You know him as the guy with the hair.
The babysitter. The "King Steve" who went from being a total jerk in a green vest to the most beloved guardian in Hawkins. But Joe Keery—the actual human behind Steve Harrington—is a lot weirder, and way more talented, than the 80s jock persona suggests.
Honestly, it’s wild to think that Steve was originally supposed to be killed off in season one. The Duffer Brothers saw something in Joe that wasn't in the script: a genuine, soulful vulnerability that turned a one-dimensional bully into the heart of the show. Now, as Stranger Things has officially taken its final bow on Netflix, the world is finally catching up to the fact that Keery is much more than a nostalgic archetype.
The Steve Harrington Effect: From Bully to Babysitter
It’s easy to forget how much we were supposed to hate him.
In the pilot, Steve was the peak-1983 popular kid who broke Jonathan Byers’ camera. He was the obstacle. But Joe Keery brought this specific brand of Midwestern charm—refined during his time at DePaul University in Chicago—that made the writers pivot.
By the time season two rolled around, he wasn't competing for Nancy’s heart anymore; he was busy fighting Demodogs with a nail-studded baseball bat and giving Dustin Henderson hair advice. That shift created the "Babysitter Steve" meme, but for Keery, it was just acting. He has this knack for looking like he’s perpetually out of his depth while remaining the most reliable guy in the room.
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Why the Finale Hit So Hard
The Stranger Things finale, which dropped on New Year's Eve 2025, left fans pretty divided. Some people hated the CGI onslaught, but almost everyone agreed that Steve’s arc felt earned.
There was a lot of talk—okay, a lot of Reddit theories—about whether Steve would survive. For months, people were convinced he’d sacrifice himself in a heroic "last race" against Jonathan. While the show ended with a more nuanced, quiet closure for him, the emotional weight was there. Keery himself told The Hollywood Reporter that he was "very happy" with where Steve landed. He basically got to ride off into the sunset, proving he was never just a jock—he was a leader.
The Djo Phenomenon: Dethroning the Giants
Here is the thing most people miss: Joe Keery is currently one of the biggest indie musicians on the planet.
He doesn't do it under his own name, though. He goes by Djo (pronounced "Joe").
He started out in a psych-rock band called Post Animal, but he eventually had to step back because his Stranger Things fame was overshadowing the music. He didn't want the band to be "the show with the guy from that Netflix show." So, he went solo. He put on a wig, wore sunglasses, and released Twenty Twenty and Decide.
Then, something bizarre happened.
His 2022 track "End of Beginning" went nuclear on TikTok in 2024. By early 2026, it was the #6 song in America and #1 in the UK. This week, Joe Keery—as Djo—actually dethroned Taylor Swift on the global Spotify charts.
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Think about that. The guy who played the "king of high school" is now a psychedelic pop icon with nearly 2 billion streams on a single song. It’s a career trajectory that makes zero sense on paper, yet here we are.
The Music News You Need to Know
If you’ve been living under a rock, Djo released a new album in April 2025 called The Crux. It’s excellent. It’s less "80s synth-wave" and more "thoughtful, experimental pop."
- The 2026 Grammy Nod: The album cover for The Crux was actually nominated for a 2026 Grammy for Best Album Cover.
- The World Tour: He just announced a massive tour through South America and Mexico starting in March 2026.
- The Reunion: He officially rejoined Post Animal for their 2025 album Iron, showing he hasn't forgotten his roots in the Chicago DIY scene.
Life After Hawkins: What’s Next for Joe Keery?
So, what does a guy do after finishing one of the most successful TV shows in history?
He gets weird.
Keery has always leaned into indie projects. He starred in Spree, a terrifyingly accurate satire about a rideshare driver obsessed with going viral, and he played a supporting role in Free Guy. Most recently, he showed up in season five of Fargo as Gator Tillman, a role that was lightyears away from Steve Harrington's "mom friend" energy.
Upcoming Movies in 2026
If you’re looking for your next Keery fix, mark February 13, 2026, on your calendar. That’s when Cold Storage hits theaters.
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It’s a sci-fi horror flick where he stars alongside Liam Neeson. The plot involves a highly infectious, constant-mutating microorganism that escapes a military facility. It sounds exactly like the kind of high-stakes chaos he’s used to, just without the Upside Down.
He also voiced John Greenwood in the PBS documentary series The American Revolution last year. He’s clearly trying to distance himself from being "just a TV actor."
The Man Behind the Hair
Joe is famously low-key.
He’s not a "paparazzi" celebrity. He’s the kind of guy who gets spotted at dive bars in Chicago or taking the L-train. In a recent W Magazine interview, he mentioned how he still feels like a Midwestern kid who got lucky.
He also isn't afraid to speak his mind. Just this month, he made headlines for an Instagram story calling out "zero human decency" in politics, proving he’s willing to use his platform for more than just promoting his next single.
Why He Still Matters
The reason Joe Keery stays relevant while other child or teen stars fade is simple: authenticity. He didn't try to capitalize on Steve Harrington by doing a bunch of "cool guy" roles. He did the opposite. He played a psycho driver, a goofy game dev, and a crooked cop's son. He makes music that sounds like a fever dream.
He’s an artist who just happens to have been in a massive franchise.
Your Joe Keery Checklist
If you're a fan who just finished the finale and you're feeling that Stranger Things void, here is how to keep up with Joe Keery's career right now:
- Listen to The Crux: Specifically the track "Basic Being Basic." It’s a great entry point into his newer sound.
- Watch Fargo Season 5: It’s arguably his best performance to date. He plays a character you’ll actually hate, which is a testament to his range.
- Check for Tour Dates: If you're in South America or Mexico, grab tickets for the March 2026 shows. They will sell out fast now that "End of Beginning" is a global anthem.
- See Cold Storage in February: Support his transition into leading man status in cinema.
Joe Keery isn't just "the actor who plays Steve." He’s a Grammy-nominated, chart-topping, genre-defying creative who survived the Hawkins lab and came out the other side as a genuine rock star. The 80s are over, but Joe Keery is just getting started.