There is life outside the Upside Down — or at least that is what the cast members who arrived as children or teenagers in the first season of “Stranger Things” are now trying to prove. Nine years later, they are setting out on new paths as global stars with something to prove beyond the series that made them famous.
With the second part of the final season arriving, it is a good moment to revisit their early, more innocent days on set and consider who may be able to turn success into a lasting next chapter.
Millie Bobby Brown — Eleven
In 2016, Millie Bobby Brown was a 12-year-old British actress whose family sacrificed significant financial stability to support her acting dreams in Orlando and Los Angeles. The gamble paid off. Nine years later, Brown, who played the iconic Eleven, is no longer just an actress but what she calls a “multidisciplinary entrepreneurial force.”
She runs a business empire that includes the beauty brand Florence by Mills, named after her great-grandmother. The brand focuses on vegan, cruelty-free skincare and makeup. Building on its success, Brown expanded into a loungewear fashion line designed for Gen Z consumers who feel comfortable in pajamas but still want to wear them outside. Those curious about the great-grandmother who inspired the brand can read Brown’s novel “Nineteen Steps,” based on her life story.
Following the familiar path of rising Hollywood stars, Brown also moved into production. Her company, PCMA Productions, is behind hits such as “Enola Holmes” and “Damsel.”
In her personal life, Brown married Jake Bongiovi, the son of Jon Bon Jovi. He proposed during a romantic scuba dive, and she has since updated her name to Millie Bonnie Bongiovi. The couple also adopted a baby, raising eyebrows given Brown’s young age, without offering public explanations.
Some observers predict Brown may eventually pivot toward philanthropy. She has already shown an inclination in that direction, serving as UNICEF’s youngest goodwill ambassador since 2018. As things stand, little seems beyond her reach.
David Harbour — Jim Hopper
Harbour arrived in Hawkins as the tough sheriff with a two-decade resume in theater and screen acting. Still, it was Jim Hopper that brought him global recognition at age 41, considered late by Hollywood standards. He proved that late bloomers can still arrive on time. During the show’s run, his salary reportedly rose to $350,000 per episode, and today he is one of Hollywood’s busiest actors — and, unexpectedly, a bold promotional reference point for the new album released by his former partner, Lily Allen.
17 View gallery
David Harbour and Lily Allen
(Photo: Gettyimages Il/ Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for SALT)
Like his younger “Stranger Things” co-stars, Harbour used Hopper as a springboard to major franchises. He became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Red Guardian, a role he played in “Black Widow” and “Thunderbolts.” He also showed his range as a surprisingly fierce action-hero Santa Claus in “Violent Night,” which is set to receive a sequel, and appeared in the family adventure “We Have a Ghost.”
Harbour also found himself in the spotlight in the music world, not by choice. Allen, his former partner, released a cathartic album weeks before the final season premiered. One track describes the deterioration of their relationship and alleges emotional abuse, infidelity and a hidden apartment. The revelations fueled rumors of tension between Harbour and Brown, though the two embraced on red carpets. As always, red-carpet hugs tell only part of the story.
Despite the reputational blow and his absence from parts of the final season’s promotional tour, Harbour’s career appears intact. He is moving forward with projects such as “Evil Genius,” based on the real-life 2003 case of Brian Wells, a man forced to rob a bank with a bomb strapped to his neck. A Netflix miniseries on the same story preceded the film.
Noah Schnapp — Will Byers
In 2016, Noah Schnapp was the youngest member of the “Stranger Things” cast, just 11 years old. It was not his first role: before arriving in Hawkins, he appeared in Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies” and voiced Charlie Brown in “The Peanuts Movie.”
In the first season, Will earned the nickname “the missing boy,” spending more time in the Upside Down than on screen. That meant less early fame than his peers but far more internal drama. As the series progressed and Will returned, Schnapp’s off-screen popularity soared, fueled by a massive TikTok presence. The platform turned him into a Gen Z figure who communicates directly with fans in ways even his co-stars did not initially attempt.
Now 21, Schnapp is a full-time student at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, studying entrepreneurship and innovation, with graduation expected next year. Alongside his studies, he co-founded a vegan hazelnut spread brand called TBH (To Be Honest), positioned as a competitor to Nutella, and launched a virtual restaurant brand named TenderFix.
In his personal life, Schnapp came of age publicly. In 2023, he came out as gay. He has since advocated for LGBTQ representation on screen, pledged to choose only authentic roles and served as godfather to Brown’s adopted daughter.
Schnapp also maintains a close relationship with Israel. He celebrated his bar mitzvah there and visited again in the summer of 2023, touring Tel Aviv and posting photos at the Western Wall while putting on tefillin, further endearing him to Israeli fans. During the war, he voiced strong support for Israel on social media, drawing harsh backlash that included antisemitic abuse. He remains unapologetic, earning both criticism and admiration.
Finn Wolfhard — Mike Wheeler
Finn Wolfhard joined “Stranger Things” at age 13 as Mike Wheeler, the group’s unquestioned leader, defined by sharp features and rapid-fire dialogue. Mike became a symbol of romantic loyalty that left many teenagers feeling guilty by comparison. Wolfhard was among the first cast members to land a major role outside the series, playing Richie Tozier in the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.” He later added “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” to his resume, proving that even a ghost hunter can be endearingly puppy-like.
Like many of his generation’s stars, Wolfhard did not limit himself to acting. He directed and produced the horror comedy “Hell of a Summer,” positioning himself as one of Hollywood’s youngest auteurs. He also identifies as a musician and released his debut solo album, “Happy Birthday,” in June 2025, following years with bands such as Calpurnia and The Aubreys.
Financially secure at 22, Wolfhard chose not to settle in Los Angeles, remaining loyal to Vancouver, Canada. He has described his career as “a train station with different tracks,” an approach that may help protect him from burnout — and from becoming Mike Wheeler at 30.
Sadie Sink — Max Mayfield
Sadie Sink joined “Stranger Things” in its second season in 2017 as the outsider Max Mayfield, a tough skater girl who moved from California. At 14, she had to prove herself to a cast that had already become a global phenomenon and find her place within a tight-knit group. Initially, the creators told her she was “too old for the role,” but her range and persistence won them over. After they paired her with Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin, it became clear she was the missing link the series needed.
Sink grew up on screen — her first-ever kiss was filmed on set — and today, at 23, she is widely seen as a standard-bearer for high-quality drama. While some of her co-stars pursued more commercial paths, Sink chose artistically challenging projects such as “The Whale” opposite Brendan Fraser, as well as the lead role in Taylor Swift’s short film “All Too Well,” which amassed hundreds of millions of views. In 2025, she took another major step forward with the lead role in the post-apocalyptic rock opera “O’Dessa,” showcasing her singing abilities, and earned strong reviews for her performance in the play “John Proctor Is the Villain.”
Quality has become her calling card. Sink has also fronted fashion campaigns for luxury brands such as Prada and Armani Beauty. Her future looks equally promising with a role in Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” slated for release next year. Among fans and critics alike, Sink is often ranked as the cast member most likely to remain a major star in the public consciousness long after “Stranger Things” reaches its strange end.
Maya Hawke — Robin Buckley
Maya Hawke, Hollywood royalty and the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, joined the third season of “Stranger Things” at the relatively advanced age of 20, with a career that had yet to gain real momentum. In fact, the role of Robin Buckley — the sharp-tongued lesbian scooper — was her first significant on-screen part, following a handful of commercials and a small role in an independent film.
Robin’s humor and sex appeal stole the show, turning Hawke into a symbol of alternative cool within the show’s 1980s hipster aesthetic. Her standing in the series only grew in the fourth season. In parallel, she launched a music career, became a regular presence at fashion events and appeared in Netflix films such as “Fear Street Part Two” and “Do Revenge.”
She also broke into voice acting with the hit sequel “Inside Out 2,” lending her voice to the character Anxiety — a role that, much like in real life, drives the film’s conflict and narrative. Looking ahead, Hawke is set to appear in projects including the surreal romantic comedy “Wishful Thinking,” opposite Lewis Pullman, while continuing to push back against claims that her career is purely the product of nepotism.
Joe Keery — Steve Harrington
Joe Keery arrived on “Stranger Things” in 2016, having previously appeared in minor roles in small television series. He was initially meant to play the high school bully, but somehow evolved into the group’s beloved babysitter — armed with perfect hair, a golden heart and a baseball bat — a narrative shift so effective that the Duffer Brothers later admitted they no longer planned to kill him off.
Steve Harrington saved the kids more times than he saved his own hair — arguably the more important task — and in the third season even acquired a new profession: managing an ice cream parlor during 17-hour shooting days, an experience that may yet inspire a future career change. Keery is now 33. While Steve remains frozen at age 21 by television magic, Keery himself has split into a dual career: a sought-after actor and a viral musician under the name Djo.
His song “End of Beginning,” which exploded on TikTok in 2024, turned him into a breakout music star, followed by an album and a world tour. After proving he is more than just a pretty face in the fifth season of “Fargo” and films such as “Free Guy” and “Molly’s Game,” Keery is set to star opposite Liam Neeson in the horror-comedy “Cold Storage,” due in 2026.
Natalia Dyer — Nancy Wheeler, and Charlie Heaton — Jonathan Byers
When Natalia Dyer joined the cast of “Stranger Things,” she was several years older than her character, Nancy Wheeler. Now 30, Dyer has steadily expanded her range through projects that highlight her versatility, from supernatural horror films such as “All Fun and Games” to complex romantic dramas like “Chestnut.” She has also returned to television in Peacock’s dark comedy “Based on a True Story.”
Still, what tends to matter most to fans is her real-life love story with co-star Charlie Heaton, who plays Jonathan Byers. The two fell in love on set in 2016 while portraying on-screen partners and have remained a couple ever since.
Despite being at the height of her success, Dyer recently said she plans to take a break from acting after the fifth season concludes, in order to “process the end of such a significant chapter” in her life.
Heaton joined the series at 22 and had to suppress his British accent to play Joyce Byers’ introverted eldest son. Like Keery, he came with musical roots, having served as the drummer for the London punk band Comanechi. During breaks from filming, Heaton appeared in films such as “The New Mutants” and “Marrowbone.”
As for whether he can maintain the momentum of “Stranger Things,” Heaton is pressing ahead. While Dyer plans time off, he is set to appear in the fourth season of HBO’s drama “Industry,” playing a financial journalist, and will also star opposite Mia Wasikowska in the romantic comedy “Twice Over.”