Since the hit Netflix show Stranger Things first hit our screens, many members of the cast have grown up before our very eyes.
Back in 2016, Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, was just a scared little girl who didn't know much about the world around her and Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Will (Noah Schnapp) were innocent Dungeons & Dragons-loving kids. But as the years went on, the characters - just like the actors who play them - have started to grow up.
For anyone who has gone back to watch early season's of the show, you will feel shocked at how quick time has past. Most of the younger cast are now in their late teens, with the creators of Stranger Things noting there will be a time jump in later episodes.
Read More:
- Striking images of Dale Street are a window into the past
- Adorable baby-faced photos of Love Island's Jack Keating before Casa Amor
As many of us have now seen the conclusion of the fourth season, we've delved into the archives to find these 'baby-faced' photos of a number of cast members to show how they have grown up. Some show actors as the show started, whereas others capture them years before the Netflix series was created.
You can see how much the younger cast members have grown up, as well as what some of the actors looked like decades ago at the start of their careers. Here are 11 Stranger Things actors in years gone by.
Natalia Dyer
Natalia Dyer, 25, plays high school senior Nancy Wheeler in the hit series. Older sister to Mike, Nancy is a student journalist who finds herself investigating the Hawkins Lab and growing closer to character Jonathan.
In her career, Dyer has also appeared in Netflix thriller Velvet Buzzsaw and the music video for Wild Love by James Bay. She has grown up a lot since her early red carpet days, as seen above at The Hannah Montana Movie in 2009.
Gaten Matarazzo
Nerdy but sweet Dustin Henderson is played by a now 19-year-old Gaten Matarazzo. A key member of the group, Dustin is also loved for his ever-growing friendship with Steve Harrington, played by Joe Keery.
Before Stranger Things, Gaten appeared on Broadway in Les Misérables and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Here is an adorable photo of Matarazzo, aged eight, back in 2011 with Olivia Newton-John.
Sadie Sink
Flame-haired tomboy Max Mayfield came onto our screens in season 2 and is played by Sadie Sink, now aged 20. Before her Stranger Things days, Sink appeared in other television series' such as The Americans and Blue Bloods.
Like her co-stars, Sink also boasts a successful Broadway career, starring in shows such as The Audience and Annie. Above, you can spot a young Sink performing at the age of 11.
Caleb McLaughlin
The oldest of all the main boys, Caleb McLaughlin, 20, plays teenager Lucas Sinclair. Best friend to Mike, Dustin, Will and Eleven, he is also the love interest of Max, played by Sadie Sink.
In his earlier years, he played a young Simba in a stage adaptation of The Lion King, as pictured above. McLaughlin has since been cast as the voice of Tico the Squirrel in the film Dora And The Lost City of Gold.
For more nostalgia stories, sign up to our Liverpool Echo newsletter here.
Maya Hawke
Maya Hawke, 23, is no stranger to the world of acting. She is the daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.
A fairly new addition to the main cast in more recent series, Hawke plays Robin Buckley, who works with Steve at the ice cream parlour. She previously played the lead role of Jo March in the BBC adaptation of Little Women in 2017.
Sean Astin
Actor Sean Astin portrayed Bob Newby in the second season of Stranger Things - but has been in the spotlight for many years. He is most known for his film role as Samwise Gamgee in The Lord Of The Rings series.
But as a kid, many will remember he played Mikey Walsh in The Goonies. Above is a throwback photo of Astin on set of the 1985 classic.
Who is your favourite Stranger Things character? Let us know in the comments section below.
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobbie Brown skyrocketed to fame with her portrayal of Eleven in the hit Netflix show. Playing a psychokinetic girl who was experimented on since young childhood, Brown was born in Marbella, Spain and is now 18 years old.
Brown has since found movie roles in Godzilla: King Of The Monsters and its sequel Godzilla vs Kong, whilst also playing the title role in Enola Holmes on Netflix. The above photo captures a young Brown before her Netflix debut back in 2014.
Noah Schnapp
Noah Schnapp is known for his role as Will Byers - the boy whose disappearance started it all back in season one. Now 17, Schnapp is pictured above at the red carpet premiere of The Peanuts Movie in 2015.
Schnapp is also known for voicing Charlie Brown in that film, and had a voice role in The Angry Birds Movie. He also appeared in Steven Spielberg drama Bridge Of Spies.
The latest series of Memory Lane is in major retailers including Asda, Tesco, Home Bargains and selected newsagents now. This series of the bumper picture special looks at fun in the sun - with stunning photographs and treasured memories of family holidays from years gone by. You can also buy Memory Lane online here.
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder is no stranger to our screens. Before her role as Joyce Byers, the Hollywood movie star was known for her roles in Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Alien Resurrection and more.
Many will recognise Ryder as photographed above in the 1980s. In Stranger Things, Ryder plays the struggling and brave single mother of Jonathan and Will Byers.
Finn Wolfhard
Finn Wolfhard plays the role of Mike Wheeler, younger brother of Nancy and head of the Hawkins crew of kids. In the series, Wolfhard's character is also the love interest of Elven, played by Millie Bobby Brown.
Now 19, above is an adorable throwback of the actor when his Stranger Things journey began. Wolfhard has since found movie roles since Stranger Things began, being cast in IT, The Goldfinch, The Addams Family, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Join our Liverpool memories and history Facebook group here.
David Harbour
David Harbour plays heroic man of the law and Eleven's adoptive father Jim Hopper. Since Stranger Things first premiered, Harbour has played the titular superhero in Hellboy and starred in Marvel's Black Widow movie.
But the actor has also starred in Brokeback Mountain, Quantum of Solace and more. Here is a photo of Harbour back in 2005.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
Read Next:
- 13 rediscovered photos show the changing face of Lord Street over 50 years
- Liverpool's lost restaurant known for free birthday meals and being 'the place for ribs'
- 15 things you could do in 1980s Liverpool that you can't do now
- Netto the supermarket brand kids loved to hate
- Carol Vorderman looks unrecognisable in throwback snaps
