At this point, we all know of and love the hit Netflix series Stranger Things and if you have not, then look around because you might just be living in the Upside Down yourself. But, what some of you may not know is that not only do these young actors have remarkable acting skills, the majority of them also seem to have some unspoken musical talent. (As if we did not love them enough already.) Here is a collection of the Stranger Things‘ cast off-screen feats.
Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven)
Aside from saving her friends from imminent demise, Eleven actress Millie Brown has a passion for music. Up until recently when she deleted her Youtube account, she regularly uploaded videos of herself performing covers of songs from John Legend to Amy Winehouse, whom was her biggest inspiration. A lot of people can sing well, but what truly makes Brown’s vocal talent more admirable is the fact that she is completely deaf in one ear. She even said during an interviewwith Variety magazine that “if [she] sounds bad, [she does not] care because [she] is just doing what [she] loves.” Watch her sing “You Know I’m No Good” by Amy Winehouse here.
Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas)
If you thought that all of the kids from Stranger Thingsmade their debut in the series, you would be wrong. McLaughlin (along with co-star Gatten Matarazzo) began their lives in the spotlight on Broadway. McLaughlin played the role of Young Simba in The Lion King. Check out his performance of “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King.”
Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin)
As stated above, Matarazzo also made his premiere in the limelight on Broadway for his role as Benjamin in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Gavroche/Petit Gervais in Les Miserables, and Jesus in the 2011 version of Godspell.In addition, Gaten along with his older sister, younger brother, and some friends, formed a band called “Work In Progress” back in 2017. You can listen to their two new singles, “Dream Eater” and “Waste my Time,” on Spotify and Apple Music. Check out their performance of “Dream Eater” at The Loft in Atlanta back in 2018 here.
Fun fact: he also appears in the music video for “Swish Swish” by Katy Perry ft. Nicki Minaj.
Noah Schnapp (Will)
Maybe Will Byers has spent too much time in the Upside Down to really focus on his musical talents, but with the exception of appearing in Panic! At The Disco’s music video for “LA Devotee,” Schnapp seems to be content just sticking with his acting career. Plus, if he continues to play roles just as convincing and seamless as he does in Stranger Things, an acting career is all this kid will need.
Charlie Heaton (Jonathan)
Jonathan Byers is a lone wolf who is a little strange and has a deep appreciation for photography and music. Therefore, it is only fitting that Jonathan actor Charlie Heaton is in a band back in real life. He previously played drums for alternative/noise rock/punk glam/death metal band called Comanechi. Although he does not seem to be in the band any longer, Heaton has posted a few pictures on his Instagram of himself playing the drums with the caption “Back at it!” Although he may or may not be reviving his role in Comanechi, we can be sure to expect great things from him. Check out Comaneci’s Spotify here.
Joe Keery (Steve)
When Steve made his first appearance in season one, he instantly became a heart throb despite his “too cool for school” and “I’m better than everyone else because I’m an athlete” persona. (Let’s be real: we all know it was only because of the hair.) But, he did manage to redeem himself in seasons two and three with his newfound identity as ‘Dad Steve’ which only made the girls swoon harder. But ladies, just when you thought ole Steve couldn’t get any better, wait until you find out that in real life Joe Keery plays the guitar and sings under the stage name of Djo. Keery used to be a member for the Chicago psych-rock band Post Animal, however his acting schedule made it difficult to actively contribute to the band. His love for music remained though, so he pursued a solo career. Dad Steve by day. Daddy Steve by night.
Finn Wolfhard (Mike)
Can we all just take a vow right now to protect this kid at all costs? He can act. He can sing. He plays guitar. AND, he has a beautiful and keen eye when directing film. Make sure to keep in mind that is he only seventeen years old but has been in the industry since he was thirteen. Mike captured all of our hearts with his undying loyalty to his friends and family along with his not-so-secret love for Eleven. Finn Wolfhard continues to do the same in real life with his love for music and the arts. He was previously in a band called Calpurnia that recorded some music and even toured for a year. During that time, he performed a solo cover of “Cooking Up Something Good” by Mac Demarco which gained attention by Demarco himself and resulted in a surprise on-stage appearance by Wolfhard at Demarco’s concert in Atlanta back in 2017 for the both of them to shred guitar. Now, Wolfhard is in a band called The Aubreys, which already has a feature in an upcoming horror movie, The Turning.
(Fun fact: Finn also did a cover of co-star Joe Keery’s previous band, Post Animal, and sent it to him which made Joe cry.)
In addition, Wolfhard has managed to merge his acting talent with his adoration of alternative music by appearing in a few different music videos. He appears in Canadian punk-rock band PUP’s “Guilt Trip” (2014) and “Sleep in the Heat” (2016). In addition, he stars in the Spendtime Palace’s music video for their hit song “Sonora” which he co-directed with his friend Josh Ovalle.
Check out the music video for “Sonora” here.
Frisson Frets 