Joseph David "Joe" Keery, an American actor and musician, was born on April 24, 1992. He is widely recognized for his captivating portrayal of Steve Harrington in the American science-fiction horror web television series Stranger Things, which premiered in 2016.
Growing up in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Keery attended River Valley Charter School for elementary and middle school, and then Newburyport High School. As the second of five children, he was surrounded by four sisters, which undoubtedly had a profound impact on his upbringing. During his formative years, Keery attended Theater in the Open, a performing arts camp at Maudslay State Park, where he initially began to develop his acting skills. However, it was not until his high school days that he started performing, largely due to his sister's encouragement.
Keery further honed his craft by studying at The Theatre School at DePaul University, where he graduated in 2014. Following his graduation, he embarked on an extensive auditioning process, attending over a hundred auditions before landing his breakout role in Stranger Things.
Prior to his Stranger Things debut, Keery had made appearances in various commercials, including KFC, Domino's, and amiibo, as well as television shows such as Empire (2015) and Chicago Fire (2012). His first full-length film credit was in Stephen Cone's indie film Henry Gamble's Birthday Party (2015).
In late 2015, Keery was cast in Stranger Things, initially auditioning for the role of Jonathan before later submitting a tape for his character, Steve. He was subsequently promoted to a series regular for the second season, which premiered on October 27, 2017.
Aside from his acting endeavors, Keery is also a talented musician. As one of the guitarists for the Chicago-based garage and psych-rock band Post Animal, he has contributed his guitar playing and vocals to their sophomore album, When I Think Of You In A Castle, released in April 2018. Prior to his involvement with Post Animal, Keery released music under the name "Cool Cool Cool."
