Quick answer: The core Stranger Things cast is Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Noah Schnapp (Will) and Sadie Sink (Max), with Winona Ryder (Joyce) and David Harbour (Hopper) leading the adults. Now that the series has ended, the young cast are in their twenties and working in film, Broadway and music. Below: real names, birthdays, ages and what each actor is doing now. Ages as of October 28, 2026.
The show ran from 2016 to the final episode on December 31, 2025, so fans literally watched this cast grow up. Most of the kids were 11 to 14 when they were cast. Here is where they have landed.
Stranger Things Cast at a Glance
| Actor | Character | Born | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millie Bobby Brown | Eleven / Jane Hopper | Feb 19, 2004 | 22 |
| Finn Wolfhard | Mike Wheeler | Dec 23, 2002 | 23 |
| Gaten Matarazzo | Dustin Henderson | Sep 8, 2002 | 24 |
| Caleb McLaughlin | Lucas Sinclair | Oct 13, 2001 | 25 |
| Noah Schnapp | Will Byers | Oct 3, 2004 | 22 |
| Sadie Sink | Max Mayfield | Apr 16, 2002 | 24 |
| Joe Keery | Steve Harrington | Apr 24, 1992 | 34 |
| Natalia Dyer | Nancy Wheeler | Jan 13, 1995 | 31 |
| Charlie Heaton | Jonathan Byers | Feb 6, 1994 | 32 |
| David Harbour | Jim Hopper | Apr 10, 1975 | 51 |
| Winona Ryder | Joyce Byers | Oct 29, 1971 | 54 (55 on Oct 29) |
The Kids
Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven)
Brown was 12 when the show premiered, and her nearly wordless performance as Eleven earned her two Emmy nominations before she was 15. She has since become a leading lady for Netflix, starring in and producing the Enola Holmes films, the fantasy Damsel (2024) and the sci-fi adventure The Electric State (2025). She also played Madison Russell in the Godzilla films and runs the beauty brand Florence by Mills. She married Jake Bongiovi in 2024.
Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler)
Wolfhard was already a horror veteran by his late teens, starring as Richie Tozier in Stephen King’s It (2017) and its sequel. He went on to lead Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and he co-directed the horror comedy Hell of a Summer. He is also a musician who has played in the bands Calpurnia and The Aubreys.
Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson)
Matarazzo started on Broadway as a child, in Les Misérables, and he has gone back to the stage as an adult, including the 2023 revival of Sweeney Todd. He hosted the hidden-camera series Prank Encounters and has spoken openly about living with cleidocranial dysplasia, a rare bone condition that the show wrote into Dustin’s character.
Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair)
McLaughlin also came from Broadway, where he played young Simba in The Lion King. Outside Hawkins he starred opposite Idris Elba in Concrete Cowboy (2020) and appeared in Steven Soderbergh’s High Flying Bird. He has spoken publicly about racism he faced from parts of the fandom and has become a vocal advocate for representation.
Noah Schnapp (Will Byers)
Before Stranger Things, Schnapp voiced Charlie Brown in The Peanuts Movie and appeared in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. Will’s storyline became one of the show’s most personal arcs, and Schnapp came out publicly in 2023. Off screen he has studied at university and co-founded a snack brand.
Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield)
Sink joined in Season 2 and became a breakout star after Max’s Season 4 storyline, built around Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” She led Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy and played Brendan Fraser’s daughter in The Whale. On Broadway she earned a Tony nomination for John Proctor Is the Villain (2025), and she joined the cast of Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).
The Teens
Joe Keery (Steve Harrington)
Keery turned Steve from a stock jock into the show’s best-loved big brother. He has had film roles in Free Guy and Spree and starred in Season 5 of Fargo. He is also the musician Djo, whose song “End of Beginning” became a global viral hit in 2024.
Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler)
Dyer took Nancy from a worried big sister to the show’s most determined investigator. She has favored independent film, including the coming-of-age comedy Yes, God, Yes and Netflix’s art-world horror Velvet Buzzsaw.
Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers)
Heaton played Will’s quiet, protective older brother. He also starred in the Marvel horror film The New Mutants and has worked in British television. Heaton and Dyer, who play Jonathan and Nancy, have been a couple off screen for years.
The Adults
David Harbour (Jim Hopper)
Harbour’s gruff, heartbroken Hopper earned him Emmy nominations and turned a respected character actor into a leading man. He has since played Hellboy, the Red Guardian in Marvel’s Black Widow and Thunderbolts*, and a violent Santa Claus in Violent Night.
Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers)
Ryder was the show’s big-name casting coup, and Joyce gave her a second career peak decades after Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. In 2024 she returned as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. She turns 55 on October 29, 2026.
Other Key Cast Members
- Maya Hawke — Robin Buckley, from Season 3. Also a singer-songwriter.
- Priah Ferguson — Erica Sinclair, Lucas’s sharp-tongued little sister.
- Brett Gelman — Murray Bauman, the conspiracy-theorist journalist.
- Jamie Campbell Bower — Henry Creel / One / Vecna.
- Joseph Quinn — Eddie Munson in Season 4, who went on to play the Human Torch in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Where to Watch Stranger Things
All five seasons stream on Netflix. For why the show still matters, read our piece on why Stranger Things still rules pop culture, and for the ending, our finale explainer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Millie Bobby Brown?
She was born on February 19, 2004, so she is 22 as of October 2026.
How old were the kids in Season 1?
Mostly 11 to 14 when filming began in 2015.
Is Millie Bobby Brown married?
Yes, to Jake Bongiovi, since 2024.
Are Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton dating?
Yes. The actors who play Nancy and Jonathan have been together for years.
Is Joe Keery a singer?
Yes. He records as Djo; his song “End of Beginning” went viral in 2024.
Who plays Vecna?
Jamie Campbell Bower.
What is Sadie Sink doing now?
Film and Broadway, including a Tony-nominated role in John Proctor Is the Villain and a part in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Will the cast return for more Stranger Things?
The main series is over. The franchise continues with the stage play The First Shadow and an animated series.