Dave Paulson

dnpaulson@tennessean.com

Outside of the Olympics and the conventions, no television event has generated more buzz this summer than “Stranger Things.”

The Netflix sci-fi/horror series – which premiered on the streaming service on July 15 – tells a mysterious tale of alternate dimensions, psychic powers and a shadowy organization, set in a small Indiana town circa 1983.

As it turns out, one of the stars uncovering that mystery is a Nashville native.

Natalia Dyer (“Nancy”) was born and raised in Music City, though she’s spent the last few years in New York City, attending classes at NYU. It didn’t take long for her to realize that “Stranger Things” was becoming a sensation – she was recognized on the street on the same day the show premiered.

“It's been wonderful, but hard to wrap your mind around,” she said of the response.

Believe it or not, it’s been a long road to recognition. Dyer kicked off her acting career in 2004, playing “Scout” in a production of “To Kill a Mockingbird” at TPAC.

How did she stumble onto acting? Quite literally. Dyer’s parents put her in a sports camp when she was a kid, and she ended up spraining her ankle on the first day.

“So they put me in something a little less active,” she said with a laugh. “Which was drama camp. My mom says I came out loving it.”

Dyer graduated from Nashville School of the Arts, and has “the fondest memories” of performing with the Circle Players and other community theatre groups during her school days. She first made the transition into film and TV with a role in “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” and starred in the 2014 indie film “I Believe in Unicorns.”

Making “Stranger Things” in Atlanta with a “wonderful” cast that included Winona Ryder was easily a career highlight for Dyer. She’s hoping she’ll get to do it again, too.

“Part of the life of an actor is just waiting on the precipice of what the universe is going to deal out for you,” she said.

“They haven't confirmed anything for us, and we don't know for sure, but I'm very game for another (season) of 'Stranger Things.' But I'm also looking at projects here and there, and some really lovely film scripts that I've seen come across. I'm always just looking for good stories and complex characters to bring to life.”