How Did Natalie Portman Inspire Stranger Things Fame Gabriella Pizzolo To Study Psychology?

Hollywood

actress Gabriella Pizzolo, who is known for her work in the superhit streaming series Stranger Things, has shared that Natalie Portman inspired her to pursue a psychology degree. Gabriella Pizzolo, 23, who played fan-favorite Suzie Bingham on the Netflix sci-fi series, recently attended the Broadway premiere of Beaches in New York City, reports People magazine. The actress shared that she holds two college degrees. She told People, “I have a degree in psychology and music”.

Natalie Porrman inspired Gabriella Pizzolo to study psychology

She shared that Natalie Portman, 44, was the reason she chose to major in psychology. “I remember I was looking for what to study, and I saw Natalie Portman studied psychology, and not necessarily anything in the world of drama”, she said.

Further she added that she was like, ‘That's actually really smart’. It's an alternative to drama and theater, but one still learns a lot about people and how they interact through that. As per People, Natalie Portman attended Harvard University from 1999 to 2003 while working on several Star Wars films in her off-time. Gabriella went on to say that she also continued her work as an actress while attending school. The actress added that she would film all night and go to school during the day. For her, the best part of that is that she didn't do it from home or anything, she was on campus. The actress said that campus life helped open her up to people and experiences that she never would have encountered had she just stuck to acting.

Professional Front

Pizzolo also told PEOPLE that she still keeps in touch with many of her former Stranger Things costars since the series ended — something which she says has “been great.”She added that she and Gaten Matarazzo, who played her on-screen love interest Dustin, stay in regular contact. "He's doing a lot of theater now, so it's really, really exciting to get to see," she said.

For the unversed, Gabriella Pizzolo played the role of Bingham in just three episodes of Stranger Things. She first appeared in season 3 in 2019 before her return to the series in season 4 in 2022. Stranger Things season 5 concluded on December 31, 2025. All seasons are available to stream on Netflix.