Stranger Things will finally conclude in 2025, nine years after the show first kicked off on our screens way back in 2016—and the cast has all grown up in the last decade. Stars like Millie Bobby Brown are tying the knot, Finn Wolfhard is rising to Hollywood stardom, and Sadie Sink landed the lead role in Taylor Swift's All Too Well video. See them at the start of their careers—and how far they've come—ahead of the show's final season.
Millie Bobby Brown – Eleven
Millie Bobby Brown, 20, was arguably the breakout star from Stranger Things Season 1 as Eleven, a young girl with mysterious powers who manages to escape a research facility. She quickly becomes friends with Dustin, Lucas, and Mike and finds a father figure in Chief Hopper.
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Since starring in the show at age 12, Millie has gone on to become a huge star, appearing in Enola Holmes, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Damsel. She recently tied the knot with Jake Bongiovi, and the pair have an array of pets, including tortoises, dogs, rabbits, cats, and a donkey.
Finn Wolfhard – Mike Wheeler
As Eleven's love interest and the leader of the Dungeons and Dragons-playing gang, Mike is a fiery character with a soft side.
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Now 21, Finn has starred in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and much more. He is also in a band called The Aubreys.
Noah Schnapp – Will Byers
Noah, 19, impressed fans with his portrayal of Will Byers, a sweet boy who finds himself in over his head after becoming trapped in the Upside Down.
He later becomes connected to the creatures inside it in subsequent seasons. Outside of Stranger Things, Noah has starred in The Tutor and Waiting for Anya, among other projects.
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He also received widespread support after coming out as gay in January 2023. Likening it to his character Will, who is also gay, he joked, "I guess I'm more similar to Will [Byers] than I thought."
Caleb McLaughlin – Lucas Sinclair
Caleb, 22, had several major roles before Stranger Things, including playing young Simba in The Lion King, as well as appearing in Law & Order: SVU and Shades of Blue.
Since playing the shrewd Lucas in Stranger Things, he has gone on to star opposite Idris Elba in Concrete Cowboy and The Deliverance as Nate.
Gaten Matarazzo – Dustin Henderson
Gaten became a fan favorite in Stranger Things for his role as the gang's jester, Dustin.
Since then, he has gone on to star in several TV projects but has also made his mark in theater, starring in Sweeney Todd and Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. He is currently dating actress Elizabeth Yu, who stars in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Sadie Sink – Max Mayfield
Sadie has arguably had the most impressive career since joining the Stranger Things cast in Season 2 as Max, the new girl in town. Prior to Stranger Things, she played Annie on Broadway - but Max was her first major TV role.
She starred in the Netflix trilogy Fear Street as well as the lead role in Taylor Swift's short film All Too Well, which has garnered over 900 million views on YouTube. She also starred in The Whale, which earned Brendan Fraser the Best Actor accolade.