How Old The Stranger Things Cast & Characters Are In Season 5

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The actors in Stranger Things are now significantly older than the characters they play. With the release of the first part of Stranger Things season 5 – which has received positive reviews – many are curious about the current ages of the cast and how they compare to the ages of their characters.

Even though it took three years for the new season of Stranger Things to arrive after the last one, both fans and critics seem to think it was worth the wait. The new episodes finally reveal Vecna’s overall plan, which explains why viewers are so pleased.

However, the long gaps between seasons do create some problems. The show’s timeline isn’t matching up with how much older the actors are getting in real life, and it’s quite noticeable. Season one of Stranger Things starts in late 1983, while season five begins in late 1987. But nine years have actually passed since the first season aired.

Eleven

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I always forget how young these actors are! As of November 2025, Millie Bobby Brown will be 21, but she was still only 20 for most of the filming of Stranger Things season 5. They finished shooting in late 2024, and it’s been all post-production magic since then.

There’s a noticeable age difference between Millie Bobby Brown and the character she plays, Eleven. Eleven is 16 in the fifth season, but Brown was only 12 when she first took on the role, playing a character the same age. The gap widened because of the time that passed between seasons as production was delayed.

Will Byers

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I can’t believe how quickly these young actors are growing up! Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers on Stranger Things, is only 21 as of November 2025 – he’s the youngest of the main kid cast. It’s kind of cool that his character, Will, is the same age as Eleven – 16 – when season 5 takes place. It really adds to the story, seeing them all grow up on screen!

Mike Wheeler

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Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike on Stranger Things, directed his first movie while also filming season 5 of the show. Despite all of this, he was only 22 years old at the time. Interestingly, his character is 16 in that season, but that’s not the largest age difference between any of the young actors and the roles they play.

Dustin Henderson

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It’s wild to think Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin, is 23 now! But in the show, Dustin is still just 16 in the latest season. He’s a few months older than Finn Wolfhard in real life, but honestly, Gaten isn’t even the oldest of the original kid cast anymore – it just shows how much time has passed!

Lucas Sinclair

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Caleb McLaughlin, who stars in The Book of Clarence, is 24 years old, making him eight years older than the character he plays, Lucas Sinclair. Interestingly, the actress who plays Lucas’s love interest has a similar age difference between herself and her character.

Max Mayfield

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Sadie Sink, who you might recognize from the Fear Street movies, is 23 years old. However, she plays Max Mayfield, a 16-year-old character, in the fifth season of Stranger Things. After ending season 4 in a coma, it’s still unknown what will happen to Max in the show.

Nancy Wheeler

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Natalia Dyer, who plays Nancy, recently celebrated her 30th birthday. However, her character on Stranger Things is still only 20 years old as the show begins its fifth season. When Natalia, along with her co-stars Charlie Heaton and Joe Keery, were first cast, their ages were close to those of their characters, but that difference is now becoming quite noticeable.

Jonathan Byers

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Similar to Nancy, Jonathan Byers is portrayed as being 20 years old in season 5. However, the actor who plays him, Charlie Heaton, is 31 in real life. Interestingly, Heaton, who is dating Nancy’s on-screen counterpart, isn’t the oldest actor playing a teenager on the show.

Steve Harrington

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In the fifth season of Stranger Things, Steve Harrington is written as being 21 years old. But the actor who plays him, Joe Keery, was actually 33 during filming (and 32 when the season was made). That’s a significant difference in age between the character and the actor.

Robin Buckley

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It’s interesting how the ages line up with the actors! While Joe Keery had to bridge a bigger gap with Steve’s age, Maya Hawke as Robin doesn’t really have much to hide. Robin’s 19 in season five, but Maya was 27 while filming – only a seven-year difference. Honestly, it’s barely noticeable when you look at the whole cast!

Joyce Byers

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Joyce Byers is estimated to have been born between 1941 and 1942, making her about 41 years old during the first season of the show. By the fifth season, she would be around 45, which is nearly a decade younger than the actress who plays her, Winona Ryder, who was 54 during filming. This age difference is actually larger than that of any other main adult character on the series.

Jim Hopper

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Similar to Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper was born between 1941 and 1942, making him 41 years old during the first season and 45 in the fifth. Interestingly, the actor who plays Hopper, David Harbour, is actually 50 years old. While still older than his character, Harbour is much closer in age to Hopper than many of the other actors are to the characters they play on Stranger Things.

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2025-11-28 23:49