In July 2016, Netflix introduced the world to the unforgettable cast of one of their biggest hits, Stranger Things. Among this talented group came the Burton Queen Winona Ryder, the multi-faceted David Harbour, and many child stars making their big debuts on the small screen.

However, a casting unlike any other was that of Joe Keery's Steve Harrington, the then 24-year-old who took up the mantle of Hawkins High King and soon-to-be den mother of The Party's headstrong youths.

Though not his first role, it was meant to be just as short-lived as any of the others. Being the third-oldest member of the cast after Ryder and Harbour also meant that playing a high school student could only last for so long.

Thankfully, his character quietly graduated prior to the events of season three, though it seems like college is not on the table for Steve it fits well in the context of both the show and his character's nature.

Who Was Joe Keery Before Stranger Things?

Prior to his beloved role, Keery was the king of an entirely different television division, commercials. From Domino's to Nintendo, he used his looks to push fast food and fun like no other. In addition, Keery had several minor roles in fan favorites such as Fox's Empire and NBC's Chicago Fire.

Keery even played a part in Stephen Cone's indie hit Henry Gamble's Birthday Party, and was awarded the SHOUT Jury Award and the Audience Narrative Award at the 2015 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Though he kept himself as busy as possible between his auditions, roles, and music career under the names Cool Cool Cool and Djo respectively, he wasn't a household name until taking the Stranger Things role.

How Did Keery Land His Stranger Things Role?

With the show mainly centering around the kids and their trials and tribulations, it's easy for all other auditions to get pushed to the back-burner. Unlike Millie Bobbie Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp. Caleb McLaughlin, and Gaten Matarazzo, Keery was cast quickly.

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Not formally auditioning until late 2015 for the role of Johnathan Byers, he was rejected before being encouraged to try for the role of Steve. Keery sent in his tape and took up the character of Steve "The Hair" Harrington.

The Duffers Couldn't Let Joe Keery Go

Going back all the way to season one, Keery's role seems straightforward. Steve was meant to be the cool guy who had everything except the love of his parent. He was supposed to be here one moment and gone the next, much like Shannon Purser's Barbara, who also had a connection to Natalia Dyer's Nancy Wheeler.

However, upon both meeting and meshing with his terrorized counterparts, the Duffer brothers just couldn't seem to let his talent walk out of the door.

In a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon, Keery made it known that Matt and Ross Duffer were both writing and editing the scripts as the show was getting its bearings with the cast. Instead of a full season's worth of scripts, he was given each one as they were completed and though they had a general story, Steve was not supposed to survive all the episodes.

If not for Keery's thoughtful and outstanding performance, he would have been just another fan-favored Hawkins memory.

How Steve Harrington Went From Pretentious Jock To Mother Hen

So just when did Keery's character change? Well, some fans accredit Nancy's lovable good girl attitude, others believe he always had a knack for caring for others from the start. They often cite the house party he hosted in episode two where he always kept an eye out for the wellbeing of his guests.

Both of these theories bleed into the idea that once he was met with kids in danger, he knew they needed to be protected and stepped up to the plate.

Even though he often complains about having to babysit, it is clear that Steve genuinely cares for The Party. This can be said that these are the real-life feelings of the cast harmonizing with their characters.

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With the close of Stranger Things 4, fans won't be getting another dose of Steve Harrington until sometime in 2024 or even later. While re-watching the Netflix masterwork is always an option, Keery has also found himself in a plethora of new roles.

Most recently, he portrayed the heroic role of Key in Sean Levy's 2021 film Free Guy alongside Ryan Reynolds. Just before this, in 2020, Keery saw the release of Eugene Kotlyarenko's Spree in which he starred as Kurt Kunkle.

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While Stranger Things certainly gave Joe Keery his leg-up into the spotlight, it's clear that this is only the beginning of great things to come.