Noah Schnapp missing from Finn Wolfhard's 'Stranger Things' SNL episode, find out why

Noah Schnapp skips SNL

• Finn Wolfhard hosted SNL with surprise appearances by McLaughlin and Matarazzo
• Noah Schnapp missed SNL due to attending Milan Fashion Week in Italy
• Stranger Things cast celebrated Wolfhard at the afterparty

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Finn Wolfhard's Saturday Night Live episode was a big night for the young actor.

During his opening monologue on the January 17 episode, two of his Stranger Things co-stars, Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo, surprised him on stage and shared a fun moment with him.

However, one familiar face that fans were quite literally missing was Noah Schnapp. The actor, who plays Will Byers in Stranger Things, did not join the group on SNL, and here's the reason for his absence.

Schnapp was not in the United States at the time but in Italy to attend Milan Fashion Week, according to PEOPLE. Just one day before the SNL episode, he was seen at the Ralph Lauren Men's Fall/Winter 2026 fashion show in Milan.

Even though Schnapp could not be there, Finn Wolfhard still had strong support from his cast family. After the live show, several Stranger Things stars were seen at the afterparty. Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, and Joe Keery were all present to celebrate with him.

During the opening monologue, Wolfhard spoke about growing up and leaving behind his image as a child actor. While talking to the audience, he joked about becoming more mature and starting a new phase of his life.

Finn also said in his monologue, "So ... meet the new me. The man me. Because I'm not a kid anymore."

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As he spoke, McLaughlin and Matarazzo walked onto the stage and hugged him. McLaughlin told the crowd, "And neither are we!" He added with a smile, "We're not child stars, we're former child stars."

The Stranger Things journey is also close to its end. The fifth and final season was released in three parts: Volume 1 on November 26, Volume 2 on December 25, and the last episode on December 31. The final episode is the longest in the series and runs for over two hours.