Finn Wolfhard: The Contemporary Renaissance Man of Hollywood

      It has been nearly a year since Finn Wolfhard left the Stranger Things set for the last time, closing the chapter on the Netflix series that spanned an impressive nine years and saying goodbye to the role that elevated his career. Since then, the SAG award-winning actor has boldly pursued his own path, highlighted by the June release of his debut solo studio album, Happy Birthday, a North American and European tour, and his directorial debut with the film Hell of a Summer.

      Wolfhard was just 12 years old when he was cast as Mike Wheeler, the spontaneous leader of the "core four" alongside Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), as well as the love interest of Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven. After five seasons and nearly a decade, the iconic series that launched the careers of its young stars is finally coming to an end. While Wolfhard and his co-stars had a year to process the conclusion of this chapter in their lives, reality didn't truly hit him until the final day of filming.

      Sitting in a chair in his Toronto hotel room, Wolfhard appears on my screen wearing a graphic T-shirt and jeans. He joins our Zoom call on a Saturday morning during a rare moment of downtime amidst his The Objection! Tour, before embarking on a global press tour for Stranger Things this month. "It was the first time in 10 years when everyone came to the set to watch and hang out," he recalls about that last day of filming for season 5. "I mean the whole crew, administrative team, and folks from Netflix. It was such an incredible moment." The rest of his cast members had completed their scenes earlier, and all attention was on Wolfhard's final moments as Mike. "I looked around and saw so many people I'd never met before, given the size of the production. My whole life was flashing before my eyes," he reflects. It's challenging to understand the lasting impact a foundational project like Stranger Things will have on his life, but with a perspective beyond his years, Wolfhard simply notes, "I don't think I'll ever have an experience like that ever again."

      The cultural significance of Stranger Things is a rare phenomenon. The series not only set records for the most viewing hours of any English-language series on Netflix but also garnered over a hundred awards, launched numerous careers, and redefined the modern sci-fi genre. With season 5 approaching (the eight episodes will be released in three parts by year’s end, with the finale shown in theaters), the Hawkins crew’s battle against Vecna approaches its climax in what promises to be the most anticipated season yet. When I press him for plot details, Wolfhard shares, "More than any season we've seen him in, except maybe the first, [Mike] is on a mission. He’s committed to defeating Vecna and saving his town and friends. I’m really proud of his character arc; he takes more control this season." Having already viewed some episodes with his co-stars, he insists, "I believe it has one of the best last episodes of any show."

      The adventures for the Hawkins kids may be concluding, but the friendships that Wolfhard and his cast members have formed will continue. "I remember driving away from the set," he recounts, accompanied by Mike Wheeler's bike, a The Thing poster, and an original demogorgon prop. "Sadie Sink was in the back seat, Gaten was driving, and I was in the front. I turned around and asked Sadie, 'Will it feel this sad forever?' She replied, 'Just give it a few days. You’ll be fine.'" Eventually, Sink was correct. The sting of the farewell softened over time, yet Wolfhard acknowledges that a Stranger Things-sized void may always exist in his life. How could it be otherwise? Many of the cast members had not even reached puberty when they first stepped on set, and by the end, they had all become of legal drinking age.

      At 22, while many are adjusting to the transition from college to the real world, Wolfhard and his peers are navigating the significant shift from their close-knit bubble into an uncertain post–Stranger Things landscape. While most people in their twenties reflect on their past four years with their closest friends, the cast's connections run much deeper. "There was something special about being in this with the Stranger Things cast; we all understood what the last 10 years meant to us," Wolfhard explains. Each of them has essentially grown up in the public eye, but their collective experience means they haven’t had to endure it alone. "I've never felt such love for a group of people," he adds. "There were feelings that even my biological family can’t relate to like my Stranger Things friends can." Emotions such as fear, excitement, nostalgia, and anxiety surfaced during their farewells. "I definitely