Mumbai, May 2 : â??Stranger Thingsâ?? star Gaten Matarazzo has shared his secret to a successful long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Elizabeth Yu.

While on an episode of Chelsea Handler's podcast Dear Chelsea, the â??Stranger Thingsâ?? star shared what he thinks has made his eight-year relationship with his high school sweetheart work, reports people.com.

The pair started dating in 2018, when they were just 15 years old. In the years following, the couple has gone through high school, embarked on their individual acting careers and have experienced long distance.

â??I can't believe you've survived this long with your relationship from that young age,â?? Handler told the 23-year-old.

To which he replied, â??Survive is a funny word.â??

Handler said: â??You've managed to stay together for eight years, I mean that's very unusual. Let's discuss how that works for you.â??

Matarazzo went on to explain that he and Yu â??communicate really, really wellâ?? and have learned how to be apart as they travel for work, reports people.com.

â??A big key to it is thriving through distance,â?? he said.

â??That's kind of what we were thrust into early on. I was working on the show and was also simultaneously pursuing and starting her own career in the same industry.â??

â??So much of our work has to do with us leaving the city and being able to communicate through that and do it very well was kind of a tell-tale sign that this was working pretty well,â?? Matarazzo said. â??It's very rare, I think, that it can feel good.â??

He continued, â??A lot of times, long-distance relationships usually fizzle out because it's so hard not being in the same city as your person. And what's great is that our home base is the same. So anytime we go and travel for work, we know we're coming back to each other here in the city.â??

The actor clarified that he and Yu don't live together but live â??very close to each other.â?? To which Handler quipped, â??Okay, well, that might be another reason why it's working out so well.â??

Matarazzo and Yu started dating a few months after Stranger Things season 2 premiere on Netflix. Around the same time, Yu began auditioning for acting roles, and later made her acting debut in the 2022 film Somewhere in Queens, directed by Ray Romano.

/IANS