Joe Keery | Age, Stranger Things, Djo Music & Movies
Joe Keery is an American actor and musician best known for playing Steve Harrington in Netflix’s Stranger Things.
He also records as Djo, the solo music project behind the hit song “End of Beginning.” From his early years in Massachusetts to his work in film and music, Keery has built a career that reaches beyond one breakout role.
Who Is Joe Keery?
Joe Keery is a performer whose career combines television, film, songwriting, and music production. His role as Steve Harrington brought him international recognition, while Djo has helped audiences discover his work as a songwriter and recording artist.
Quick Facts About Joe Keery
Joe Keery was born on April 24, 1992, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and works as both an actor and musician.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph David Keery |
| Date of birth | April 24, 1992 |
| Age | 34 as of October 20, 2026 |
| Birthplace | Newburyport, Massachusetts, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Professions | Actor, musician, songwriter |
| Best known for | Steve Harrington in Stranger Things |
| Music name | Djo |
| Education | The Theatre School at DePaul University |
| Parents | David Keery and Nina Keery, as listed in public biographies |
| Siblings | Four sisters |
| Reported height | About 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m), according to entertainment biographies |
| Marital status | Not publicly known to be married |
How Old Is Joe Keery, and How Tall Is He?
Joe Keery is 34 years old as of October 20, 2026. He was born on April 24, 1992, and celebrated his 34th birthday in 2026. His height is commonly listed as about 5 feet 10 inches, or 1.78 meters, in entertainment biographies.
Because this measurement is not regularly confirmed by Keery himself, it is best treated as a reported figure.
Where Is Joe Keery From? His Parents and Sisters
Keery grew up in Newburyport, a coastal city in Massachusetts, and is not originally from Chicago. He is the second of five children and has four sisters. Public biographies identify his parents as David and Nina Keery, while Keery has spoken more openly about his mother’s influence than about his family’s private life.
In an interview with ELLE, Keery said his mother and her friends helped establish a Montessori-style public charter school in their town, which the family attended through eighth grade. His sister Caroline also encouraged him to try acting.
He graduated from Newburyport High School in 2010 and later studied acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago, graduating in 2014.
Joe Keery’s Breakthrough Role in Stranger Things
Keery plays Steve Harrington, a high school student who grows into one of Stranger Things’ most trusted protectors. Steve first appears as a popular teenager whose early choices are often selfish, but his character changes as he takes responsibility for younger characters and faces the danger around Hawkins.
The series premiered in 2016 and turned Keery into a widely recognized actor. Steve’s growth helped make the role more than a typical 1980s-style popular-boy part. Keery’s large, carefully styled hair also became closely linked to the character’s look.
The fifth and final season arrived in late 2025, bringing the show’s main story to a close.
Joe Keery Movies and TV Shows Beyond Stranger Things
Keery has taken roles in comedy, drama, horror, and crime stories, giving him a filmography that differs from his work on Stranger Things. His screen credits include early television appearances as well as leading and supporting parts in feature films.
- Chicago Fire and Empire: early television roles before his major breakthrough.
- Molly’s Game (2017) and After Everything (2018): film roles from the early years of his career.
- Spree (2020): Keery plays Kurt Kunkle, a rideshare driver who seeks online attention through violent acts.
- Free Guy (2021): he plays Keys, a game developer in the action comedy led by Ryan Reynolds.
- Fargo, season five (2023 to 2024): he plays Gator Tillman, a troubled deputy trying to prove himself to his father.
- Cold Storage (2026): he plays Teacake, a storage-facility worker caught in a dangerous outbreak alongside Georgina Campbell and Liam Neeson.
Is Djo Joe Keery? His Music Career and Band
Yes, Djo is Joe Keery’s solo music project. Before releasing music under that name, he played with Post Animal, a psychedelic rock band connected to Chicago’s indie music scene.
He balanced band work with acting auditions while studying at DePaul, and later stepped away from touring with Post Animal to focus on acting and his own recordings.
As Djo, Keery writes, records, and develops a sound that blends synth-pop, psychedelic pop, and guitar-based music. His albums show how the project has changed over time:
- Twenty Twenty (2019), his debut solo album, which introduced Djo’s layered, self-made sound.
- DECIDE (2022), the album that includes “End of Beginning.”
- The Crux (2025), his third album, released on April 4, 2025, with a global tour announced that year.
The Crux brought more collaborators into the recording process, including longtime creative partners. Keery also toured internationally as Djo in 2025, with Post Animal supporting the North American, United Kingdom, and European dates announced for that run.
What Does “End of Beginning” Mean, and Why Did It Become Popular?
Djo’s “End of Beginning” reflects Keery’s memories of Chicago and the feeling of leaving one stage of life behind. He has described the city as a place that brings back a younger version of himself, from familiar streets to the music community that shaped his early adulthood.
The song holds both nostalgia for the past and an awareness that life moves on.
The track first appeared on DECIDE in 2022, then found a much larger audience in early 2024 through social media. It reached No. 11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 during that breakout and later returned to the charts as interest in Stranger Things grew around its final season.
In January 2026, it reached No. 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart. The song’s success gave Djo a major identity of its own, separate from Keery’s acting career.
Joe Keery’s Wife, Girlfriend, and Dating History
Joe Keery is not publicly known to be married, and no current relationship has been confirmed as of October 2026. His best-known relationship was with actress Maika Monroe. They appeared together publicly in 2017 and dated for several years before their relationship ended around 2022.
Keery later referred to a major breakup while discussing the period before he filmed Fargo.
Keery was also photographed with actress Chase Sui Wonders in 2023 and 2024, which led to dating speculation, but neither publicly confirmed a relationship. Rumors about Keery and Sabrina Carpenter spread after a playful stage moment during Carpenter’s Austin City Limits performance in October 2025.
That interaction was not confirmation that they were dating. Keery generally keeps his personal life private.
What Is Joe Keery’s Net Worth?
Joe Keery’s exact net worth has not been verified through public financial records. Some entertainment websites publish estimates, often around $4 million, but these figures are not audited disclosures and should not be treated as confirmed facts.
His earnings may come from acting, music sales and streams, songwriting, touring, and other work, but his contracts and total income are private.
Joe Keery in 2025 and 2026
Keery’s recent work has continued across television, film, and music. Stranger Things released its fifth season in late 2025, Djo released The Crux and toured in 2025, and Keery appeared in the 2026 science-fiction horror comedy Cold Storage.
Meanwhile, “End of Beginning” reached the top of the UK singles chart in January 2026, years after its original release.
Joe Keery plays Steve Harrington, who grows from Hawkins High’s most popular student into the group’s most loyal protector. His co-stars include David Harbour as Jim Hopper, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, and Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, and Days Magazine has a full biography of each of them.
Conclusion
Joe Keery has built a career that reaches beyond his breakout role as Steve Harrington. His work in films such as Free Guy, Fargo, and Cold Storage shows his range as an actor, while Djo gives him room to explore songwriting and music production.
The success of “End of Beginning” has made that second side of his career visible to a much wider audience.
