Random Things About Joe Keery (12 items)

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  (#1) He Looks Just Like A Young Hopper

  At first glance, Keery doesn't share much of a resemblance with David Harbour, the actor who portrays police chief Jim Hopper on Stranger Things. But photos of a young Harbour have recently emerged, and they have elicited quite a reaction from Stranger Things fans. There is a shocking similarity between Keery and Harbour, so much so that the two could have easily been mistaken for twins. The same crinkly eyes, cheeky smile, and identical hair-dos that were the glory of the 1980s. Fans, understandably, have had their minds blown by the similarities. Could this somehow play a role in a future Stranger Things storyline? We'll have to wait and see.
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  (#2) He Was In A Domino's Pizza Commercial

  Keery continued his homage to the '80s with a recent Domino's Pizza commercial. In the spot, he recreates Ferris Bueller's Day Off iconic opening sequence. But the commercial is more than just homage; it's a shot-by-shot reenactment of Ferris's monologue, except with pizza tracking. Obviously, being Domino's, pizza plays a big role in the commercial, but Keery is the spry and impish star. Oh, and Alan Ruck, who played the unforgettable Cameron in the original Ferris Bueller's Day Off, makes an appearance in the commercial as well. Perfection.
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  (#3) His Sister Was Instrumental In Getting Him Into Acting

  When he was growing up, Keery hadn't really considered a career as an actor. It was his sister, Caroline, who was instrumental in pushing him toward performing. When he was a freshman in high school, she got him involved in the drama club.

  "Caroline kind of dragged me over," Keery said. " She said, 'No, you're going to do this.' She kind of got me involved in this whole thing and I kept doing it for pretty much the whole time in high school." Caroline, on behalf of the world: thank you.
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  (#4) His First Movie Was Henry Gamble's Birthday Party

  Stephen Cone's 2015 drama Henry Gamble's Birthday Party was Keery's big-screen debut. He portrayed the hetero object of a gay guy's affections. Though Cone had originally envisioned a more typical hunk for the role, he saw what Keery could bring to the performance.

  "He's not like a traditional sort of heartthrob," Cone said. "Now I'm like 'Yep, [the casting directors] were right.'…[Keery] has no ego. He doesn't talk a lot. He's just a sweetheart."
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  (#5) He's Also A Rockstar

  Or, more appropriately, rockstar-in-training. Keery is part of a band called Post Animal, in which he sings and plays guitar. He's described Post Animal as "a psychedelic, rock and roll band." They have released music and toured, and with Keery's newfound Hollywood fame, big things are surely in store for Post Animal.

  "I've been doing both music and acting since I was pretty little. Just for fun," Keery said. "Being able to pursue both professionally is the greatest thing in the whole world. I feel pretty blessed."
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  (#6) He Looks Eerily Like Ben Schwartz

  Young David Harbour is not Keery's only celebrity doppelgänger. He also has a startling likeness to actor and comedian Ben Schwartz, who is largely known as the loveable spaz Jean-Ralphio on Parks & Recreation. There are all sorts of fun fan theories about the resemblance, namely that, given the eras in which Stranger Things and Parks & Rec are set, Steve is Jean-Ralphio's dad. Keery and Schwartz are making the most of the attention. They've done late night talk show appearances together and even starred together in a Visa commercial.
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  (#7) He's Dating Actress Maika Monroe

  When the second season of Stranger Things premiered, Keery and girlfriend Maika Monroe strolled their first red carpet together. Monroe is pretty damn cool in her own right, starring in horror hits like The Guest and It Follows. In addition to being a young working actress and a total knockout, she's also an accomplished professional kiteboarder. When she was 17, she relocated to the Dominican Republic to focus on her kiteboarding career. After Hollywood beckoned, she returned to the States. So, not only is she multitalented, Monroe now has Steve Harrington on her arm. You go, girl.
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  (#8) He Auditioned For The Role Of Jonathan

  When Stranger Things was still a glint in the eyes of the Duffer Brothers and they were in the process of casting, Keery submitted an audition tape. He wasn't auditioning for Steve, though - he was shooting for the role of Jonathan Byers, Will's older brother. While Jonathan eventually went to the superb Charlie Heaton, Keery was asked to read for Steve, and the pairing of actor and role just clicked.

  "Right away, I was like, I don't necessarily think I have the right look for [Jonathan]," Keery said. "And then when I did audition for Steve, I felt I had a pretty good understanding of what they wanted the character to be. I also had a pretty good idea of what I personally wanted to bring to him. So that's how the character Steve is now."
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  (#9) He Went On Hundreds Of Auditions Before Landing The Role Of Steve

  Though his first few projects (Stranger Things, Empire, a two-episode stint on Chicago Fire) have all been high-profile gigs, don't fall under the impression that Keery hasn't paid his dues. He's auditioned…a lot. Some sources say Keery went on more than 100 auditions before he started to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. A 25-year-old who has auditioned that much is poised for stardom. In Keery's case, that may need to be amended to superstardom.
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  (#10) He Has A Theater Degree From DePaul University

  A show like Stranger Things that has such a high profile and passionate fan base can make us forget the actors we see aren't just pop culture darlings. In many cases, they are trained actors with college degrees and extensive experience in theater. Keery has a degree from The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago. While at DePaul, he played roles in a number of theatrical productions, including Angels in America and Spring Awakening. These productions were surely good training ground for all the roles that have (and will continue to) follow.
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  (#11) He Was On Empire

  Remember when Joe Keery was on Empire? Before Stranger Things, he appeared as Tony Trichter III on one episode of the hit television show. Tony was an aspiring rapper…and a bad one at that. Keery got the chance to rap - poorly - for the role, but remember: it takes a lot of talent to sing badly. Think Meryl Streep in Florence Foster Jenkins.
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  (#12) He Gives Input On His Stranger Things Character

  While the carefully mapped-out plot lines of Stranger Things are clearly the domain of the Duffer Brothers, the showrunners have more of a collaborative process when creating characters. They are open to input from their actors, and Keery has been an instrumental voice in how Steve has evolved. The brothers "set a really collaborative tone from the top down," Keery said. "We will do things how they're scripted, but they are also willing to kind of go to different places, or try different lines…they want it to feel right; they want it to feel as natural as possible." Whatever they're doing, it's clearly working.

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