The lights are dimming in Hawkins, Indiana, but for Joe Keery, they’re just beginning to shine somewhere new. As Stranger Things launches its fifth and final season in three parts starting November 26, 2025, the actor and musician behind Steve Harrington is stepping into a future that’s as unpredictable as it is promising. For nearly a decade, Keery has been a fixture in the pop culture landscape, evolving from a small-town Massachusetts kid to a Netflix icon, and now, to a chart-topping musician and sought-after actor with a fearless appetite for reinvention.
Joe Keery’s journey began far from Hollywood, attending River Valley Charter School and Newburyport High School before studying theater at DePaul University in Chicago. It was there, in the city’s vibrant indie scene, that he first cut his teeth in music with the psychedelic rock band Post Animal. But acting was always in the cards. According to Fanbolt, when Keery auditioned for Stranger Things in late 2015, he originally aimed for the role of Jonathan Byers. Instead, he landed Steve Harrington—a character initially written as a disposable jock, meant to meet an early demise in Season 1. The Duffer Brothers, however, saw something special in Keery’s performance: a warmth and vulnerability that prompted them to rewrite Steve’s fate. By Season 2, Steve was not only alive but had become a series regular, his arc shifting from high school bully to protective, bat-wielding babysitter—a transformation that cemented his place as one of the show’s emotional anchors.
As Stranger Things draws to a close with a finale set for December 31, 2025—including a limited theatrical release—Keery is embracing the end with a surprising sense of calm. In a November 2025 interview with Esquire, he reflected, “It does feel like it’s time.” He acknowledged the bittersweet nature of the show’s conclusion, saying, “I owe my whole career to being on that show and all the opportunities that I had since are because of that show.” But he’s not running from Steve Harrington’s shadow. When asked if he’d be content being remembered for the role, he replied, “If that’s all it is, what a wild ride it has been. But now, I suppose it places me in a fortunate position where I can pursue what truly excites me.”
While millions watched Keery battle monsters in the Upside Down, he was quietly building a parallel career in music. Even before Stranger Things premiered, Keery was active in Chicago’s indie scene. In 2019, he launched his solo project Djo (pronounced "Joe"), deliberately keeping it separate from his acting persona by avoiding his own image on album covers and donning costumes on stage. His first two albums, ‘Twenty Twenty’ (2019) and ‘Decide’ (2022), established him as an artist with a flair for psychedelic pop and introspective lyrics.
Then came “End of Beginning,” a synth-driven ode to his pre-fame days in Chicago. The song exploded on TikTok in early 2024, inspiring 2.2 million video creations and racking up 1.7 billion Spotify streams. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100—a staggering feat for a non-single deep cut. By the end of 2024, it was the sixth most-streamed song globally. The track’s resonance was clear: it became the soundtrack for countless personal transitions, capturing the universal feeling of nostalgia and growth.
Keery’s musical ambitions didn’t stop there. In April 2025, he released his third album, ‘The Crux,’ recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Critics hailed it as his most authentic work yet, with songs delving into his breakup, a cross-country move, and his evolving sense of self. The track “Charlie’s Garden” even paid homage to his Stranger Things co-star Charlie Heaton. The ‘Back on You World Tour’ followed, spanning over 70 shows in 16 countries and selling more than 120,000 tickets in North America alone. Post Animal, his old band, opened for him at major festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits. For someone often labeled as having a "side" music career, these numbers told a different story—one of a bona fide international touring artist.
Keery’s acting choices have been just as eclectic and bold. After Stranger Things, he appeared in Spree (2020), a dark satire about a rideshare driver desperate for internet fame, and Free Guy (2021), the Ryan Reynolds-led comedy that grossed $330 million worldwide and snagged an Oscar nomination for visual effects. But it was his performance as Gator Tillman in Fargo Season 5 (2023–2024) that truly showcased his range. Playing the insecure, rage-filled son of Jon Hamm’s sheriff, Keery disappeared into the role, earning critical acclaim and contributing to the show’s Emmy recognition.
Other projects, like Marmalade (2024) and the experimental Pavements (2025), further demonstrated his willingness to take creative risks. In Marmalade, he played a small-town man entangled in a bank heist with unexpected twists. Pavements saw him star as Stephen Malkmus in a meta biopic-within-a-documentary, poking fun at Oscar-bait music films. Each role was a deliberate step away from typecasting, echoing the career pivots of actors like Robert Pattinson and Daniel Radcliffe, both of whom found new artistic identities after massive franchises.
Looking ahead, Keery’s immediate plans are just as ambitious. He stars in Cold Storage, a sci-fi horror comedy set for release on February 13, 2026, alongside Georgina Campbell and Liam Neeson. The film, based on David Koepp’s novel, follows two storage facility workers facing a parasitic fungus outbreak—a genre-bending project that adds yet another layer to Keery’s growing resume. In October 2025, he signed with CAA, one of Hollywood’s top talent agencies, signaling that even bigger opportunities may be on the horizon.
But music remains at the heart of his next chapter. In March 2026, Keery will embark on a South American tour, headlining Lollapalooza Argentina, Chile, and Brazil, as well as shows in Mexico City and Guadalajara. These aren’t tentative steps; they’re the moves of an artist fully embracing his global reach. He’s also hinted at new music in the works, suggesting that another Djo album could arrive as soon as 2027.
Through it all, Keery has remained remarkably grounded. He openly discusses his imposter syndrome and the surreal nature of his success. When “End of Beginning” went viral, he admitted, “My friend’s wife had to tell me it was happening because I wasn’t paying attention to the numbers.” In a recent ELLE interview, he described himself as “addicted to taking the reins now,” highlighting the autonomy that sets his path apart from so many other actors emerging from hit series.
Whether on stage, on screen, or in the studio, Keery is chasing creative fulfillment rather than legacy or box office milestones. “There’s never been a point where I’m choosing one thing or the other,” he told Esquire. “If I want to go write a metal record, maybe I’ll do that. Or if the right project comes along, I would love to rediscover what it means to act in something.”
With Stranger Things closing a chapter for a generation of fans, Joe Keery is writing the next one himself—one that promises everything, nothing, and whatever feels right. His story is just beginning, and if his past is any indication, it’s going to be one wild, unpredictable ride.
