The Casting Process for “Stranger Things”

Since its 2016 debut, “Stranger Things” has been one of Netflix’s most popular original programs. The popular show follows a group of adventurous children from Hawkins, Indiana, as they fight against Demogorgons, Soviet agents, and wicked scientists.

Many of its young stars, including Millie Bobby Brown and Noah Schnapp, had their careers launched by the show. You might be the next. This comprehensive guide explains all you need to know about getting cast on “Stranger Things” in advance of the show’s final season, which premieres in 2025.

What does “Stranger Things” focus on?

“Stranger Things” was created by Matt and Ross Duffer, also known as the Duffer brothers. They are also showrunners and executive producers. Filming for the series started in November 2015 in and around Atlanta, and on July 15, 2016, it made its Netflix debut. (Warning of spoilers!)

Season 1 of “Stranger Things,” which takes place in the early 1980s, introduces viewers to the Upside Down, a horrific parallel realm. A doorway to the Upside Down emerges as a result of the clandestine supernatural experiments conducted at Hawkins National Laboratory, enabling a supernatural being known as the Demogorgon to kidnap 12-year-old Will Byers (Noah Schnapp).

Will’s mother, Joyce (Winona Ryder), and his friends and family spend the remainder of the season trying to save him with the aid of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), a psychokinetic girl who fled the lab. The Mind Flayer, a huge, spider-like creature from the Upside Down that has taken possession of Will, is first seen in Season 2. The children must cooperate once more to lock the gate, this time with the assistance of Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), a recent addition.

Eleven eventually defeats the Mind Flayer, but Hawkins sheriff Jim Hopper (David Harbour) appears to have to give his life to turn off the Russian machine that is keeping the portal open. Season 3 begins a year later and centers on the opening of the new Starcourt Mall, which is a covert base for a Soviet lab that is attempting to reopen the gateway to the Upside Down.

Season 4 is divided into two sections and has three plotlines. Another group that has relocated to California is searching for Eleven as she tries to regain her abilities, while the children in Hawkins are entrusted with investigating the enigmatic killings of teenagers in their neighborhood. Hopper, meanwhile, is at the mercy of another Demogorgon in a Russian prison. Is everyone going to survive? The answer won’t be revealed until Season 5.

Hawke opened up about Season 5 on Podcrushed, stating, “[they’re] making basically eight movies, and that “the episodes are very long.” The final season is anticipated to debut sometime in 2025, and he claims that the episodes will feel like movies. On July 15, Netflix also released a behind-the-scenes video hinting at the upcoming season, in which Schnapp stated that he believes “this is going to be the best season yet.”

Who makes up the “Stranger Things” cast?

“Stranger Things” included the following stars in its first three seasons:

• Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown

• Joyce Byers, played by Winona Ryder

• Jim Hopper, played by David Harbour

• Mike Wheeler, played by Finn Wolfhard

• Dustin Henderson, played by Gaten Matarazzo

• Lucas Sinclair, played by Caleb McLaughlin

• Schnapp Noah as Will Byers

• Nancy Wheeler, played by Natalia Dyer

• Jonathan Byers played by Charlie Heaton

• As Steve Harrington, Joe Keery

• Max Mayfield, played by Sadie Sink

• Cara Buono in the role of Karen Wheeler

• Martin Brenner, played by Matthew Modine

• Sam Owens, played by Paul Reiser

• Erica Sinclair, played by Priah Ferguson

• Billy Hargrove, played by Dacre Montgomery

• Robin Buckley, played by Maya Hawke.

Many new permanent and recurring cast members were added for Season 4, including:

• Peter Mallard, played by Jamie Campbell Bower

• Murray Bauman, played by Brett Gelman

• Argyle’s Eduardo Franco

• Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn

• Englund Robert as Victor Creel

• Tom Wlaschiha as Antonov Dmitri

• Lieutenant Colonel Jack Sullivan played by Sherman Augustus

• Jason Carver, played by Mason Dye

• Yuri, played by Nikola Djuricko

• Vickie (Amybeth McNulty)

• In the role of Patrick McKinney, Myles Truitt

• Kelley, the counselor, played by Regina Ting Chen

• Chrissy, played by Grace Van Dien

According to Us Weekly, “Terminator” actor Linda Hamilton will be joining the cast of Season 5, although specifics of her character are being kept under wraps.

Ross and Matt Duffer, the character’s creators, provided me with the character’s shape, but not the plot. because their story requires extreme caution. Hamilton told the newspaper, “I’m still not sure how it ends.”

The cast of Season 5 will also include Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, and Alex Breaux in addition to Hamilton.

What is the “Stranger Things” casting procedure?

Finding the perfect actors for “Stranger Things” has always been about personality, according to casting director Carmen Cuba. “The original cast members are all real individuals,” she told us in an interview. Not one of those children crosses over into another’s emotional or energetic zone. It was difficult to add to that and include more unique types, but I constantly return to the show’s writing because it is so powerful that it really does help in many ways.

“They began by creating content that wasn’t even from Stranger Things.” “I believe it came from ‘Stand By Me,'” she added. The fact that they were all reading the same material after that helped to highlight their differences from one another. Although we didn’t specifically discuss it, casting directors generally deal with that since no one is pleased when they see their cast and everyone feels the same way.

Read Also: How to Be Cast in “Severance”

Since the show’s popularity has increased dramatically over time, more well-known actors have expressed interest in appearing on it. However, as Cuba pointed out, “We wanted to keep the show feeling true to what it was, so that became a hurdle for us.”

It would be quite evident what we were doing if we lost ourselves, got overly enthused, and put someone who didn’t make sense in it. We had to exercise self-control while still seeking the original cast’s authenticity and individuality. For unknowns who haven’t yet made it to the A-list, that’s what makes the program such a breeding ground.

When does “Stranger Things” Season 5 filming begin?

Netflix revealed that filming for the final season of “Stranger Things” was completed on December 20. “That’s a wrap on ‘Stranger Things,'” Netflix wrote when announcing the news on X alongside some set photographs from Season 5. See you in 2025.

After being postponed because to the writers’ strike, “Stranger Things” Season 5 production finally started in early January. To make the announcement, Netflix posted a picture of the cast back on work on January 8.

In an interview with In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast, Matarazzo disclosed that on September 8, his birthday, the cast rehearsed the final episode of the series. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile”) will direct multiple episodes of Season 5, according to additional information released a few days later by The Daily Beast.

Darabont stated, “My wife and I truly adore this show, which is what really pulled me out of retirement.” “There are a lot of terrible people doing terrible things out of greed in our programming right now, but ‘Stranger Things’ has a lot of compassion. What I truly responded to was that positivity.

Netflix unveiled the “Stranger Things” Season 5 episode names on November 6:

• “The Crawl”

• “The Disappearance of [Retracted Name]”

• “The Turnbow Trap”

• “Sorcerer”

• “Astonish Jock”

• “Get out of Camazotz.”

• “The Bridge”

• “The Right Side Up”

The first lines of Season 5’s script were posted on X back in November 2023, giving viewers a preview of the final season. They also disclosed that “Chapter One: The Crawl” is the title of the first episode.

Despite being the final season of the series, there are still chances to fight Demogorgons. Ted Sarandos of Netflix stated that “Stranger Things” is “a franchise being born” at the 2021 Code Conference. “There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of ‘Stranger Things’: new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes,” the Duffer brothers wrote in an open letter shortly after that revelation.

Then, in 2022, Netflix verified through X that the Duffer Brothers had established Upside Down Pictures, their own production company. According to the release, the production business would “develop film and television projects as part of their overall deal with Netflix.”

Where are casting calls and auditions for “Stranger Things” held?

While there aren’t any casting calls for “Stranger Things” right now, you can always look through our list of TV shows and sci-fi projects that are comparable to the show to see if there are any upcoming openings.

Additionally, it’s a good idea to keep visiting our casting call section. In the past, Heather Taylor of Casting TaylorMade has used us to find background players for “Stranger Things,” ranging from “old, creepy, or strange character types” to “seedy neighborhood patrons.” More extras will undoubtedly be required for the CD once Season 5 filming begins.

Local actors will have the best chance of landing background roles because the series is filmed in Atlanta, and since background work frequently does not offer relocation or travel stipends, being local is essential to getting repeat work as an extra.

However, keep in mind that you will probably need to go through your representation for larger speaking roles, such as series regulars, recurring characters, guest stars, co-stars, or contractors. Do you not have an agent?

Who is the “Stranger Things” casting director?

The series’ CD is titled Cuba. Cuba, who is based in Los Angeles, has contributed to television shows and movies such as “Devs,” “Mrs. America,” “Vida,” “The Florida Project,” “Looking,” “The Martian,” and “Magic Mike.”

When it came time to cast “Stranger Things,” Matt Duffer said, “Everyone recognized really early on that if we had even one kid who wasn’t good, it would take the whole ship down. So we just started looking really, really early on.

At that point, we simply had the pilot script, and we had so little material that we were really having people audition with sequences from ‘Stand By Me.’ ” In the end, they “discovered four children with whom we simply fell in love.” In actuality, some of them matched the characters in the script, while others didn’t.

Executive producer Shawn Levy stated, “We never really operated with respect for conventional rules,” in reference to the adult leads. In 2015, Winona Ryder was not receiving many job offers. Although David Harbour was receiving employment offers, they were typically ranked seven to twelve on the call sheet.

After attending David’s audition and spending four hours drinking tea with Winona, we were positive that we had discovered our Joyce and our Hopper. When we sat across the table from those performers, we simply knew how our characters felt, and we wanted to try that. My argument is that the best casting ideas are frequently not the most obvious ones.

“[Carmen] was seeing a bunch of New York actors, and I just remember getting a text from her saying, ‘Watch David Harbour right now!'” Matt Duffer echoed this view. As we watched, we said, “Boom.” That’s all. That’s our man. Our Hopper is that.

What are the best audition strategies for obtaining a job on “Stranger Things”?

Take a look at these tips from the cast and the show’s CD on how to get ready for a “Stranger Things” audition—and perhaps even turn the room upside down.

“I remember for [2014 film] ‘I Believe in Unicorns,’ I ended up taping a few extra scenes from it and sending it,” the actor said, “because that was one where I really, really, really wanted it. I think it’s a good strategy if you can do something [extra].” Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler) suggests showing the casting director everything you have at your disposal.

The trick for an actor is to say, “This is me, this is my version—take it or leave it. It’s a hard thing to do.” It’s difficult to know if they want more or if that will actually turn them off. The most important thing is to be confident in what you’re giving them.

Avoid becoming overly engrossed in the spectacular. Instead of relying too much on the sci-fi elements of the show, Montgomery used genuine empathy to portray local Hawkins bad boy Billy Hargrove. “The Season 3 arc significantly altered the situation. He said us, “I was on the verge of having two characters constantly on stage: the possessed Billy and the Billy beneath that.”

“I tried to show the latter—the personality fighting for control of the spot—in my eyes, and then the [former] in the physicality. I played it [thinking about] a real-world example like that, instead of playing into the science fiction and fantastical element.” I spent a lot of time researching people with bipolar disorder and split personality disorder, studying how one personality controls the spot and how the other fights for that.

Do not undervalue yourself if you are a child actor or a teenager. Cuba was looking for artists, regardless of age, who were grounded and genuine for the program. “We held the kids and teens to the same standard, and we needed every single actor to have a subtlety and an inner life that didn’t necessarily need words to define them,” she said.

“It’s evident that we weren’t considering them as children or teenagers in the process—the Duffer brothers truly expected them to be able to deliver a very rich human experience regardless of what age body they were in,” the statement reads.

It helps to have prior credits. Cuba clarified, “It sometimes matters a lot to me when it comes to child actors if they have previous acting experience, and sometimes it doesn’t matter at all.” The director’s approach, the function and extent of their responsibilities, and the basic fact of the amount of time allotted for shooting all play a part.

In this instance, it was fairly obvious right away that performers who could access and execute the parts quickly and who had some sort of expertise understanding the amount of work they would require would be very beneficial.

Get ready, but also be flexible. “I think the best habit an actor can have is to prepare enough that, even if it’s not for a playful role, he or she can use that preparation to feel confident and playful in the audition,” Cuba stated. It’s also crucial for them to refrain from passing judgment on themselves while they are experiencing it, even if they feel like it’s going in the wrong direction.

Entering these spaces and putting all of your energy into these little moments is really vulnerable; the important thing is to fill them with genuine creative interchange. Probably the worst habit is to prepare something so precisely that it creates conflict and prevents you from being present when the director or casting director instructs you to change it or do it differently.