Caleb McLaughlin

Caleb McLaughlin became widely known in 2016 with his recurring role on Netflix's science fiction series "Stranger Things" (Netflix, 2016- ). As a child actor, McLaughlin got his start at a very young age. He first started acting in plays in and around New York City, and was lucky enough to land a part as Young Simba in the Broadway production of "The Lion King." The role high profile role taught McLaughlin how to act in front of a lively New York theater audience, which proved to be indispensable training as his career progressed. Thanks to his part in "The Lion King," he was also exposed to various film and TV agents, who were looking for child actors for screen roles. During his time in the musical, McLaughlin landed a film and television agent who quickly began submitting him to auditions around New York. He landed his first TV role on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC, 1999- ) in 2013, and followed that up with a guest spot on the crime series "Unforgettable" (CBS, 2011-16). McLaughlin continued auditioning primarily for TV roles in New York over the next few years, before landing his first recurring role in 2016 on the NBC cop drama "Shades of Blue" (NBC, 2016- ). Later that year, he got his first big break with a starring role alongside Winona Ryder on the Netflix science fiction series "Stranger Things." The series premiered on the streaming network in July of 2016.