"Exclusive: Cara Buono from "Stranger Things" shares her daughter's theory that surprised the show's creators"

Cara Buono has portrayed Karen Wheeler, mother of Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), and Holly (Nell Fisher), since the very first season of Stranger Things. Over nearly a decade of filming, Buono, 54, often brought her daughter Esm, now 13, along to the set, giving her a front-row seat to the shows evolution.

Esm has grown up alongside the young main cast, including Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, and Caleb McLaughlin, who were all around 11 to 13 years old when filming began. Buono shared with PEOPLE that her daughter has developed her own imaginative theories about the series over the years.

My daughter has been visiting the set since she was 3, and she always had fascinating ideas about what was happening, Buono said. She recalled one particularly striking theory from Esm at age 10 during season 4: When those small white particles were falling from the sky, she suggested to the Duffer Brothers that they were fragments of bones from those killed in the Upside Down. They were amazed by her thinking.

Buono explained that Esm hopes to become a writer and is nurturing her creativity through experiences like these. Although she hasnt participated in the writers room for the shows final season, she appeared on camera for the first time, taking part in background work. She tried on some of my wigs, and there was a day when we were in different scenes together, both dressed in '80s attire. It was surreal and very special, Buono shared.

Throughout the nine years of filming in Atlanta, Buono often acted as the de facto mom on set, particularly in the earlier seasons. She praised the young actors for their extraordinary work and expressed excitement to see them continue to grow in their careers. Its very nostalgic. My daughter is 13 now, and I often think I see her as the 3-year-old she once was. Its similar with the cast; seeing Finn now so much taller than me reminds me of when he was just up to my elbow, she said.

Buono highlighted the unique bond she has witnessed between her daughter and the cast over the years. Its special to have seen them when they were so young and to watch them grow up alongside Esm, she said. While Buono shared her daughters Upside Down theory, she remained discreet about fan speculation linking her character, Karen, to Vecna, the series main antagonist. Ive heard about the Karen-Vecna theory, she commented.

Volume 1 of Stranger Things season 5 is now streaming on Netflix, with Volume 2 releasing on December 25 and the finale on December 31.

Author: Sophia Brooks