The Duffer Brothers' Netflix series Stranger Things features a large ensemble of popular characters portrayed by talented actors. While some of the actors already had successful film and TV careers when joining the show, others made their screen debut or had their big break with the popular sci-fi horror series.
While many of the actors are recognized worldwide for their roles in Stranger Things, with the likes of Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard shooting to fame when the show premiered, their range and acting talents can be seen in a variety of other television and movie roles. For most of the younger actors, Stranger Things kickstarted what look to be up-and-coming careers in the entertainment industry.
10 Millie Bobby Brown Takes On The Lead In Enola Holmes
Millie Bobby Brown, loved for her role as Stranger Things protagonist Eleven, led another Netflix project when she starred as Sherlock Holmes's younger sister and the title character in the 2020 movie Enola Holmes. Bobby Brown portrays a strong, capable young woman and a talented sleuth who begins a journey across the country to find her mother when she discovers she is missing.
Brown is part of a talented cast that includes Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, and Helena Bonham Carter. Millie holds her own and delivers a brilliant performance.
9 The Fear Street Trilogy Stars Both Sadie Sink and Maya Hawke
For three weeks in the summer of 2021, Netflix uniquely released a trilogy of slasher movies over three consecutive weekends. The Fear Street trilogy, based on R.L. Stine's novels, followed a group of teens who attempt to break a curse upon their town while being hunted by a series of undead killers.
Maya Hawke, who plays Robin in Stranger Things, features briefly in the first movie in a role not dissimilar to Drew Barrymore in Scream. Sadie Sink, known for her role as Max Mayfield, takes on a more prominent role, especially in the second movie. She plays Ziggy Berman, a similar character to Max, who reluctantly attends a summer camp with her sister in 1978. The campers are left fighting for their lives when a killing spree begins across the camp.
8 Joe Keery Worked With Shawn Levy On Free Guy
Directed by Stranger Things director and executive producer Shawn Levy, Free Guy tells the story of an ordinary guy named Guy who discovers that he is an NPC in a videogame. The cast features Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, and Steve "the hair" Harrington himself, Joe Keery. Keery portrays video game developer Keys, as well as his in-game avatar, "dirty stripper cop."
Keery brings the same nice guy charm to Keys as to Steve Harrington despite playing a character with completely different motivations. Keery holds in own in the ensemble and helps create an entertaining action-comedy.
7 David Harbour Features In Black Widow's Brilliant Cast
In 2021, long-time fan-favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe character Natasha Romanoff finally got her solo movie with Black Widow. Scarlett Johansson led a talented cast that included Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, and Stranger Things' very own David Harbour. Harbour portrayed The Red Guardian, a soviet superhero who was sent to America the pose as an American family with Natasha, Yelena, and Melina.
The Red Guardian, Alexei, is quite a character and very different from Hopper. While he is a strong fighter and supersoldier, he is also self-centered, selfish, and thinks about himself before he thinks about his family. Harbour, Pugh, Johansson, and Weisz have a great dynamic throughout the movie and collectively help to develop Natasha's background and character arc into a more well-rounded story.
6 Winona Ryder Plays An Iconic Role In Beetlejuice
Winona Ryder is one of the most iconic actresses of the 1980s and 1990s, making her casting in Stranger Things very fitting. One of Ryder's best-known and most beloved roles is as Lydia Deetz in Tim Burton's quirky horror-comedy Beetlejuice. The movie follows a dead couple who attempt to scare away the new family that has moved into their house by calling upon Beetlejuice, an eccentric spirit.
Lydia Deetz is a creative yet isolated goth girl obsessed with death and the supernatural and gets caught up in Beetlejuice's plan to return to the world of the living. Ryder's role in Beetlejuice is just one example of her range as an actor and explains why fans were so excited to see her take on the role of Joyce Byers.
5 Finn Wolfhard plays Richie Tozier In The It Series
Like Stranger Things, the 2017 coming-of-age horror It features an ensemble of talented young actors, including Wyatt Oleff, Sophia Lillis, and Finn Wolfhard. Wolfhard portrays the role of Richie Tozier, the loud, foul-mouthed member of the Loser's Club, who take on Pennywise after the death of a young boy in their small town.
Tozier is not unlike Mike Wheeler in his lack of filter when speaking. It is also suggested that his family neglects him. Fans of Stranger Things may find themselves drawn to the It series due to the relationship between the young cast, the sense of adventure and dread, and the looming threat of a monster.
4 The Goonies, Starring Sean Astin, Inspired The Duffer Brothers
Yet another iconic 80s actor, Sean Astin, featured in the second season of Stranger Things. Astin portrayed Bob, Joyce's love interest and an all-around nice guy. However, Astin is known for his long film career, famously playing Sam in The Lord of the Rings, and the protagonist Mikey in The Goonies.
The Goonies is remembered as one of the most beloved movies of the 80s, following a group of teens discovering a treasure map and setting out to find a pirate's treasure. Not only does Sean Astin give a brilliant performance in the movie, but The Duffer Brothers often cite the Goonies for inspiring many aspects of Stranger Things.
3 Paul Reiser Played Miles Teller's Father In Whiplash
Miles Teller may be known by current audiences for his role in Top Gun: Maverick, but in 2014 he starred in Whiplash, where his father was played by Paul Reiser, known to Stranger Things audiences as Dr. Sam Owens.
In Whiplash, Reiser's character watches his son Andrew pursue his dreams of being a drummer at a prestigious New York music school, where he and his band are subject to violence and abuse at the hands of their conductor. The movie is equally as brilliant as it is horrifying and garnered many awards and nominations during the 2014/15 awards season.
2 Natalia Dyer Continues With The Horror Genre In Velvet Buzzsaw
Although it has received mixed reviews, Dan Gilroy's Velvet Buzzsaw is the perfect movie for anyone who is a fan of quirky slasher movies. Set in the art scene of Los Angeles, the film follows artists and collectors who are hunted down and killed by the art pieces themselves.
Natalia Dyer, known for playing Nancy Wheeler, takes on the role of Coco, a timid assistant who finds herself taken advantage of by her bosses. However, her genuine personality and separation from the ruthlessness of the art world save her life in the end.
1 Winona Ryder Helped Start The Heathers Phenomenon
The 1988 teen dark comedy movie Heathers stars Winona Ryder as Veronica Sawyer, an outcast teen in a typical American high school whose life gets turned upside down when she finds her way into the popular group, the Heathers. The movie has become a cult classic and inspired countless other teen comedies, including Tina Fey's popular 2004 movie Mean Girls.
Heathers has also found new life as a musical, premiering in New York but being widely successful in recent years in the UK. However, no matter how many people take on the role of Veronica in future years, Winona's performance will always be remembered as the most iconic.