Since the first season premiere back in 2016 audiences worldwide have been captivated by the gripping genre bending 80s set series. Combining elements of comedy and drama with horror and sci-fi, Stranger Things has gone on to become one of the most popular and successful TV shows in history. After wrapping up its third season in 2019, fans have been chomping at the bit for new content. Unfortunately, due to multiple COVID-related delays, fans have had to wait even longer than expected, and anticipation has reached fever pitch as it has finally been announced the fourth season will finally be airing May 27, 2022.

With most of the original actors all reprising their roles, it’s also been announced that horror icon Robert Englund will also be joining the talented cast. Some of the older faces like Englund and Winona Ryder might be familiar amongst viewers of a certain age, but much of the cast, due to their young age, have had very little major mainstream acting experience prior to the show. Since then, however, many have gone on to become household names, appearing in multiple movies and shows outside the Stranger Things franchise. Here are some of the other roles you might have seen the cast of Stranger Things play.

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Winona Ryder

     Warner Bros.

Winona Ryder plays Joyce Byers, the mother of Will and Jonathan Byers in Stranger Things, but of all the cast, she was definitely the most well-known prior to the show, making her debut in the 1986 Corey Haim and Charlie Sheen vehicle Lucas. By the turn of the decade, she had become a huge star in her right, thanks to leading roles in the Tim Burton-helmed horror comedy Beetlejuice and teen black comedy Heathers alongside Christian Slater. Her success streak continued into the 90s with roles in mega hits like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Burton’s Edward Scissorhands. She was nominated for Academy Awards for her performances in Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence (1993) and Little Women (1994). Aside from a small hiatus in the early 00s, she has been working fairly consistently since the 90s, appearing in a number of well received and popular movies, including Girl Interrupted, Alien Resurrection, Mr. Deeds and Black Swan. Her main focus at the moment appears to be Stranger Things, but she still makes time for the odd film from time to time, with her most recent being thriller movie The Cow.

Robert Englund

     New Line Cinema

A new addition to the Stranger Things cast set to make his debut as the creepy murderer Victor Creel in the upcoming fourth season is horror icon and classically trained actor Robert Englund. Fitting in nicely with Stranger Things’ 80s setting and horror aesthetics, Englund came to prominence for his role as the serial killing, haunter of dreams, Freddy Krueger in the 1984 slasher flick A Nightmare on Elm Street, a role he ended up reprising a further seven times throughout its franchise. Having become somewhat typecast following the movie’s success, the vast majority of Englund’s large portfolio of work comprises of horror movies, including The Phantom of the Opera, The Mangler, 2001 Maniacs, Hatchet and Urban Legend, to name but a few. Aside from his work on horror movies, he is also a prolific voice actor, having appeared in major roles in the Batman, Justice League and Spider-Man animated series.

David Harbour

David Harbour has numerous supporting roles in movies, including Brokeback Mountain, Quantum of Solace, and The Equalizer, but it was his appearance as the tenacious sheriff Jim Hopper in Stranger Things that shot him to stardom. Since that first appearance, his career has gone from high to high, seeing him appear in the title role of in 2019’s Hellboy and as the Red Guardian in Marvel’s box office smash Black Widow. Certainly not one to feel confined to any particular genre or stay in their comfort zone, Harbour’s next role, according to Bloody Disgusting, is as none other than Santa Claus in Universal’s upcoming Christmas action horror-comedy Violent Night.

Finn Wolfhard

      Columbia Pictures

Prior to his first appearance in Stranger Things at the tender age of 13, Finn Wolfhard had very little acting experience, with just a few bit roles under his belt. After becoming a fan favorite on the show, however, he’s gone onto to appear in numerous box office hits. Following a trend (partly reintroduced by Stranger Things) of playing on nostalgia, Wolfhard is best known for his recent appearances in reboots of classics It (Chapter 1 and 2), The Addams Family (2019), and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2020). He’s even tried his hand at directing, specifically the comedy short Night Shifts in which he also stars.

Millie Bobby Brown

     Netflix 

Making her appearance in the first season as the telepathic Eleven, Millie Bobby Brown, like many of the other younger cast Stranger Things cast members, had limited professional acting credits under her belt before the showed aired. Since then, she has gone on to find great success in her feature film debut as the lead in Godzilla: King of the Monsters and in the Netflix original movie Enola Holmes. Following the success of both movies she reprised her roles in the sequels Godzilla vs. Kong and Enola Holmes 2, which is slated for release later this year.

Gaten Matarazzo

     Sony Pictures

Unlike a lot of his Stranger Things colleagues, Gaten Matarazzo, known for playing Dustin, hasn’t made much of a splash on the big screen, choosing to flex his charm and charisma on the television series, most notably as the host of hidden camera show Prank Encounters. Listen carefully, though, and you’ll recognize his distinctive voice as Bubba in the animated comedy movie Angry Birds 2.

Caleb McLaughlin

     Netflix

Outside playing Lucas Sinclair, McLaughlin is probably most known for starring in Concrete Cowboy alongside Idris Elba. The movie was inspired by the real urban African-American horse-riding culture of Philadelphia and was an unbridled success amongst critics and fans alike. With McLaughlin and Elba receiving particular praise for their on-screen chemistry. Prior to making his television appearance with Stranger Things, most of McLaughlin’s experience laid in stage performing, having played young Simba in Broadway’s The Lion King.

Joe Keery

     RLJE Films

Having a recurring role in season one before being upgraded to a major role in season two, Joe Keery plays popular high school student Steve Harrington. Keery appeared in the lead role in the horror satire Spree in which he plays a social media-obsessed rideshare driver who livestreams a murderous rampage he has embarked on to increase his online popularity. He also played a role in the Ryan Reynolds led action sci-fi comedy flick Free Guy which recently premiered on Disney+.

Natalie Dyer

     Disney

Natalie Dyer plays Nancy Wheeler in Stranger Things, but outside the show you might recognize her in supporting roles in Velvet Buzzsaw or Hannah Montana: The Movie. She is reportedly working on a horror thriller movie entitled All Fun and Games.

Noah Schnapp

Known for playing Will Byers in the show, Noah Schnapp, like Matarazzo, has also done some voice acting outside of Stranger Things, most notably as Charlie Brown in the Peanuts Movie, but he also voiced Kai in The Legend of Halloween. Talking of Halloween, outside his role in Stranger Things, he’s probably most well-known for starring as Tommy in Adam Sandler’s horror-mystery Netflix comedy Hubie Halloween in 2020. Only 17 years old, there are no movies currently in the works, as Schnapp will be focusing most his efforts on Stranger Things for the time being.