Stranger Thingsstar Joseph Quinn went viral on TikTok after a video of him being moved to tears by a fan at London Film and Comic Con came to light. Quinn, who played metalhead andDungeon Master Eddie Munson duringStranger Things 4, quickly became a fan favorite. Thousands of videos dedicated to Eddie have been posted to platforms like TikTok.
Hashtags like “#EddieMunson” have ratcheted up more than 7.6 billion views on TikTok, while the hashtag for Quinn’s name has more than 2.5 billion views. The video at London Film and Comic Con on Saturday appears to show Quinn being told by the event staff not to interact with fans beyond signing autographs to move the line more quickly. WhileNBC Newsreached out to Showmasters for comment, fans took to social media to praise Quinn.
“Went to lfcc yesterday, my first ever con and was amazed at the wonderful demeanour Joseph Quinn managed to maintain throughout the day despite the horrendous treatment he recieved by showmasters at what should have been his exciting first con experience,” one persontweetedof their experience at the convention.
However, it was one fan, Kimberley Burrows, that made Quinn get emotional. Burrows, 33, who is both blind and uses a guide dog, Tami, met Quinn earlier while attending the convention. She said the encounter was “terrifying” because she didn’t know how the actor would respond to her guide dog. However, her photo opportunity with the actor ended up being “beautiful,” according to her.
“He was genuinely interested in finding out more about me and doing the pose I wanted to do with all three of us together — where we did the Eddie horns above Tami’s head,” Burrows said. “He pulled me into a huge hug at the end and thanked me for being there and traveling for him.”
The Question and Answer
Later, Burrows would take part in the Q&A segment of the convention. Without visual clues, the crowded area was hard for her to navigate, and she didn’t get to say much to him. However, what she did get to say to him was less of a question and more of a thank you for the kindness he had shown her and Tami, in addition to his other fans.
“This isn’t really a question, it’s more of an extension of gratitude. I’m sure a lot of us heard what happened yesterday,” Burrows said, referring to the reports that Quinn was yelled at by staff. “I just wanted to say thank you from all of us. We’re really grateful you’re spending the time.”
The crowd cheered, with others shouting “thank you” as the speaker paused. Video captured of the moment showed Quinn sitting crossed-legged on a black couch stage as he listened to Burrows speak.
“I think we’ve all really connected with Eddie for one reason or another. Whether we liked his music taste or that he is the outsider … we’ve all traveled far because we all really connect with you as well,” said Burrows.
Burrows would also tell Quinn that he had made her weekend special and that he had been “Really kind” to her and Tami when it was her turn at the meet and greet. At this point, Quinn covered part of his face with his hand and wiped tears away from his eyes using his sleeves as the crowd cheered.
“Now, why’d you do that?” Quinn joked after he was able to compose himself.
Unfortunately, for those who wanted to see the original video for themselves, it is no longer available as of Tuesday afternoon. It roughly possessed 20 million views and more than 5 million likes on TikTok as of that Tuesday morning. However, the interaction has been reposted to TikTok at least a dozen times.
