Jennifer Marshall appeared as Susan Hargrove, Max’s mom (Max is played by Sadie Sink), in the hit Netflix series, “Stranger Things” in Seasons 2 and 4. But she recently expressed her disappointment at not being asked to reprise her role or Season 5.
Jennifer Marshall Wanted to Return for Season 5
On Tuesday, January 5, Marshall posted a video on Instagram to share her thoughts on being excluded from the show and how much it would have helped her to pay her medical bills relating to cancer treatment.
“I had cancer, I get it. But I was in remission during the shooting of season five. Shooting would have helped me obtain my health insurance through the union,” she wrote in the caption. “Maybe they had too many characters, idk but obv Susan Hargrove is THE WORST MOTHER EVER LMAO. #strangerthings #strangerthings5 #cancer #cancersucks #butwhy.”
Fans flooded the comment section with support. “I was wondering about that. Figured there would be a hospital scene with you at some point,” a fan wrote. “Hope you are feeling well you look great!” another person shared.
Other reactions include, “I hope you are feeling better!,” “Jenn, you’re an amazing actress, and I miss doing workshop scenes with you. Congrats on all your success,” and “I did not know that you had cancer! I’m so glad you beat it!! You were 100% missed we’ve all been asking about you and I think it’s a very valid question.”
Jennifer Marshall Shares Cancer Journey
Marshall shared her cancer publicly, writing a Facebook post on October 22, 2022, to give fans a health update. She posted a photo of herself in a hospital bed and wrote a lengthy caption about her diagnosis.
“I gripped the phone in my hand as tears streamed down my cheeks and I struggled to catch my breath. Ten days earlier, I had surgery to remove stage one cancer from my foot,” she wrote. “Given its depth, the odds of it spreading were extremely small. Referencing a study, the surgeon explained to me that I had about a 3 percent chance of it spreading into my lymph nodes, and to remain calm and not delve into the worst-case scenario. When he gently revealed that it had spread, the sounds around me became muffled, everything seemed to move in slow motion, and I experienced tunnel vision.”
Marshall continued, “Against all odds, my cancer had spread from stage one to stage three in a frighteningly short amount of time. This was the beginning of a hellish 18 months.” She also revealed how she had first learned of her cancer in December 2020, and she had her first surgery on January 11, 2021, and learned how it had progressed on January 22, 2021.
“The next 15 months was grueling. There is no other word to explain it. Every cancer survivor reading this is probably nodding their head in agreement,” she wrote. “I couldn’t be open and honest with anyone except for my close friends. I feared losing acting opportunities and not being able to pay my mortgage. During all this, I was in the middle of shooting season four of Stranger Things.”
Jennifer Marshall Praises Sadie Sink
Marshall recalled how people had remarked on her loss of weight without understanding the reason why, but when they did learn of her cancer, they were supportive. Marshall shared how she had to use a wig in the series because her hair was falling out, and prais
ed Sink, writing how her “kindness and compassion overwhelmed me, and I’m forever thankful for those moments we shared behind the scenes. She’s an incredible talent, but more importantly, a caring and kind human being.”
