hard to believe, but the phenomenon that is Stranger Things premiered a decade ago.

The epic saga just came to a close after 5 seasons, the most recent 5th season introduced us to a new character who quickly became a fan favorite Derrick Turnbow, affectionately known as delightful Derek and less affectionately known by nickname We won't repeat here.

>> As you continue breathing, I want you to picture yourself on The water is moving blue as this summer.

If you listen to it, lacked the scene, the shore, we could slurping from school.

It's called official La Station.

Mom doesn't when she's out of allium.

>> They had to the play's.

Derek, the comic relief turn protecting us.

Chicago area native Jake Connelly and he joins us now.

Thanks for being here.

Appreciate it.

Thank you so much for having me.

It's an honor to be here.

I've always been a lifelong Wtd W fan.

Thank you.

We would have booked you anyway, but we appreciate You know, so before doing stranger things you've Falco window commercial.

You've done a short film have what's it like now to be part of such a high-profile show?

>> I've actually I really did enjoy being on some smaller productions because that was really just dipping my toes into the water doing a couple foco commercials here and there and that short film was definitely a great way get double into Chicago film industry, which I'm really huge fan have.

But that was a really good way to do with my toes in.

And I really enjoyed that to be able to help me lead into this bigger, huge project.

Yeah, I can imagine it might have been overwhelming to jump into without having something beforehand for sure.

Yes, you see you are just a few years old.

We mentioned stranger Things was premiered about a decade ago.

were you a fan of the show before you got the role?

>> Actually, my family and I you know, my mom and dad, we they both grew up in the 80's and they were huge fans of the show even before I was able to watch it.

But finally, one season for came out.

They were like, yeah, you're good to her brother and I I really fell in love with And I was just so amazed.

But I actually got the audition for it.

Let alone being on the project itself.

That's great.

>> You know, while you were filming season 5, you are around the age that a lot of the original cast was back when they were filming season one.

Did you get any advice from them kind of out how to handle the attention that comes with something like stranger things during the table read week when we're actually beginning to start to read the scripts million Bobby Brown and her boyfriend at the time.

Jake Bon Jovi.

>> They gave me some amazing advice.

you know, we are about to go get food and she's coming over during huge pink Humvee.

Tuesday Amazing advice.

And she said, Jake, if you need anything, you can always come to me and make sure that if you need help and get help in, I'm always there for you and just make sure that we know that you we've been in your shoes before.

We know how nervous it is getting on to a new set, especially as a younger actor.

Yeah, specially and coming in when they've already been established for so many seasons that that's great that they were looking out for you.

>> You know, so Derek starts off the season is kind of a bully.

But, you know, pretty soon he shows there's a lot more to himself.

And that was it fun to play that character to sort of get to play that term?

I feel like the duality of it was a really fun concept and I really enjoy acting because I get to see how life is in another person's shoes.

But it was actually a very interesting experience to be able to play what was pretty much 2 characters in one because Derek is just heat.

I underwent so much change throughout the entire season.

You know, it was really fun.

Experience.

So, you know, we were just talking about the 1980's stranger things full of 80's nostalgia, 80's references.

Do you have a favorite 80's movie?

Oh, that is a tough one.

But I've always been a big fan of the lost boys.

My parents, you know, since the year of 80's, they know all the good classics, you know, stand by me.

The Goonies, all those.

It's a really kind of a 3 way tie between those.

But I would say the loss was comes on top of So so you are in Georgia for about a year filming season.

What did you miss most about Chicago while you were away?

I think I would say the food here in Chicago assist unbeatable.

You know, you never get pizza quite like you do in Chicago with tavern deep dish, whatever it is, it's always so amazing.

And I just really miss the it all the foods and Compher foods of Italian beef and eat this piece is that.

Are Chicago classics for a reason?

Yeah.

Yeah.

All right.

So that's what you missed.

What was your favorite part of being on the shoot?

I imagine it could be almost production at this scale.

I really enjoyed the amount of practical effects where they actually did explosions and he even late people on fire for real, with protective gels and all that in that one military seen it was very interesting to see with people flying Yeah, very amazing to see all those practical facts.

Instead of all CGI.

All right.

So you're gone for a year.

So what did you tell your friends you're doing while you are away?

So actually, I had told my friends that I was and a sack humanity as home.

I didn't know many people who had that many follow-up questions to man okay.

But you know what?

If they thought they pass that once they found out what you're actually up, 200 folks A couple of my friends are kind of disappointed.

The man is documentary wasn't coming.

I would like to see Yeah.

I think everybody they were just made me feel so supported.

I'm just so glad that I have a strong backbone of my family and friends that really made me feel good about the work that we did.

And I'm really glad to have that.

Yeah, so I know you also you play football baseball, you practiced karate.

How did you get interested in enacting in addition to I feel like that.

with sports, you know, I did Arlington Cowboys, football and Arlen tonight, some the Arlington Heights Kids, Karate Club.

All of that really builds the amount of discipline that you need to be able to be an actor because it is very tough in some situations.

And as long as you're prepared, it's definitely a fun experience.

But you got to make sure you have that preparation before you can actually have all the fun of it.

Yeah, and it sounds like you've got some of that team environment on the set as well for sure.

Yeah.

Just being in sports incur it definitely helps me bill.

That sense of teamwork that, you know, it's teamwork makes the dream work one broken.

The whole machine is broken.

Are you still interested in pursuing acting roles?

Are there other things you want to try right now?

I'm I'm just signed on to be doing it in the film here in Northern Illinois, which is really exciting because I love supporting Chicago from industry.

Now, that's her phone that I had done was really great.

We filmed here in Chicago.

It premiered at this Gene Siskel Film Center, which that was really exciting to see myself up on the big screen for the first time.

But I'm just really looking forward to doing a couple more things in the Chicago area and, you know, just exploring all my opportunities, I can find.

All right.

Well, speaking about, you know, potential future opportunities.

lot of folks wondering a stranger things might get a spinoff.

If if that happens what you want to come back to the world Hawkins, I feel like if I have the opportunity that be amazing, I mean, it would be even better if we just got some of the cast and crew that we've gotten before because I really enjoyed working on that said, and I would give almost anything to work with all those amazing people.

Again.

All right.

We're almost out of time, but I know you're big Bears fan.

How you doing after this pretty heart broken.

Pretty heartbroken.

I mean, we played a game.

We played a good game.

We got potential for next year.

All right.

Thanks that is the right attitude for a Chicago man to have.

All right.

Well, as a