What is Gaten Matarazzo’s Net Worth, Career, Biography, Facts, Age, Life Story

Gaten Matarazzo is an American actor who has a net worth of $5 million. Gaten began his career on Broadway but became widely known as one of the stars in the Netflix science-fiction-horror series, “Stranger Things.” Matarazzo has won and been nominated for a number awards thanks to his work on the show. Outside of “Stranger Things” Gaten hosts the Netflix show “Prank Encounters.”

Early Life

Matarazzo was born on September 8, 2002 in Connecticut and given the name Gaetano John Matarazzo III. He is part Italian, after his father. His parents are Gaetano and Heather Matarazzo and he has an older sister named Sabrina and a younger brother named Carmen, both of whom also became actors. When he was born, he was diagnosed with cleidocranial dysplasia, a condition that affects the development of bones and teeth though generally does not affect an individual’s cognitive development.

While he was born in Connecticut, Matarazzo was raised in Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, where his grandparents own a pizzeria and ice cream parlor called Matarazzo’s.  He attended Pinelands Regional High School in Tuckerton, New Jersey. He also pursued vocal training at the Starlight Performing Arts Center. When he was nine in 2011, he competed at the Starpower Talent Competition Nationals in Uncasville, Connecticut. He won third place with his vocal solo entitled “White Boy Summer.”

Career

Matarazzo knew he wanted to pursue acting and dramatic arts from a young age. He began auditioning for plays on Broadway as a child. In 2011, he had a part in “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” which was performed at the Palace Theatre on Broadway. In 2014, he appeared in “Les Miserables” which was performed at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway. He then started booking television roles and appeared in an episode of “The Blacklist” in 2015.

His big break came in 2016 when he was cast as one of the main roles in the Netflix series, “Stranger Things.” Matarazzo was chose for the role out of almost a thousand other young actors who auditioned. The show is a science fiction horror drama series that is set in the 1980s and depicts the disappearance of a young boy and the strange supernatural events that begin happening in the town in tandem with this event. The ensemble cast featured a number of young actors, including Matarazzo, who were widely praised for their performances. Matarazzo plays the character of Dustin Henderson, a highly intelligent young boy who loves “Dungeons and Dragons” and science and technology. The first season was a massive hit, attracting record viewership on Netflix from viewers around the world. The show was renewed for second and third seasons, which premiered in 2017 and 2019, respectively. So far, the show has received 39 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and six wins, as well as a number of other notable award nominations and wins. The cast of the first season also won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Matarazzo won the 2017 Shorty Award in the Best Actor category. The fourth season was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and is set to release on Netflix in 2022.

Stranger Things Salary

In the first season, each child actor’s salary was $10,000 per episode. That worked out to $80,000 for the season.

Galen Matarazzo’s salary in the second season of Stranger Things was $30,000 per episode. In March 2018 it was revealed that his per episode salary for season three had been bumped to $250,000! There were eight episodes of the third season, so that worked out to around $2 million before taxes and fees. He was paid $2.25 million for the 9 episode fourth season.

Matarazzo continued auditioning for and landing other parts in television, film, and theater while acting on “Stranger Things.” He appeared as himself on a number of reality-type game shows along with the cast of “Stranger Things,” including “Ridiculousness,” “Lip Sync Battles,” “Drop the Mic,” and “Prank Encounters.” In 2021, he appeared as himself in an episode of “Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered.” In 2017, he appeared music videos for Katy Perry and the band Computer Games. A few years later, in 2020, he appeared in Green Day’s music video, “Meet Me On The Roof.”

In terms of theater, he landed the role of Jean-Michael in the 2018 theater production of “Cinderella” which was performed by the Pinelands Regional Thespians. In 2019, he played the role of Jack in “Into the Woods” which was performed at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Philanthropy

Matarazzo has been very public about his experience with cleidocranial dysplasia. His character in “Stranger Things” also was modified to have the condition as well, which has increased public awareness of it dramatically. Matarazzo uses his platform to continue to raise awareness for CCD and he also specifically fund-raises for an organization called CCD Smiles, which helps cover the costs of oral surgeries for individuals who have CCD as the condition affects the jaw and teeth. Matarazzo himself wears dentures. He uses his social media platforms to help promote CCD Smiles and various events that people can participate in in order to raise money.

In 2021, he participated in an hour-long charity event that was streamed on the “The Tonight Show’s” Twitch account that raised money for the organization Feeding America. Other celebrities that participated included Jimmy Fallon, Questlove, Kirk Douglas, Corpse Husband, and Matarazzo’s “Stranger Things” co-star, Noah Schnapp.

Personal Life

Matarazzo has been in a relationship with Lizzy Yu since March of 2018, though they have known each other prior of Matarazzo’s role on “Stranger Things.” The couple often post pictures together on their social media accounts.