Joe Keery was born Joseph David Keery on April 24, 1992, in Newburyport, Massachusetts. 1234 He is the second of five children and grew up surrounded by four sisters. 1 Keery attended River Valley Charter School, a local Montessori school, for elementary and middle school. 12 He then went to Newburyport High School. 12

During his younger years, Keery participated in Theater in the Open, a performing arts camp at Maudslay State Park, which sparked his initial interest in acting. 1 However, he ultimately began acting in high school, initially performing there at his sister's insistence. 1 Keery went on to study at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago, graduating in 2014 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. 123

Before his breakout role in Stranger Things, Keery had minor roles in commercials for brands like KFC, Domino's, and amiibo, as well as small parts in TV shows like Empire and Chicago Fire. 123 His first appearance in a full-length film was in the 2015 indie Henry Gamble's Birthday Party. 12

Keery's major breakthrough came when he was cast as Steve Harrington in the Netflix sci-fi hit Stranger Things in 2016. 1425 He initially auditioned for the role of Jonathan Byers but was later cast as Steve, being promoted to a series regular starting in season 2. 123 As Steve, Keery earned widespread acclaim for his nuanced performance as the character evolved from an antagonistic jock into a more heroic figure over the show's run. 25

Since Stranger Things, Keery has appeared in films like the satire Spree (2020), the blockbuster Free Guy (2021), and the period drama Finally Dawn (2023) opposite Lily James. 45 He also had a major role in the fifth season of the anthology series Fargo in 2023-2024, playing cop Gator Tillman. 45 Keery has demonstrated versatility by taking on diverse roles across genres like comedy, action, and drama. 45

Joe Keery's breakout role was as Steve Harrington in the Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things. 12345 He initially auditioned for the role of Jonathan Byers but was later cast as the popular jock Steve. 12 While Steve started off as an antagonist in season 1, the character evolved into a more heroic figure over the course of the show, with Keery earning widespread acclaim for his nuanced performance. 25

Keery was promoted from a recurring role to a series regular starting in Stranger Things' second season in 2017. 123 He continued playing a pivotal part in the third season in 2019 and the fourth season in 2022, as Steve became a fan-favorite character and an integral part of the core friend group. 245 Keery's portrayal of Steve's redemptive arc, going from a stereotypical bully to a protective father figure, was praised as one of the highlights of the ensemble cast. 25 His natural chemistry with co-stars like Gaten Matarazzo also added to the beloved dynamics on the show. 4

Prior to his acting career, Joe Keery was part of the Chicago-based psychedelic rock band Post Animal, which he joined in 2015. He served as a guitarist and vocalist for the group, contributing to their 2015 debut album and 2018 sophomore album "When I Think Of You In A Castle." 123 However, due to his rising commitments as an actor on Stranger Things, Keery left Post Animal in 2019 to focus solely on his blossoming on-screen career. 14

In 2019, Keery launched a solo music project under the stage name Djo (pronounced "Joe"). He has released two solo albums to date - his debut "Twenty Twenty" in September 2019 and follow-up "Decide" in September 2022, both of which earned positive reviews. 12 Keery's music career reached new heights in 2024 when his song "End of Beginning" from the Decide album went viral on TikTok, becoming a major trend used in over 1.4 million videos. 1 The unexpected popularity catapulted the track to the top of music charts globally, hitting #1 on the Billboard Global 200. 14 Keery has managed to carve out a successful parallel career as a musician alongside his acting work.