How Old Stranger Things’ Actors Are Compared to Their Characters (& How Old They Were in Season 1)

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The first season of Stranger Things was set in November and December 1983, starting with Will Byers’ disappearance on November 6th and concluding around Christmas. The fifth season jumps forward four years to the fall of 1987, creating a four-year time difference within the show’s storyline. However, the time between the seasons’ releases is much longer in real life. The first season premiered in July 2016, meaning the actors have aged nine years and four months while their characters have only aged four years. This difference is significant and quite visible in the trailer for the final season.

As a huge Stranger Things fan, I was always curious about how much the kids had grown up over the series! I started wondering exactly how old the core group – the ‘Party’ – were when we first met them in Season 1, and how much older they are now in the final season. It got me thinking about the parents too, especially those who play a big role in the story – how old were they at the beginning, and where are they now? So, I did some digging, and I’m basing everyone’s age on when the seasons actually came out, not when they were filmed. Season 1 took five months to film, and Season 5 was an eleven-month shoot, so release dates felt like the most accurate way to track their ages.

10) Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder)

Like with many of the adult characters in Stranger Things, Joyce Byers’ precise age isn’t revealed. However, she was likely born in the early 1940s, making her around 41 or 42 when Will went missing and approximately 45 or 46 during Season 5.

Winona Ryder, like the young actors portraying members of “the Party,” began her career at a young age, appearing in the film Lucas when she was 14 or 15. She was 44 when she first played Joyce and is currently 54 years old.

9) Jim Hopper (David Harbour)

Just like with James Joyce, we don’t know Jim Hopper’s exact birthday. It’s estimated to be sometime between August 1939 and November 1943, meaning he was at least 44 years old when Season 1 began, and possibly as young as 40 (or close to it, if his birthday is in late November).

David Harbour was born in April 1975, making him 41 years old when Stranger Things first came out. This was fairly close to the age of his character, Hopper, who was established as being born in November 1943. Now 50, Harbour is preparing to play Santa Claus again in Violent Night 2.

8) Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo)

As a huge fan of Stranger Things, I’ve always wondered about the characters’ ages! So, Dustin Henderson was born in May 1971, which means he was around 12 years old when Will disappeared – a really tough time for him and his friends. By the time season five starts, he’s probably around 16 or 17, which is wild to think about how much they’ve all grown up!

Gaten Matarazzo was born on September 8, 2002, making him 13 years and 10 months old when the first season of Stranger Things premiered. That means he was about a year and five months older than the character Dustin at the time. Now 23 years old, he’s roughly six years and nine months older than the version of Dustin we see in Season 5.

7) Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer)

Nancy Wheeler was born between August and November 1967, making her 16 years old during the first season of the show. Since the show jumps forward four years, she’s 20 years old by season five.

Natalia Dyer was born in January 1995. When the first season of Stranger Things premiered on Netflix, she was 21 years old – five years older than the character she played. Now 30, she is ten years older than Nancy.

6) Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton)

Jonathan Byers’ exact birthday is unknown, but it’s likely sometime between August and November 1967. This would have made him around 16 years old when his brother disappeared, possibly a little older – around 16 years and three months. Based on that, he would be about 20 years old during Season 5.

Charlie Heaton was born on February 6, 1994, making him 22 years old when Stranger Things first came out. Interestingly, this meant he was about six years older than the character he played, Jonathan Byers. Now, at 31, the age gap between Heaton and Byers has grown to eleven years.

5) Steve Harrington (Joe Keery)

While Steve Harrington’s birthday isn’t confirmed, it’s likely between August 1966 and July 1967. This would make him 16 or 17 years old during the first season and 20 or 21 during the fifth.

Joe Keery was born on April 24, 1992, making him 24 years old when he started filming Stranger Things. This meant he was roughly seven or eight years older than the character he played. Now 33 years old, Keery is about twelve or thirteen years older than his character.

4) Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin)

Unlike the other main characters, Lucas Sinclair’s birthday isn’t specifically known. He was born sometime between November 1970 and August 1971, making him around 12 to 13 years old during the first season. This means he would have been approximately 16 to 17 years old by the fifth season.

Caleb McLaughlin was born on October 13, 2002, making him 14 years and nine months old when the Netflix show first came out. This means he was at least a year older than his character, Lucas. Today, at age 24, he’s roughly seven or eight years older than the character he portrays.

3) Will Byers (Noah Schnapp)

Will Byers was born on March 22, 1971. When he was captured by the Demogorgon and held in the Upside Down, he was 12 years and seven months old. By the time the events of Season 5 happen, he’s 16.

Noah Schnapp was born in October 2004 and was just eleven years and nine months old when he first appeared as Will Byers on Netflix. At the time, he was only about a year older than the character he played, but now he’s five years older than Will.

2) Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard)

Finn Wolfhard plays Mike Wheeler, who is 12 years old (almost 13) at the start of Season 1, born on April 7, 1971. By Season 5, he’s 16 years old.

Finn Wolfhard was born on December 23, 2002, making him around 13 years and seven months old when Stranger Things first came out. This meant he was about a year older than the character he played. In fact, most of the young actors who played “the Party” were the same age as their characters when the first season was filmed. Now 22 years old, Wolfhard is six years older than his Stranger Things character, Mike.

1) Eleven / Jane Hopper (Millie Bobby Brown)

Jane Hopper, known as Eleven, was born on June 7, 1971. This means she is about twelve years and four months old during the first season of the show, and sixteen years old by the fifth season.

When Stranger Things first appeared on Netflix, Millie Bobby Brown was just 12 years and five months old – the same age as her character, Eleven. Now, at 21, she’s actually five years older than Eleven is portrayed in Season 5.

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2025-11-26 00:15