Millie Bobby Brown’s Parents: What You Need to Know About Robert and Kelly Brown and That Famous Stranger Things Look Her Mom Didn’t Like

Kelly Brown, Millie Bobby Brown, and Robert Brown attend the "Stranger Things" Season 5 Premiere on November 6, 2025, in Hollywood, California.
Credit:

Charley Gallay/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Robert and Kelly Brown have four children: Paige, Charlie, Millie, and Ava.
• Since Millie Bobby Brown’s birth in 2004, her parents recognized her talent.
• After relocating from Florida to California to advance Millie’s career, the family faced significant financial challenges.

Millie Bobby Brown has long been considered a star by her parents, Robert and Kelly Brown.

“My other children would watch cartoons, but Mill watched musicals—Chicago, Moulin Rouge, Annie, and Bugsy Malone,” Robert told the Daily Mail in August 2016. “She’d belt out a tune. She was performing from day one.”

Determined to support their daughter’s aspirations, Millie’s parents moved from Florida to California after receiving advice from an agent.

The family encountered difficulties in California. Although Millie began to land small roles, financial struggles led the Browns to return to the UK, staying with a relative.

Shortly after their move back to the UK, Millie landed her breakthrough role in Stranger Things, transforming their lives. Throughout the challenges, Millie has maintained a close bond with her parents and siblings, even describing Robert and Kelly as her “best friends.”

Robert Worked in Real Estate and They Had a Teeth-Whitening Business

Millie Bobby Brown on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2022.

Todd Owyoung/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty

Before Millie achieved fame, her parents employed various strategies to make ends meet. Robert worked in real estate across England and Spain, returning to the UK in 2008. In 2012, when Millie was eight, the Browns established a teeth-whitening business in Orlando, Florida.

Millie’s Acting Journey Started When She Was Bothering Robert

Robert Brown and Millie Bobby Brown at the 2014 BAFTA Los Angeles TV Tea.

Kevork Djansezian/BAFTA LA/Getty

Millie’s foray into acting began when she frequently annoyed her father. “I was bothering my father one Saturday and he said, ‘We need to find you something fun to do,’” she recounted. Her parents subsequently enrolled her in acting classes, where she engaged in acting, dancing, and singing for four hours every Saturday. An agent eventually expressed interest in representing her.

Encouraged by the agent’s advice, the Browns relocated to California. Robert secured an introduction to Melanie Greene, who became Millie’s manager.

They Almost Went Bankrupt Trying to Support Millie

Robert and Kelly made significant sacrifices to help Millie pursue her dreams in Hollywood. “It was very hard,” Millie recalled in a Daily Mail interview. “There were lots of tears along the way.” Greene even assisted the family financially during challenging times.

While Millie booked minor roles in shows like Modern Family and Grey’s Anatomy, lead roles eluded her. “My older sister left. She didn’t want to [live in the U.S.] anymore. It was tears, tears, tears. We went through tough times,” Millie remembered. The family eventually moved in with Millie’s aunt in England.

“I was devastated,” Millie said. “I wasn’t getting work. I thought I was done.” However, shortly after their return, Millie landed the role in Stranger Things, prompting the family to move back to the U.S.

They Have Four Children

Robert Brown, Millie Bobby Brown, and Paige Brown attend the premiere of Enola Holmes 2.

Monica Schipper/Getty

The Browns are a close-knit family with four children: Millie, her older sister Paige, her older brother Charlie, and her younger sister Ava. Paige and Millie have collaborated on films through their production company, PCMA Productions, while Charlie, a photographer, has worked with Millie on various projects, including magazine covers.

Ava has also contributed to Millie’s clean beauty brand, Florence by Mills, which features a product inspired by her.

Kelly Didn’t Want Millie to Shave Her Head for Stranger Things

STRANGER THINGS, Millie Bobby Brown.
Everett

Kelly expressed her disapproval when Millie was cast in a role that required her to shave her head. “My mom was like, ‘No! That’s not happening,’” Millie recalled in an Elle interview in August 2016. “And I was like, ‘Mom, you need to chill out; it’s gonna grow back.’ My mom was against it. My dad and I were like, ‘Come on. It’s fine!’”

Robert Wants to Keep Millie Grounded

Millie Bobby Brown and Robert Brown at the 2018 Time 100 Gala.

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Despite Millie’s fame, Robert is dedicated to keeping her grounded. “It’s important for Millie not to feel under pressure,” he told the Daily Mail. “She’s a kid. She has to do her homework and chores. Everything else is a bonus.”

They Encouraged Her to Go Back to School

Millie Bobby Brown at Osaka Comic Con 2023.

Jun Sato/WireImage

Millie’s parents prioritize education and have encouraged her to continue schooling, even after the success of Stranger Things.

“I’m a UNICEF ambassador, and I take that role really seriously,” she explained in a September 2023 appearance on ITV’s Lorraine. “And I wanted to go back to school just to be able to learn more about economic and cultural issues, so I could have a broader perspective.”

She added, “I think that’s something, also, my parents instilled in me because they believed that if you are passionate about something, you need to understand it deeply.”

In August 2022, Millie shared that she was studying human services online through Purdue University.

They’re Grandparents

Robert Brown, Ava Brown, Millie Bobby Brown, Jake Bongiovi at the premiere of season 4 of Stranger Things in 2022.

Nina Westervelt/Variety/Penske Media/Getty

Robert and Kelly Brown become grandparents in the summer of 2025, when Millie and her husband Jake Bongiovi adopted a baby girl. Millie has expressed that her mother inspired her to be a young mom.

“My mom had her first child at 21, and my dad was 19,” Millie shared during a March 2025 podcast appearance. “It’s been my thing since before I met Jake. Since I was a baby, I always wanted to be a mom just like the way my mom was to me.”

Millie Calls Her Parents Her “Best Friends”

Millie has praised her parents on Lorraine. “My parents are the best thing ever,” she declared. “I’m best friends with them.” She noted she still asks them to accompany her to work.

“When I turned 18, I said, ‘You’re still going to come with me, right?’” she recalled. “I always needed a chaperone, and I said, ‘I still need you.’ So they travel everywhere with me, and they are a huge part of my life and a reason that I am where I am today.”

In a May 2020 Instagram video, Millie expressed her close relationship with her mother. “My mum and I are really close,” she stated. “She’s like my other half. I talk to her about everything, including my career and personal life. She’s my best friend. I have the best mum in the world.”