'Stranger Things's Gabriella Pizzolo reveals Natalie Portman's role in her education: 'That's smart'

Stranger Things star Gabriella Pizzolo recently admitted that her Stranger Things co-star Natalie Portman is the reason behind her decision to pursue a psychology degree with music.

On April 22, Pizzolo attended the Broadway premiere of Beaches in New York City, where she spoke to PEOPLE magazine about her career and education.

The 23-year-old singer and actress, who is famous for playing Suzie Bingham in Stranger Things, revealed that she has two college degrees.

“I have a degree in psychology and music,” Pizzolo said, confessing that Portman on the set of the Netflix series inspired her for her to opt for psychology.

She stated, “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.”

“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,” the Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin star noted.

Pizzolo also followed in the footsteps of Portman by not taking a break from acting while attending school, as the Thor star was completing her degree from Harvard University from 1999 to 2003 as well as working on many Star Wars films in her off-time from

“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,” the Butterbean's Café star shared.

It is pertinent to mention that Gabriella Pizzolo played the role of Bingham in just three episodes of Stranger Things. She first appeared in season 3 in 2019 before her return to the series in season 4 in 2022.

Stranger Things season 5 concluded on December 31, 2025. All seasons are available to stream on Netflix.