Stranger Things has taken audiences by storm with the two-part season 4 on Netflix. One key reason for its overwhelming acclaim from critics and fans is the stellar cast of actors, from familiar faces to brand new characters who quickly touched the hearts of many viewers.
The excitement for the latest season has fans diving into any theories, behind-the-scenes news, and any fact list checks they can get their hands on. Developments of the original ensemble continue in the show, along with arcs for incoming ones. There are a few fun facts unbeknownst to fans about the breakout stars of Stranger Things that send fans into an upside-down world themselves.
Joe Keery Wrote An Album
Joe Keery plays the lovable Steve Harrington. As well as an acting career, Keery is also a musician and in 2019, Keery’s brainchild Djo was introduced to the world with a full album, “Twenty Twenty”.
The album is a psychedelic, woozy influence of Tame Impala melodies, according to NME. With almost two million listeners on Spotify, it’s proven to be popular. He worked on the album during his downtime of filming Stranger Things and was a completely solo project. It’s apparently a project Keery plans to continue, with two newer singles released in 2020 and 2022, and talks of a new album.
Millie Bobby Brown Actually Shaved Her Head
Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven has cemented herself as an icon in recent popular culture. Although Eleven went through various clothing and style changes, her signature shaved head in season 1 remains her most recognizable look.
According to IndieWire, the actress, who was 12 at the time, was told shaving her head was necessary for the role. The star recounts, “Ross Duffer comes over to me and is just like, ‘Bzzzzzzzz’ on my head, and I’m like, ‘What’s that mean?’” “And Ross said, ‘Well, you’ve got to shave your head!’” She was told to draw inspiration from Charlize Theron’s Mad Max cut which helped empower her decision. Millie went on to state it was the best decision she could’ve made, and audiences probably would agree.
Gaten Matarazzo Was On Broadway
Dustin has become a very much adored character in the series, played by Gaten Matarazzo. As a young actor, he started off singing on Broadway. Having incorporated his real-life Cleidocranial Dysplasia into Dustin’s character as well as a singing montage in season 3 with Suzie, the Duffer Brothers do a good job using elements of the actor’s life for Dustin.
According to Bustle, Matarazzo played Gavroche in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables in 2014. Since his days on the theatre stage and behind a camera, he has also gotten to sing alongside some of music’s biggest names, including Paramore and Kelly Clarkson. Gaten Matarazzo also has a band called “Work In Progress”.
Maya Hawke Has Famous Parents
Maya Hawke was inducted into the Stranger Things universe during season 3 as Robin Buckley, a now beloved major protagonist in the series. The young actress’s parents are Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, so an acting career was almost guaranteed.
According to Hollywood Life, Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman welcomed the 23-year-old star in 1998. Now divorced, the two Oscar-nominated stars are both incredibly proud of their daughter, who is also making a debut as a musician. On the subject of being the kid of top Hollywood names, Maya has said that her position has made her work hard and hopefully earn her own place in acting. She’s done a great job thus far.
Dacre Montgomery Is A Power Ranger
Dacre Montgomery is known for playing Billy, Max’s big brother who met his frightful demise in season 3. Known for submitting an out-of-the-ordinary audition tape and changing his appearance for the Stranger Things role, Montgomery might not be associated with the “Go, Go Power Rangers” theme song among Stanger Things fans.
In the 2017 Power Rangers action film, Montgomery starred as Jason Scott, AKA the Red Ranger, according to Harper’s Bazaar Australia. The Australian star has begun to carve a well-known name for himself in Hollywood since Power Rangers and Stranger Things. He was also recently cast in the biopic Elvis as Steve Binder.
An Onset Kiss Was Millie Bobby Brown’s First
Starting out in Hollywood as a pre-teen comes with a lot of challenges and a lot of firsts, and for Millie Bobby Brown, it was particularly poignant. She had to not only have a new hairdo for the role but fulfill her first kiss during the filming of season 1.
According to the Mirror, Brown didn’t only share the tender moment in front of the cast and crew, but in front of her parents. She admitted it was the “most awkward thing in the world.” The kiss was just one of the starting points for Eleven and Mike (played by Finn Wolfhard), who have become a strong couple during the series.
Noah Schnapp Has Worked With Steven Spielberg
Noah Schnapp made a name for himself with the casting as Will Byers when Stranger Things first premiered in 2016. He has however worked with some of Hollywood’s best well before renowned movie actress Winona Ryder was cast as his mom. Noah has bragging rights of working with acclaimed director Steven Spielberg as a debut acting job, according to Digital Spy.
Schnapp’s first foray on screen was in the true-life story, Bridge of Spies, which stars Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance. Schnapp played played Roger Donovan, son of Tom Hanks’ James Donovan. Since his childhood, Schnapp has built an impressive resume for himself as an actor.
David Harbour Is An Ordained Minister
David Harbour has embodied his character Jim Hopper in more ways than one. In 2018, the Emmy-nominated actor not only officiated a fan’s wedding but did it in his full Hawkin’s chief officer costume.
According to People Magazine, the encounter started with a tweet: “What would it take for @DavidKHarbour to be the Officiant at my wedding in September?”. Harbour Tweeted that he would get ordained if the fan’s tweet hit 125 thousand retweets and didn’t interfere with season 3’s filming schedule.
Sadie Sink Isn’t A Huge Horror Fan
Sadie Sink, who plays underrated Stranger Things character Max Mayfield and has become one of the show’s most poignant characters. Although she’s creating a name for herself in the genre of horror, Sink has also confessed that horror films aren’t really her thing when it comes to a night at the movie theater.
Sink has gone to admit that psychological thrillers such as Get Out are more her vibe, according to The List. “They do such a great job of developing characters and making them feel true, rather than someone just getting stabbed or screaming all the time”, Sink went on to say. Stranger Things has a great mix of psychological and creepy horror, and Sink is beginning to earn her rank as a stand out scream queen.
Finn Wolfhard Was Going To Stop Acting
Before playing Mike, the de-facto leader for the gang fans know and love, Finn Wolfhard was actually not sure acting was the direction he wanted to head into when he landed the part. After four seasons of the hit series, it’s difficult for fans to imagine anyone else playing Mike.
According to The Guardian, before his audition tape was sent to the Duffer Brothers, Wolfhard landed a part in a film that fell through. The news set his sights on directing, but after further discussing the direction of the show, it was a no- brainer for him. He also recalls underestimating the significance the show would have today, thinking it’d become a cult classic in thirty years time, proving that some of the best things are unexpected.
