The 'Stranger Things' actor marked the one-month milestone of the relationship with a photo posted to his Instagram Stories on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old, known globally for portraying Will Byers in the hit Netflix series, uploaded an image of himself embracing a mystery man as the pair watched a sunset together. "One month of us," he wrote, offering fans a glimpse of the relationship while keeping his partner's identity private.

Schnapp's decision to go public with his romance comes after his 2023 announcement on TikTok, where he confirmed his sexuality in a candid video shared with millions of followers.

Early coming out and fan support

Schnapp first spoke about his sexuality in January 2023, revealing that he had finally told those closest to him after years of fear. "When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was 'we know,'" he wrote over a selfie-style clip on TikTok.

In the short video, he mouthed along to an audio clip of a woman saying, "You know what it never was? That serious. It was never that serious. Quite frankly, will never be that serious." He captioned the post: "I guess I'm more similar to Will Byers than I thought."

Fans widely praised him for his honesty, with many expressing admiration and others remarking that they had long suspected the news.

Parallels with Will Byers' storyline

Schnapp has frequently acknowledged the parallels between his personal journey and that of Will Byers. His character's sexuality was hinted at in early seasons of Stranger Things, but became more explicitly explored as the show progressed.

In July 2022, he confirmed to Variety: "[Will] is gay, and he does love Mike [Wheeler]."

He added that Season 4 had allowed the character's emotional arc to emerge more clearly, saying it showcased Will's struggle to fit in among friends who seemed to grow up faster than he did.

Schnapp has said that playing Will helped him better understand his own identity. "Once I did fully embrace that Will was gay, it was just an exponential speed towards accepting it for myself," he previously explained. He noted that without the character, "I probably would still be closeted."

Behind the scenes of Will's coming-out scene

The actor has spoken openly about the highly praised coming-out sequence in the show's fifth and final season, which dropped last year. Although some viewers labelled the moment as "woke" or misplaced, he defended the scene in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

He described the writing as "perfect" and said, "no part of that scene felt forced or produced."

Schnapp recalled rehearsing it for the first time with his castmates, calling the experience both emotional and relieving. He prepared by revisiting personal messages and photos from his own coming-out period, explaining that filming late at night made the moment even more intense.

The actor later reflected on the support he received from co-star Millie Bobby Brown during that period. "I kept trying to do it in person with her, and it was too hard," he told Variety. "So then I just FaceTimed her one day in the middle of a Party City and I was like, 'Millie, I'm gay.' And she was like, 'Oh, Schnapper! You told me finally!'"

Life after 'Stranger Things'

Schnapp has been part of 'Stranger Things' since its launch in 2016, growing up alongside his character and co-stars. He described filming the last scenes of the series as "surreal" and admitted it left him grappling with a sense of uncertainty about the future.

"I will never forget that last day and how that last scene felt, it was just so surreal," he told the Los Angeles Times. He said the end of the show left him feeling as though his "whole identity" was shifting.

Looking ahead, Schnapp has expressed interest in pursuing theatre and a variety of film roles, though he has no fixed plan. When asked if he would ever return as Will Byers, he said the character's story was complete. "I think my work is done with that character," he said, adding he would still "love to work with the Duffers again on another project."