All Grown Up! See How Much 'Stranger Things' Stars Have Changed From Season 1 to Season 5

Winona Ryder plays the role of single mother Joyce Byers on Stranger Things.

"I know a lot of women like that, who are good people but they struggle," she said of her character. "I like that there are sort of different story lines. You really don't know what is around the corner or what is going to happen. It's like putting the pieces of a puzzle together and it's fun to watch."

According to David Harbour, he has become an "international star" since playing Jim Hopper's role on Stranger Things.

"I said I'm on this show that was released this weekend. It's a good show, people really like it. And that was the weekend I realized [that] I'm not going to be able to walk down the street anymore without people recognising me," he told Esquire UK.

From being the cute Mike Wheeler on Stranger Things Season 1, Finn Wolfhard has grown up as one of the heartthrobs of the series. While working on the show, he starred in other projects and began pursuing a music career as part of the indie-pop duo, The Aubreys.

With Season 5 nearing, he teased fans by sharing what he anticipates will happen to his character — especially his love life.

"As far as the Mike and Will relationship goes, I always found it kind of funny, especially last season of Mike just being so clueless," he told IndieWire. "I would imagine Mike is going to be totally accepting of Will, and I really want Will to have a really happy ending. And I think he will."

Wolfhard added, "What's going to be so awesome about Season 5 is that the Duffers are sort of trying to thread this needle of trying to get every character to have their perfect ending. So I'm excited to see what ends up happening."

Even Millie Bobby Brown's hair changed from Stranger Things Season 1 to Season 5. From her iconic buzzcut, Brown unveiled her glow-up as she continued playing Eleven's character.

Gaten Matarazzo is no longer a kid! Since the first season of Stranger Things, he has been playing the role of Dustin, who has the same rare genetic disorder as him.

"I've been doing it for over a decade," he said of his work as an actor. "I'm confident that I'll be able to keep doing it, and that's why I feel excited to join new projects."

Caleb McLaughlin has fully matured since he began playing Lucas' character on Stranger Things. As the final season approaches, he shared what fans could expect from the show.

"Like every season, you never know what to expect. 100 percent the wait will be worth it," he shared.

While playing Will on Stranger Things, Noah Schnapp has shown his acting skills in films, including Abe, Hubie Halloween and The Tutor, among others.

Natalia Dyer has maintained her stunning visuals years after the premiere of Stranger Things, where she plays Nancy Wheeler.

Charlie Heaton is known for playing Jonathan Byers on Stranger Things. But outside Hawkins, he has acting credits in Marrowbone, No Future and The New Mutants, among others.

Joe Keery plays Steve Harrington on Stranger Things. During an appearance on "The Movie Dweeb" podcast in 2024, he teased his character does "get to have some good, good things this time around," referring to the fifth and final season.