"Stranger Things" actor Gaten Matarazzo who gave the life to the charming character of Dustin Henderson revealed that he is suffering from cleidocranial dysplasia. The condition is said to be a congenital disorder that affected the actor's bone development, including his teeth.
In an interview with "UK's The Jonathan Ross Show," the "Stranger Things" star talked about cleidocranial dysplasia and said, "It's a condition where you're born without your collarbones. I don't have any," National Post reported. He continued to say that the disorder "affects your facial growth, your skull growth, it affects your teeth." "That's why I don't have any - these are fake here - I have teeth but they are all baby teeth," the actor added.
"Stranger Things" sees Matarazzo's character as a sweet intelligent boy who has no front teeth and speaks with a lisp. Some fans apparently do not know that the 14-year-old actor initially has cleidocranial dysplasia before he appeared on "Stranger Things." He does not talk much about it and it is only recent that he opened up more about the said condition and revealed how it affected him.
However, the "Stranger Things" star also said that his condition is a "really mild case." He believes that there are others who might be experiencing worse than his. Matarazzo's condition is actually congenital in nature but he is the first among his family member to acquire the disease, reportedly. This could also mean that there is a possibility that he may pass the disorder to his future children as the disease is passed through the genes.
Moreover, Matarazzo apparently wants to raise awareness to the public that this rare condition exists. "So I just want to raise awareness of it, and let people know that it's not something they should be afraid of showing," the "Stranger Things" actor said according to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Watch the interview with Gaten Matarazzo of "Stranger Things" below.
