Actor Dacre Montgomery discusses his selective approach to roles following fame from Stranger Things, including a six-year break to pursue authentic projects. In a new interview, he shares insights on his lead role in Gus Van Sant's Dead Man’s Wire and his directorial debut. The film explores media obsession through a 1977 kidnapping story.
Dacre Montgomery, known for playing Billy Hargrove in Stranger Things, has taken a deliberate six-to-seven-year hiatus from acting after the series made him recognizable nearly a decade ago. In an interview with Variety, the 30-year-old Australian actor explains his process-driven philosophy: “I am process driven, not outcome driven,” emphasizing that he avoids watching his films beyond premieres and focuses on authenticity rather than box office success.
Montgomery's break followed his role as Max’s brother, who becomes an unwilling host of the Mind Flayer in Stranger Things. He appeared in only a handful of projects since, including She Came Up the Hill with Vicky Krieps, which he credits with changing his life. After that film, he reconnected with his grandmother in New Zealand, realizing the sudden fame from Netflix's subscriber base left him vulnerable: “I feel like I absorb a lot of people’s energies. With ‘Stranger Things,’... overnight, my whole life changes.” This prompted time to “figure out about myself and what I wanted to do and find the right roles and the right directors that were true and honest.”
Now, Montgomery stars in Dead Man’s Wire, Gus Van Sant’s darkly comedic film about two men turned media sensations in a 1977 kidnapping. Despite being unlike his 55-year-old character Dick Cole—opposite Bill Skarsgård’s 48-year-old role—Montgomery was drawn to Van Sant’s unfiltered style: “Gus definitely feels like my spirit animal.” He notes the film's topicality: “It’s fascinating as an Australian to watch the news cycle out of the U.S.... I think it’s, unfortunately, extremely topical,” though its comedy subverts expectations for accessibility.
Montgomery recently wrapped his directorial debut, The Engagement Party, a four-person, single-location drama. He describes an all-or-nothing approach: “It’s zero or 1000,” and admits his intensity: “I am very intense.” Regarding Stranger Things' fifth season, with four episodes airing on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, he demurs on his involvement but expresses excitement for the Duffer Brothers' future projects.
Dead Man’s Wire, distributed by Row K Entertainment, opens in limited release on January 9, 2026.