Gabriella Pizzolo, best known for playing fan-favourite Suzie Bingham on the hit sci-fi series ‘Stranger Things’, has revealed that it was Natalie Portman who inspired her to pursue a psychology degree. The 23-year-old actress holds not one but two college degrees, in psychology and music, and has been balancing academics with an active acting career throughout.Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE at the Broadway premiere of ‘Beaches’ in New York City on April 22, Pizzolo opened up about her academic journey, her time on ‘Stranger Things’, and what comes next. “I have a degree in psychology and music,” she said, before crediting Portman, 44, as the reason she chose psychology as her major.
How Natalie Portman inspired Gabriella Pizzolo to study psychology
“I remember I was looking for what to study, and I saw Natalie Portman studied psychology, and not necessarily anything in the world of drama,” Pizzolo said. “And I was like, ‘That’s actually really smart.’ It’s an alternative to drama and theater, but you still learn a lot about people and how they interact through that.”Portman attended Harvard University from 1999 to 2003, continuing to work on several ‘Star Wars’ films during that same period. For Pizzolo, that example of balancing academics with an active acting career clearly struck a chord.
Gabriella Pizzolo on filming at night and studying during the day
Pizzolo did not just study psychology in theory. She lived out a similarly demanding schedule herself. “I was filming all the time at night and then going to school during the day. And I think the best part of that is that I didn’t do it from home or anything. I was on campus,” she said.Being on campus, she added, opened her up to people and experiences she would never have encountered had she stuck solely to acting. “I kind of got to get to know new people that I would’ve never known, and they kind of got to share all of that stuff with me while I was going out and doing those things,” she said.She also drew a playful parallel between her academic path and her ‘Stranger Things’ character. “I feel like it’s a very Suzie track to go to school, and be in school while everyone else is out saving the world, doing their things, demogorgons, all that,” she said with a laugh.
Gabriella Pizzolo on life after ‘Stranger Things’ and staying in touch with the cast
With the series now wrapped up, Pizzolo says she has stayed close with many of her former costars. “I have gotten to see the people from the show, and it’s been great to get to reunite and go over everything after the show ended, and be people together who aren’t on the same show anymore, but still have that connection,” she said.She added that she and Gaten Matarazzo, who played her on-screen love interest Dustin, stay in regular contact. “He’s doing a lot of theater now, so it’s really, really exciting to get to see,” she said.As for her own next steps, Pizzolo is clear on where her focus lies, “I feel like theater is where I am, and film and acting,” she said. “But I feel like psychology helps a lot of actors.”