Charlie Heaton gave his take on his Stranger Things character, Jonathan Byers, running sideways on several occasions. The actor admitted that he’s heard what the fans have said about it and explained why his character runs like that.
What Charlie Heaton said about Jonathan’s running style on Stranger Things
During his latest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Stranger Things’ Charlie Heaton was asked why his character often runs sideways. Fallon brought it up, saying, “Another thing that fans are loving, by the way, is Jonathan’s run. Did you hear about this?”
Heaton laughed and replied, “How could I not hear about this?” Fallon followed up, asking, “I don’t know, but did you pick a certain run?”
The Industry actor thought about it for a second and began, “I love… you know…” before quickly switching answers and confirming, “Yes. That was a total character choice.”
“Okay. So, that’s an acting run,” Fallon joked. “That’s not how you run in real life. Ever? Just making sure.” The Stranger Things alum said, “Not at all. I don’t run like that.”
The host then played two clips from Stranger Things, where Jonathan is running forward with his body turned sideways. When Fallon attempted to imitate the run, Heaton jumped in and said, “I’ll show you. Where’s the camera? This is how I run.” In a hilarious twist, he recreated Jonathan’s signature run, garnering laughter from the audience. “It’s a great character choice,” Fallon remarked.
Heaton has appeared in all five seasons of Netflix’s Stranger Things as Jonathan Byers. After running for nearly a decade, the series concluded on December 31, 2025. Following the success of Stranger Things, The New Mutants actor is now starring in HBO’s Industry as James Dycker.
The show’s fourth season premiered earlier this month. The first two episodes are already streaming on HBO Max, and the third episode will air on Sunday, January 25, 2026.
Originally reported by Harsha Panduranga on ComingSoon.
