Stranger Things: Shocking Early Screen Beginnings of Eleven, Mike, Dustin Before Global Stardom!

Tomorrow, the final season of Stranger Things will bring a close to nine years of supernatural adventures. From 2016 to 2025, stars like Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and others transitioned from unknown child actors to global celebrities.

But before the town of Hawkins, the Upside Down, and the Demogorgons, how did these young talents get their start? Here’s a look back at some surprising early appearances, from Broadway to TV shows and even encounters with Hollywood giants!

Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven): Just Three Months in Hollywood

Millie Bobby Brown landed her first television role just three months after arriving in Hollywood. At the tender age of nine, she got the part of young Alice in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, the short-lived spin-off of Once Upon a Time that aired in 2013. It was a brief but memorable role: In the pilot, she played Alice finally escaping Wonderland, then returned in episode 5 as a spectral “evil Alice”.

A fascinating detail: According to IMDb, she landed this role after a single self-taped audition. Born in Spain to British parents, Millie moved several times before a Hollywood talent scout noticed her “un-teachable instinct” at an acting workshop in Orlando. She continued with roles in Intruders, NCIS, and Grey’s Anatomy before becoming Eleven.

Finn Wolfhard (Mike): An Unexpected Start on Craigslist

Finn Wolfhard got his first acting job…on Craigslist. The classifieds website, often the butt of jokes, was the launching pad for his career in 2012, when he appeared in a music video for the singer Facts. The Canadian actor, who originally dreamed of becoming a director like his father, used acting as a “great way to get into the industry”.

In 2013, he appeared in the short film Aftermath alongside his brother Nick, then in 2014 landed his first significant TV role in The 100. He played Zoran, a young desert boy with a radiation-deformed face who helps the character Jaha. It was a brief but impactful role in a post-apocalyptic series that foreshadowed his attraction to sci-fi. He also made an appearance in Supernatural in 2015 before auditioning for Stranger Things…while sick in bed, in his pajamas.

Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin): From Broadway to Terrorism in Blacklist

Before he made America laugh with his iconic lines and hat, Gaten Matarazzo shone on Broadway. At eight years old, he played Benji in the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, then took on the iconic role of Gavroche in Les Misérables in 2014.

Suffering from cleidocranial dysplasia (a rare bone disease that he shares with his character Dustin), he uses his fame to raise awareness about the condition. His first television role came in February 2015 in Blacklist, where he played Finn, a child manipulated by a murderous cult and turned into a suicide bomber behind the wheel of a rigged van. A role far from the jovial Dustin, proving his acting versatility at just 12 years old.

Noah Schnapp (Will): Spielberg and Tom Hanks Sing for His Birthday

Noah Schnapp probably holds the record for the most prestigious career start in the group. At nine, he landed a role in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, where he played Roger Donovan, the son of Tom Hanks’ character. A fun anecdote: During the shoot in 2014, Spielberg and Hanks sang Happy Birthday to him on his 10th birthday…and Noah had no idea who they were.

“I laugh when I see that video of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks wishing me a happy birthday on my first movie when I had no idea who they were,” he later admitted on Instagram. That same year, he voiced Charlie Brown in The Peanuts Movie. According to Schnapp, Spielberg taught him “the basics” of acting. Not a bad first masterclass.

Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas): From Lion King to a 10-Year-Old Psychopath

Caleb McLaughlin also started on Broadway, but in one of the most iconic musicals: The Lion King. From 2012 to 2014, he played young Simba, a performance that opened the doors to television for him. Trained in dance (ballet, tap, jazz) at the Harlem School of the Arts, he first appeared in a short film titled Noah Dreams of Origami Fortunes in 2012, before making his TV debut in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2013.

His character? A 10-year-old boy revealed to be a psychopath. A stark contrast with the loyal and brave Lucas he’s played since 2016. Caleb has courageously spoken about the racism he faced as the only main black actor on Stranger Things, notably at conventions where some fans avoided his queue.

Sadie Sink (Max): From Annie to Espionage

Sadie Sink grew up on stage. After falling in love with theater at seven after seeing High School Musical, she landed the title role in a regional production of Annie at eight, then moved to Broadway in 2012 for the same musical. Her first TV role came in 2013 in The Americans, the Emmy-winning espionage series.

She played Lana, the daughter of a man who serves as a contact for a hitman targeting American scientists. A brief but impactful role in a critically acclaimed series. In 2015, she even played a young Queen Elizabeth II alongside Helen Mirren in the Broadway play The Audience. Since then, she’s made a splash with Fear Street and The Whale with Brendan Fraser.

And if you’re interested in our theories on season 5, from the most outlandish to the most probable, check out our dedicated video:

From Broadway to guest stars on crime dramas, from Spielberg to sci-fi sets, the six young stars of Stranger Things all took different paths to Hawkins. Their varied beginnings all demonstrate one thing: talent gets noticed early. And eight years later, they’re preparing to take their final bow in a highly anticipated last season.