Stranger Things' Gaten Matarazzo Opens Up Living Life With Rare Condition

Gaten Matarazzo is one of our faves on Stranger Things, and we’re betting he’s yours, too.

During a new interview on The Doctors, the young actor opened up about living life with Cleidocranial Dysplasia (CCD), a rare disorder that affects the bones and teeth, and how it actually hindered his ability to get roles.

“It’s one of the reasons why I haven’t been getting roles, because of my lisp, and the teeth situation, and my height,” Gaten explains. “That affected pretty much everything. I would go three times a week for auditions and get constant ‘no’.”

But then, Stranger Things came along.

“It really started out when I was stretching in the audition room…I was just (stretches) and they were like ‘wait, wait, wait what did you just do?’ and I said ‘what? I’m stretching’ and they said ‘no, do it again’ and they said ‘Why do you do that? Your shoulders are touching.’ And I said ‘I was born without collar bones.’”

He continues that he “started explaining what it was and how I had a condition from birth that affects my teeth and everything. That’s why I was missing teeth in the first season, and I still have my appliance in right now.”

Gaten also opened up about getting involved with CCD Smiles, a non-profit organization that aims to help others with CCD by building awareness for the condition, offering support and helping fund the cost of the oral/facial surgeries that those with the condition need to live normal lives.

Gaten‘s had two surgeries and four extractions so far.