Joe Keery is an American actor and musician. Most people know him as Steve Harrington in Stranger Things. He also makes music under the name Djo, and one of his songs became a global hit.

He was born in Massachusetts and trained in Chicago before landing his big break. This guide covers his age, height, family, movies, TV shows, albums, and dating history.

It also fills in details many quick bios skip, like awards and how his music style changed. Everything here is current as of 2026.

Joe Keery Bio and Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Full name	Joseph David Keery
Known as	Joe Keery (acting), Djo (music)
Early music name	Cool Cool Cool
Profession	Actor, singer, songwriter, musician
Date of birth	April 24, 1992
Age	34 (as of 2026)
Birthplace	Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA
Zodiac sign	Taurus
Nationality	American
Height	About 5’10” to 5’11” (179 to 180 cm)
Education	BFA in Acting, The Theatre School at DePaul University
Breakout role	Steve Harrington, Stranger Things (2016 to 2025)
Music project	Djo (solo, since 2019)
Former band	Post Animal
Marital status	Unmarried, no publicly confirmed children

Who Is Joe Keery?

Joe Keery is a working actor who never stayed in one lane. He plays comedy, horror, crime drama, and romance. He also writes and records his own songs.

Fans first met him as the cocky high school kid in Stranger Things. Over nine years, that character turned into the show’s most loved babysitter. Keery’s dry humor helped make that happen.

Outside acting, he leads a music career that grew quietly, then exploded. His song “End of Beginning” found a huge audience years after its release.

Joe Keery Real Name and Stage Names

His birth name is Joseph David Keery. Fans and media call him Joe Keery. His music name is Djo, and his earlier solo alias was Cool Cool Cool.

Joe Keery Age, Birthday, and Zodiac Sign

Joe Keery was born on April 24, 1992. That makes him 34 years old in 2026. He is a Taurus.

Joe Keery in his early twenties when he first appeared on screen. He was 24 when Stranger Things premiered in 2016. Many viewers assumed he was older because of his calm, deadpan style.

Joe Keery Height and Build

Joe Keery is about 5’10” to 5’11” (179 to 180 cm). Sources disagree by an inch or so. Keery himself has joked about claiming a taller number.

Most reports list his weight near 163 pounds (74 kg). He has a lean, athletic frame. Small differences in listed height are common for actors, so treat any exact figure as an estimate.

Joe Keery Net Worth

There is no verified figure for Joe Keery’s net worth. Public estimates vary a lot, and most websites guess. Anyone who gives one exact number is guessing.

What we can say is where his income comes from:

Acting: Years of Stranger Things work, plus film and TV roles

Music: Streaming income from Djo, especially “End of Beginning”

Touring: Live shows, which grew as his songs took off

Independent releases: He put out early music on his own terms, which can mean keeping more of the earnings

He has talked openly about feeling like an impostor despite his success. That humility is part of his public image.

Early Life in Newburyport

Keery grew up in Newburyport, a small coastal city in northeastern Massachusetts. He attended River Valley Charter School, which uses a Montessori-style approach. Later he went to Newburyport High School.

He did not plan to act at first. His older sister suggested he try it, and he joined school productions. That small nudge led to a career.

The area is known for its historic waterfront and quiet streets. Keery has often described his upbringing as creative and curious.

Joe Keery Parents and Siblings

Joe Keery is the second of five children. He is the only boy and has four sisters. Sources list their names as Caroline, Lizzy, Kate, and Emma, though these vary between outlets.

His parents’ names are less clear. Different websites list different names, so it is best to treat them with caution. Reports say his father worked in business and had ties to a family car dealership. His mother is described as a teacher or English professor.

What stays consistent is the setting. His family valued books, art, and conversation, and that shaped his taste.

Education at DePaul University

Keery studied acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago. He graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

Chicago mattered for two reasons:

1. Stage training. DePaul’s program is known for serious, hands-on acting work.
2. The music scene. The city’s indie community pulled him toward bands and live shows.

His first credits came while he was still building a résumé. He appeared in Chicago Fire in 2012 as Emmett. Small roles followed, and each one added experience.

How Joe Keery Became Famous

Keery’s rise took a few years of steady work, then one big break.

His early screen credits included Chicago Fire (2012), Sirens (2014), and Empire (2015). His film debut came in Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party (2015).

Then came Stranger Things. He auditioned for the role of Steve Harrington, a popular jock and bully in the first season. The plan was for the character to stay a minor antagonist.

Audiences had other ideas. Steve became a fan favorite, especially after his turn as a caring, sarcastic protector of the younger kids. The show’s popularity turned Keery into a global name almost overnight.

The Steve Harrington Effect

Steve’s arc is one of the most praised in the series. He goes from arrogant teenager to loyal friend who takes hits for others. Keery played that change with humor and heart.

The character’s hair became a running joke and a pop culture moment. Keery leaned into it and stayed relaxed about the attention.

Joe Keery Movies

Keery has built a varied film list. Here are the main ones:

Film	Year	Role or Note
Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party	2015	Film debut, plays Gabe
After Everything	2018	Plays Chris
Spree	2020	Lead role as Kurt Kunkle, a dark comedy thriller
Free Guy	2021	Plays Keys, alongside Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer
Finally Dawn	2023 to 2025	Italian period drama with Lily James and Willem Dafoe
Marmalade	2024	Romantic crime drama with Camila Morrone
Cold Storage	2026	Horror comedy in a lead role

Spree is worth a mention. It showed he could carry a film as a disturbing, darkly funny lead. Free Guy put him in a big studio comedy, and he held his own in a strong cast.

Joe Keery TV Shows

Stranger Things is his main TV credit. It ran from 2016 to 2025, and the final season arrived in late 2025. The show was named AFI’s TV Program of the Year in 2018.

Other TV work includes:

Fargo, Season 5 (2023 to 2024): He played Gator Tillman, a menacing, entitled son of a sheriff. The role was a sharp turn from Steve Harrington. The season earned 15 Emmy nominations.

Death to 2020 and Death to 2021: Comedic mockumentary specials where he played Duke Goolies.

No Activity (2017): A voice role as Officer Reinhardt.

Early guest roles: Chicago Fire, Sirens, and Empire.

The Fargo role matters because it showed range. Critics noticed he could play someone unlikable and still keep viewers watching.

Awards and Recognition

Keery has not built a huge trophy shelf on his own, but his work has been recognized as part of strong ensembles.

• The Stranger Things cast won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2017.
• The show earned AFI’s TV Program of the Year honor in 2018.
• The Fargo season he appeared in received 15 Emmy nominations.

His larger recognition comes from music. The success of “End of Beginning” and its chart run gave him a second kind of credibility.

Djo: Joe Keery’s Music Career

Keery’s music project is called Djo. The name is pronounced “Joe,” with a silent D.

Music came before fame for him. He joined the psychedelic rock band Post Animal in 2014 while living in Chicago. He left the group in 2019 to focus on acting and his solo work. That same year, he launched Djo.

He has described his music as something he does for himself first. He writes, records, and shapes his sound with close collaborators.

Joe Keery’s Band History

Post Animal is a Chicago psychedelic rock band. Keery played guitar and sang with them. The group’s sound was heavy, weird, and playful. That background still shows up in his solo work, especially in the guitar tone and layered production.

Before Djo, he also used the early name Cool Cool Cool for some solo material.

Djo Albums

Djo has released three studio albums so far. Each one has a different sound.

Album	Year	Style
Twenty Twenty	2019	Lo-fi, fuzzy psychedelia. Written and produced by Keery.
Decide	2022	Synth-heavy, 1970s-inspired pop. Co-written with Adam Thein.
The Crux	2025	Warm, live-band soft rock. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York.

Twenty Twenty

The first album was released in September 2019. It has a bedroom-recording feel, with fuzzy guitars and dreamy vocals. Singles included “Roddy,” “Chateau (Feel Alright),” and “Mortal Projections.”

Decide

Decide came out in September 2022. The sound moved toward synths and tighter pop writing. Singles included “Change,” “Gloom,” “Figure You Out,” and “Half Life.” The album also contains “End of Beginning.”

The Crux

The Crux arrived in 2025 as Stranger Things was wrapping up. The recording leaned on real instruments and a classic rock feel. Critics and fans have pointed to acts like Steely Dan, The Police, Fleetwood Mac, and Tame Impala as reference points. A deluxe edition followed on September 12, 2025.

His sound shifted over time: lo-fi in 2019, synth-driven in 2022, and full-band rock in 2025. That growth is a big part of why his fan base stuck around.

End of Beginning: His Biggest Song

“End of Beginning” is Joe Keery’s most successful song. It is a nostalgic, reflective track about growing up and moving on.

The song came out in 2022 but did not take off right away. Years later, it went viral on social media and pulled in listeners around the world. By 2024, it had passed well over a billion streams. It also reached the top five on the UK singles chart.

Keery has called the track one of the simplest things he and his team could make. That simplicity may be why it connected. It is easy to hum and easy to feel.

Djo Relationship Status and Dating History

Joe Keery is not married, and no children have been publicly confirmed. He keeps his private life quiet.

Here is what has been reported over the years:

Maika Monroe: The actress is his only publicly confirmed relationship. They were reportedly together from about 2017 to 2022. Keery has said parts of The Crux were shaped by that breakup.

Chase Sui Wonders: The Bodies Bodies Bodies actress was linked to him in media reports after the Monroe relationship. Neither has made a major public statement.

Sabrina Carpenter: A flirty exchange at one of her 2025 concerts went viral. It was a stage moment, not a relationship.

Dating news moves fast and can change, so check recent interviews for anything new. As of 2026, he has no confirmed partner.

Fun Facts About Joe Keery

• He is the only boy among five siblings.
• He started acting because his older sister suggested it.
• He writes and produces much of his own music.
• His Steve Harrington character was not meant to be a major part of the story.
• He has spoken about anxiety and impostor syndrome in interviews.
• He went from playing in a Chicago rock band to headlining shows on his own.

What Is Next for Joe Keery

With Stranger Things finished, Keery is free to choose new roles. Cold Storage in 2026 is a lead role and a sign that he wants bigger parts. He has shown he can handle comedy, horror, and drama.

On the music side, The Crux gives him fresh material for touring. Expect more live shows, and possibly new songs as his sound keeps changing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Joe Keery?

Joe Keery was born on April 24, 1992, so he is 34 years old in 2026.

Is Joe Keery married?

No, he is unmarried and has no publicly confirmed children.

What is Joe Keery’s most famous role?

He is best known for playing Steve Harrington in Stranger Things.

What is Djo?

Djo is Joe Keery’s solo music project, pronounced “Joe” with a silent D.

What is Joe Keery’s best-known song?

His biggest hit is “End of Beginning” from the 2022 album Decide.

Conclusion

Joe Keery has built a career that goes well beyond one famous role. He turned a small part in Stranger Things into a nine-year run, then proved his range in projects like Spree, Free Guy, and Fargo. At the same time, he grew Djo from a lo-fi side project into a real force in music, with “End of Beginning” reaching listeners around the world.

His private life stays mostly out of view, which fits the down-to-earth image he has kept from the start. With new film work arriving and The Crux still finding fans, his next chapter looks busy, and it will be interesting to see where he takes his acting and music next.