Millie Bobby Brown, 19, reveals she’d like to work in a care home because she loves ‘the history of older people’ and admits she ‘never healed’ after losing her grandmother to Alzheimer’s

Millie Bobby Brown has revealed she would have been working in a care home if she hadn’t found fame in Hollywood.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Women’s Hour on Monday, the 19-year-old actress revealed the unexpected career choice while discussing her late grandmother, who inspired her new book, Nineteen Steps.

After explaining that her grandmother’s stories of life during the war had formed the basis of her novel, she revealed: ‘A great passion of mine would have been to work in a care home if I had not taken the route that I have followed.

‘I love the history of the elderly and the stories they tell, even if they are completely fictional, which sometimes they are! But I hope that after reading Nineteen Steps you will talk to your grandparents or your parents and learn more about your family history.’

Millie – who shot to worldwide fame at the age of 12 when she was cast as Eleven in Stranger Things – added that she hoped it would inspire some to volunteer in a care home, highlighting the importance of ‘being able to sit there and talk to someone and just be there with someone and listen to them.”

Tragic loss: Millie’s grandmother Ruth passed away from Alzheimer’s in November 2020 and the actress revealed how she honored her grandmother’s passing

Millie’s grandmother Ruth passed away from Alzheimer’s in November 2020, and the actress revealed how she honored her grandmother’s passing when recording the audiobook.

The Stranger Things star explained: ‘Losing hair was one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced and I don’t know if I’ve necessarily fully recovered from it.

“When I did the audiobook, I was a little scared to talk about it because I had read it to myself so many times.

“I lit a candle and put her picture in front of me and it was a very emotional few weeks of reliving all these stories and also learning tonally how she would tell these stories.”

Looking back on her childhood, Millie said: “I was with her by choice for much of my childhood. I love my parents, but they’re not as interesting as them!

‘When she passed away, I really wanted to capture her stories. I recorded her as a child and when we went through the recordings again, we thought there would be room for a story about her life.

‘My grandmother talked a lot about the war, especially when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She forgot what she had eaten the night before, but remembered what she had eaten on her fifth birthday; things like that were so bizarre.

‘Because I have studied and am still studying Alzheimer’s, I really wanted to hone that story so that she would feel safe and heard. Some I’d heard hundreds of times and some I’d never heard before, and I said, “Nan, you never told me that” and she said, “Oh, I didn’t think you cared!”

Hollywood star: Millie who achieved worldwide fame at the age of 12 when she was cast as Eleven in the Netflix hit Stranger Things

Reflection: The 19-year-old actress revealed the unexpected career choice while discussing her late grandmother, who inspired her new book, Nineteen Steps

Candid: On Tuesday, Millie opened up more about her family life when she appeared on ITV’s Lorraine and revealed: ‘My parents are the best thing ever. I’m best friends with them

Lady in red: Millie looked sensational during her TV appearance in a deep red ribbed dress with a cut-out bodice to tease her toned midriff

When asked if she would consider writing more in the future, Millie said: ‘I’ve always loved writing and creating. I’m very creative, maybe overly so, so my grandma had to put up all the weird things I made!

“So whatever I do next, I will always base it on very strong women and authentic stories that mean a lot to me and push me to keep creating things that I am really passionate about.”

Incredible: Nineteen Steps will be released on September 12

On Tuesday, Millie opened up more about her family life when she appeared on ITV’s Lorraine.

She revealed: ‘My parents are the best ever. I’m best friends with them. When I turned 18, I said, “You’re still coming with me, right?”

“I always needed a guide and I said, ‘I still need you.’ So they travel with me everywhere and are a big part of my life because they make sure I am where I am today.”

The SAG Award winner added that her parents encouraged her to return to school, explaining: “I’m a UNICEF ambassador so I take that role very seriously.

“And so I wanted to go back to school, just to learn more about economic and cultural issues so that I could, you know, have that information in a broader perspective so that I could really bring something to the role.”

She added, “I think that’s something my parents instilled in me too, because I think they said, if you’re passionate about this, you should know about it. And that applies to everything I do.’

The Hollywood star also admitted that it was important that she could have a successful work life but also enjoy a private life.

She told Lorraine: “That’s very important because it’s something my parents appreciate, and my family and my fiancé (Jake Bongiovi) appreciate.”

Reddy for it! Millie opted for another red ensemble later in the day as she was spotted entering the Capital Breakfast radio studios wearing scarlet trousers.

Beaming: She looked cheerful as she waved to onlookers as she continued her PhD for her upcoming novel

When asked about growing up as a child actress in the spotlight, she was full of praise for her parents.

Nineteen Steps, out September 12, is a history novel about a courageous 18-year-old woman named Nellie Morris who lives with her family in Bethnal Green, London’s East End, as the Second World War rages around them.

When a tragic accident occurs one night during an air raid, the consequences are catastrophic and life for Nellie will never be the same.

‘Writing Nineteen Steps has been a very special project for me. The story is inspired by true events and my own family history,” Millie previously explained.