Finn Wolfhard Is the Contemporary Renaissance Man of Hollywood.

      Nearly a year has passed since Finn Wolfhard departed from the Stranger Things set for the final time, signaling the conclusion of the Netflix show's remarkable nine-year journey and a poignant goodbye to the character that defined his early years. In the time since, the SAG award-winning actor has boldly forged his own path, releasing his debut solo studio album, Happy Birthday, in June, embarking on a corresponding tour across North America and Europe, and making his directorial debut with the film Hell of a Summer.

      Wolfhard was just 12 years old when he took on the role of Mike Wheeler, the leader of the "core four" alongside Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), and the romantic interest of Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven. After five seasons and nearly ten years, the beloved series that propelled its young cast into the spotlight is reaching its finale. Although Wolfhard and his fellow cast members had a year to come to terms with this chapter of their lives concluding, it was not until the last day of filming that the reality truly hit him.

      In his Toronto hotel room, Wolfhard joins me on Zoom, dressed casually in a graphic T-shirt and jeans. Currently in the midst of his The Objection! Tour and just back from a series of shows on the East Coast, he seizes a Saturday morning moment of downtime, a rare occurrence as the global press tour for Stranger Things kicks off this month.

      "It was the first time in ten years that everyone came to the set to hang out," he reflects on that final shooting day of season five. "I mean the whole crew, the administrative department, and people from Netflix. It was such a remarkable moment." His co-stars had wrapped their scenes earlier, and all attention was on Wolfhard’s last moments portraying Mike. "I looked around and saw so many people I'd never met before because of how vast the production was. My entire life flashed before my eyes," he shares. It's difficult to fully appreciate the significance of a project as pivotal as Stranger Things in his life, but with the insightful perspective of someone much older, Wolfhard merely states, "I don't think I'll ever have an experience quite like that again."

      The cultural impact of Stranger Things is a rare occurrence. The series not only shattered records for the highest viewing hours for any English-language series on Netflix but also garnered over a hundred awards, launched the careers of numerous cast members, and established a new benchmark for contemporary sci-fi. With season five approaching (the eight episodes will be released in three parts toward the end of the year, including the final episode in theaters), the Hawkins crew's battle against Vecna culminates in what promises to be the most anticipated season yet. "More than in any season we've ever seen him in, barring maybe the first, [Mike] is on a mission," Wolfhard divulges when I ask about any plot details he can share. "He's dedicated himself to defeating Vecna and saving his town and his friends. I'm really satisfied and proud of his character development. He takes on more control in this season." Wolfhard has already seen a few episodes with his co-stars, but even after reading the scripts and viewing some footage, he insists, "I believe it has one of the best final episodes of any show."

      Although the Hawkins kids are embarking on their last adventure, the friendships Wolfhard has formed with his castmates will persist. "I remember driving away from the set," he reminisces about that significant day, with Mike Wheeler's bike, a poster of The Thing, and an original demogorgon piece as his mementos. "Sadie Sink was in the back seat, Gaten [Matarazzo] was driving, and I was in the front. I turned around and asked Sadie, 'Will this sadness last forever?' She replied, 'Just give it a few days. You'll be fine.'" In the end, Sink was correct. The pang of goodbye did eventually soften, but for Wolfhard, he might always feel a Stranger Things-sized void in his life. How could it be any different? When they began their roles, many cast members hadn't even reached puberty, and by the time the filming concluded, they were already of legal drinking age.

      At 22, while most of us were gearing up to transition from college to the "real world," Wolfhard and his peers found themselves navigating a stark shift from their tight-knit environment to the vast unknown of a post-Stranger Things landscape. While many in their 20s reflect fondly on the memories shared with close friends over the past few years, the bonds formed within the cast run much deeper. "There was something about experiencing this journey with the Stranger Things cast that we all comprehend how pivotal the last ten years have been for us," Wolfhard expresses. Each has essentially grown up in the limelight, but their