Stranger Things Came Out 6 Years Ago: See the Cast Then and Now

It's been six years since Stranger Things season one debuted on Netflix. See how the child stars transformed into talented young adults below.

By Alyssa Ray Jul 15, 2022 10:39 PMTags

It's been six years since the world met telekinetic Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and her friends in Hawkins, Ind.

That's right, season one of Netflix's Stranger Things debuted July 15, 2016 with eight mind-blowing episodes. Since then, the show's youthful stars—Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery and Brown—have blossomed into young professionals, tackling even heavier subjects on the celebrated drama.

For instance, Sink's Max Mayfield struggled with depression in season four, after watching her stepbrother Billy (Dacre Montgomery) die at the hands of one of the Upside Down's monsters. Because of this, Max became a target of villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and experienced a terrifying bout of torture.

"I felt really grateful that [Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers] trusted me with this plotline," Sadie exclusively told E! News in May. "It's a gut-wrencher for sure."

Now with season five in the works, we can only imagine what's next for our favorite ensemble of young stars. 

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Stranger Things Season 5: Everything We Know

While we wait for season five updates, we invite you to look back at the Stranger Things cast's transformation from cute kids to talented adults. Keep reading:

Millie Bobby Brown, 2014
Millie Bobby Brown, 2022
Gaten Matarazzo, 2012
Gaten Matarazzo, 2022
2016
2016
Caleb McLaughlin, 2015
Caleb McLaughlin, 2022
Noah Schnapp, 2015
Noah Schnapp, 2022
2017
2017
Natalia Dyer, 2009
Natalia Dyer, 2022
Joe Keery, 2016
Joe Keery, 2022
2018
2018
Finn Wolfhard, 2017
Finn Wolfhard, 2022
Sadie Sink, 2013
Sadie Sink, 2022
2019
2019
Priah Ferguson, 2017
Priah Ferguson, 2022
Maya Hawke, 2013
Maya Hawke, 2022
2020
Charlie Heaton, 2016
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View More Photos From Stranger Things Kids Through the Years
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