly transform Derek from Dipsh*t to downright delightful in Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1 was worth every penny. The actor quietly turned heads with his recent debut in Duffer Brothers' sci-fi saga, where he joined hands with the Hawkins gang to defeat Vecna.

Derek Turnbow, who was introduced as one of Holly Wheeler's classmates and a potential target for Vecna, was initially a bully. However, after the Hawkins' gang saves him and his family from the evil entity, he transforms into Delightful Derek and helps them save his classmates from the terror of Mr. Whatsit.

Jake Connelly, the emerging star of Stranger Things Season 5, recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he discussed his character and the aftermath of his breakout success. The child actor also revealed how he began watching the popular sci-fi series, only 'when Season 4 came out'.

''I only actually started watching when Season 4 came out four years ago. So that was really enjoyable for me. We always sat down and watched it as a family every night.'' said Connelly to Fallon

More on Derek from Stranger Things Season 5 in our story.

Meet Jake Connelly: The Delightful Derek from Stranger Things Season 5

You don't tune in to the final season of your favorite show, looking to take in another new character. You return for the characters you’ve loved from the very beginning, familiar faces whose journeys and relationships have kept you invested since the series first began. However, Stranger Things Season 5 achieved the impossible with rising star Jake Connelly, who managed to charm his way into the audience's hearts and emerged as everyone's new favorite character.

The 13-year-old Chicago-born actor has worked in a Microsoft Windows commercial directed by a family friend and a short film titled Between the Silence before Stranger Things Season 5. Holding his own against a seasoned cast, his performance is impressive and a clear testament to a promising future in the industry.

Sharing a humorous incident with host Jimmy, Connelly revealed how he was sheltering in his basement during a tornado warning when he got the confirmation for his Derek Turnbow role. However, since his casting was being kept a secret, he lied to his school friends. Connelly revealed:

''It was crazy. I had to keep the secret in for a year and a half. And, you know, I actually had to tell everyone I was on a mayonnaise documentary. I mean, no follow-up questions to mayonnaise.''

Now that the secret is out, the actor revealed how his life has changed since his Delightful Derek role in Stranger Things Season 5. Recalling a particular incident from his family trip in Jackson, he shared how he sneaked in on a tour group visiting Stranger Things filming locations. Jake Connelly shared with Fallon:

''We saw a tour group walking right along outside. And right as they turned that corner, you know, we just kind of thought, "Why don't we jump in?" So once they turned the corner where I was filming literally yesterday, they said, "And here, we have the spot where we found a boy in a striped sweater carrying a lunchbox." And little did they know, I was right in the back of that tour group.''

While longtime fans tuned in to Volume 1 to reconnect with familiar faces, Derek’s adorable quirks and wholesome character arc won over a whole new audience.

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Stranger Things Season 5 will premiere its Volume 2 on Christmas, followed by the series finale on New Year's Eve, which will also be screened in 500+ theatres across the US and Canada from December 31 to January 1.

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