Stranger Things cast - here's where you've seen them before
Oh YEAH, they were in that thing!
Since Stranger Things' debut in 2016 the cast has ballooned, adding more faces (and monsters) to the roster.
Our group of loveable social outcasts have evolved past the original four of Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Will (Noah Schnapp) – plus Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) – welcoming many new friends into the monster-slaying band.
With the Upside down spilling into the right side up (aka expanding into Hawkins) is it any wonder that the cast is growing too? Hawkins definitely needs to arm itself for way more demon hunters. Especially considering where season five is planning to go.
We may not have much information just yet, but creators the Duffer Brothers have promised "exceptional things" from the finale as well as an expansion on what we know about the origins of the hellish Upside Down. "We hint at it this season, but the final reveal is going to be in season five, and we're excited about that," explained Ross Duffer.
Intrigued? We definitely are. It's going to be dripping with suspense. Thankfully, there's a solid cast who are experts at delivering on all things suspense and horror. Good thing too as the show has taken off its 12A training wheels, becoming progressively darker as the seasons have gone on.
As we reach the end of the penultimate seasons it's about time we reintroduce the Hawkins cast, class of 2022. Who are the actors behind ghoul-busting teens, the nightmarish villains and the adults sworn to protect them? Here's everything you need to know about the cast.
Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
You may recognise her as just Joyce Byers, mum to Jonathan and Will Byers, but Winona Ryder has been in the acting for a game very long time.
The Stranger Things star was born on October 29, 1971 in Winona, Minnesota. Though her stage name may be Ryder she was born Winona Laura Horowitz.
In the '80s she starred in the likes of Beetlejuice and Heathers, before going on to Edward Scissorhands, Little Women, Mermaids and Girl, Interrupted in the '90s.
Her impressive tenure has earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
David Harbour as Jim Hopper
Harbour began acting professionally on Broadway in 1999 in a revival of The Rainmaker. He then made his television debut that same year In Law and Order as a waiter.
He was a regular on TV in the '00s, as well as earning small roles in War of the Worlds, Brokeback Mountain and Quantum of Solace.
Stranger Things made him a star, and he has since appeared in Marvel's Black Widow and Hellboy.
Harbour has spoken candidly about his struggle with mental health and his bipolar diagnosis which took him through some dark times.
Thankfully, he was able to overcome his difficulties carving out a successful career for himself which includes a Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in Stranger Things.
In 2020, he married musician Lily Allen.
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven/Jane Hopper
Millie Bobby Brown's breakaway role may have been for the super-powered badass Eleven in Stranger Things, but despite her age she's been acting for quite some time.
Brown (born February 19, 2004) secured her first role in 2013 as Alice in the fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, a spin-off of the 2011 series Once Upon a Time.
Before she landed her Stranger Things role, fans may have spotted her in hit shows such as Grey's Anatomy and Modern Family – but it was the sci-fi fantasy with an Upside-Down monster problem that really opened doors for her.
It paved the way for her to star in projects like Enola Holmes alongside Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs Kong.
Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
Finn Wolfhard is a man of many artistic talents. Actor, model, musician. You name it, he's done it.
Been the face of Yves Saint Laurent's Fall/Winter 2019 Campaign, check. Released a debut album with his rock band The Aubreys - check. Starred in celebrated film and TV franchises including the film adaptation of the Stephen King novel IT – check.
He seems to have found the balance. Alongside starring in Stranger Things he has also been in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, IT: Chapter Two and The Turning.
Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
Gaten was born Gaetano John Matarazzo III on September 8, 2002.
Like Harbour, Matarazzo began his career on Broadway when he was cast in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The Musical.
Since then, he's acted in The Blacklist and The Angry Birds Movie 2, not to mention his appearance in Katy Perry's music video 'Swish, Swish'.
Matarazzo also has a charitable side. He uses his celebrity status to raise awareness of cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD), a condition which Matarazzo himself has and which has been worked into his Stranger Things role as Dustin Henderson.
You'll soon see him in Honor Society, a teen romance also starring the Spider-Man trilogy's Angourie Rice.
Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
Before taking on the role of Lucas Sinclair, Caleb McLaughlin (born October 13, 2001) began his acting career on Broadway as the loveable Simba in The Lion King.
He gained considerable recognition for the role, which led to stints in well-established shows such as Law and Order and Blue Bloods until he landed a part in Stranger Things.
The role opened more doors for the actor, including a part in the miniseries The New Edition Story as the Young Ricky Bell. He's also starred next to Idris Elba in the Netflix Film Concrete Cowboy.
McLaughlin has referred to himself as an 'eternal student' of the arts, telling Teen Vogue: "I feel like I'll never stop being a student. I'll never stop wanting to learn. I'll never stop wanting to be excited about this. I learn from everybody that I'm around."
Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
Not many can boast about making their on-screen debut in a Steven Spielberg production next to Tom Hanks, but Schnapp can.
Bridge of Spies may have been his first foray on the silver screen, but Schnapp has been acting since he was five years old after being inspired by a Broadway production of Annie.
What followed Bridge of Spies was a lead role in Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie as Charlie Brown, Tommy in the Adam Sandler comedy film Hubie Halloween and more including (you guessed it) Stranger Things.
Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
Sadie Sink joined the Stranger Things cast in season two, though it feels like she's been there from its debut.
The actress, born April 16, 2002, has had a varied career which have included co-starring with Helen Mirren on Broadway (The Audience) an appearance in the Emmy-winning TV show The Americans and her role in Netflix's Fear Street horror trilogy.
In 2018, she squeezed in some time to collaborate with Sia, Kat von D, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara to narrate Chris Delforce's animal rights documentary Dominion.
She was later recognised for her work on the documentary with an Award of Excellence for Narration by Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards.
The actress also played the role of a younger Taylor Swift in Taylor's short film, All Too Well.
Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
Our favourite Stranger Things wisecracker, cross her and you'll owe her a "goddamn Nintendo with Duck Tales". That's Erica of course, not the actress Priah Ferguson, who brings the live-wire Sinclair to life.
Ferguson joined the Hawkins gang in season two. Prior to that the actress, born October 1, 2006, bounced between shorts and one-two episode stints in various TV series including Donald Glover's Atlanta and Mercy Street.
Since getting her breakout role in the fantasy horror she has worked alongside the likes of Tiffany Haddish in The Oath and Marlon Wayans in the upcoming movie Boo!
Of her 'impactful' Stranger Things role Ferguson has said: "It's still surreal, but it's a blessing. It's opened a lot of doors for me. I can't wait to see what the future will look like for me. It's taught me a lot." Away from the cameras Ferguson is also a certified eyelash technician. Good to have something to fall back on.
Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Natalia Dyer explained how a twisted ankle at sports camp led to her acting fate. "The person in charge spoke to my mum and said, 'She's into this. You should go to an audition for this show nearby,'" she said.
Dyer tried out for the role of Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird, recalling, "From there, I fell in love with it."
The actress, born January 13, 1995, has had notable roles in The Greening of Whitney Brown as well as the comedy Yes, God Yes where she plays a Catholic girl troubled by her sexual awakening. You can also see her in Netflix horror Velvet Buzzsaw.
Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
Charlie Heaton was born on February 6, 1994 and like many British actors his early career includes a guest-star role on Casualty.
His early days also featured roles on the ITV crime drama series DCI Banks and the ITV detective series Vera.
The actor also has a few musical bows to his string. At 16 years old, Heaton put his drumming talents to use when joined the London noise-rock band Comanechi and toured with them for over a year.
After landing the role in Stranger Things, Heaton secured a role as powered mutant Sam Guthrie in New Mutants alongside Game of Throne's Maisie Williams and Queen's Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy.
Heaton is in a relationship with his Stranger Things co-star Natalia Dyer, who plays his on-screen girlfriend Nancy Wheeler.
Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
Before he was the shirtless Hawkins heartthrob Steve Harrington you may have spotted Joe Keery in ads for KFC and Dominos.
The actor, born April 24, 1992, also had roles in Chicago Fire and Empire but it was Stephen Cone's indie film Henry Gamble's Birthday Party that would mark his first appearance in a feature film.
Stranger Things was his breakout role and since then the credits have been stacking up with parts in projects such as Slice, Free Guy and Spree.
Keery is also an actor-musician hybrid with two albums released ('Twenty Twenty' released 2019 and 'Decide' released 2022) under the moniker Djo.
Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
With renowned actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman as parents, making a name for herself in her own right has been no easy feat for Maya Hawke.
Fortunately, she's got talent in spades. As well as joining the Stranger Things cast in its third series in 2019, she also starred in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Flowerchild alongside Stranger Things co-star Sadie Sink in Netflix's Fear Street.
Prior to her Hawkins debut, the star, born July 8, 1998, also had a part in the TV miniseries of Little Women playing Jo March.
Maya is also a musician. Her 2020 debut album is called 'Blush'.
Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman
Brett Gelman has one of those faces you know you've seen before but you just can't put your finger on where.
Fans of the acclaimed comedy series Fleabag will recognise Gelman for his recurring role of Martin. Yet, his career spans over 24 years, and he can count Bad Teacher, The Other Guys, Mad Men and Twin Peaks on his CV.
Gelman (born October 6, 1976) began his Stranger Things journey in season two.
Matthew Modine as Dr Martin Brenner
Matthew Modine's role as Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's 1987 Vietnam drama Full Metal Jacket propelled him to stardom.
Over the years he's had parts in several projects which include Birdy, Vision Quest, The Dark Knight Rises and Weeds.
As well as playing the bad doc on Stranger Things, Modine (born March 22, 1959) has more recently starred in the 2021 thriller Wrong Turn.
Paul Reiser as Dr Sam Owens
Paul Reiser (born March 30, 1956) was well known way before he took on the role of Sam Owens in Stranger Things. In the '80s, he was one of My Two Dads in the '90s he starred in Mad About You.
His highest-profile role was perhaps as weaselly corporate snake Burke in Aliens. Later appearances include Whiplash, Funny People and Behind the Candelabra.
Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna
Jamie Campbell Bower is no stranger to playing supernatural creatures.
Before he was the creepy monstrous thing from The Upside-Down he was Caius, the centuries old vampire from the hit Twilight franchise.
He made his film debut in the 2007 feature Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as Anthony Hope. He also played the troubled young Grindelwald from the Harry Potter/ Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Bower (born November 22, 1988) is also a model (with big name labels such as Burberry under his belt) and singer. His latest single 'Devil In Me' was released in 2022.
Eduardo Franco as Argyle
Eduardo Franco was born November 11, 1995.
He is best known for his latest work in Stranger Things, as well as the comedies Booksmart and American Vandal and the comedy thriller The Package.
Despite his many comedic roles making him the perfect fit for the part of Argyle, Franco initially auditioned for the Dungeons and Dragons legend Eddie.
However, he revealed he was pleased how things turned out in the end stating: "I'm so happy it went to Joseph Quinn. He's incredible. He's so lovely. They made a beautiful decision. I back it a hundred percent."
Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson
Speaking of the Hellfire Club leader himself, Joseph Quinn has perfected the role of Eddie Munson, becoming a fan favourite.
Before joining season four of Stranger Things Quinn starred as Arthur Havisham in the period drama Dickensian and had a small role in Game of Thrones.
He was also in the racially-charged historical drama Small Axe starring alongside Star Wars actor John Boyega as PC Dixon.
When speaking of joining Stranger Things cast Quinn (born May 15, 1993) told Digital Spy: "Obviously, I don't think it's a call you're expecting ever. I did a couple of auditions, and then they asked me to get involved. That felt very shocking. But as for joining?
"They're so kind and warm and welcoming. It could have been a pretty intimidating experience, but it was made very open and warm by the brilliant, brilliant cast members."
Gabriella Pizzolo as Susie
Gabriella Pizzolo is an up-and-coming actress who was born March 10, 2003.
Her longest role before Stranger Things was in the Nickelodeon kids animation Butterbeans Cafe, where she voiced the role of Cricket.
She also played the younger version of CC in the TV movie Beaches alongside Nia Long and Idina Menzel.
Much like her character Susie, Pizzolo is a bit of a computer whizz. "I took tech classes in school," Pizzolo revealed. "I would build robots in middle school and it was so fun. We built these bridges in CAD [computer-aided design], we got to test building infrastructure. That's one of my favourite things."
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
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