It’s one of those questions that keeps coming up in searches, partly because Stranger Things deals so heavily with themes of good and evil, light and dark, sacrifice and redemption. People watch the show and start wondering: what do these actors actually believe in real life? Do any of them share the faith-heavy worldview the show leans into?

The answer is a lot more varied and interesting than you’d expect. Some cast members have been completely open about their religion. Others have never said a word about it publicly. And at least one has given a genuinely fascinating interview about how growing up religious actually caused him serious anxiety. Let’s go through each one.

Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair) – Christian

Of all the cast members, Caleb McLaughlin is the most openly and vocally religious, and he’s only gotten more public about it over time.

In a recent interview on the Podcrushed podcast, McLaughlin opened up about his faith journey, revealing that he grew more serious about his relationship with God over the summer, praying regularly, stepping back from social media, and returning to church with his family. He described the experience as “replenishing,” which is a word that tells you a lot about where his head was at during the intense final stretch of filming Stranger Things.

He told the podcast: “I’ve always felt the connection with God in my spirit from, I can’t even remember the day it started. It’s just always been a part of me, but it’s always a different level to me now. Because I feel like sometimes you live your life, and you kind of get into the world a little bit, and then you kind of stop praying sometimes, and you’re like, ‘Alright, I’m praying before I go to sleep. All right, great.’ But then you have those moments like, wait, I need to pray and talk to God and ground myself.”

He’s also said that prayer helps him resist the pulls of external validation: “Sometimes you get so caught up in relying on worldly desires. When you’re able to sit down and ground yourself in prayer and knowing that God is listening, that’s the foundation.”

He’s been open about his Christian faith in multiple interviews over the years, talking about Jesus specifically in at least one widely-shared conversation. For Caleb, this isn’t a quiet background detail – it’s clearly something central to how he navigates fame and stays grounded.

Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson) – Complicated

Gaten’s relationship with religion is easily the most layered of anyone in the cast, and it makes for a genuinely interesting read.

He was baptized Catholic by his Italian family but grew up attending a Methodist church in a small town. So right off the bat, his upbringing was already a blend of two different Christian traditions, which is unusual enough.

The more striking part is what he’s said about what that religious upbringing actually did to him. In an interview on the Mythical Kitchen podcast, Gaten reflected on his complex relationship with faith: “When I used to be a very spiritual person, a very religious person, it was a constant fear of death. I know people that have beautiful, wonderful relationships with their religion, and I applaud that and I wish I did. I did not. It just scared the s*** out of me. The stories that Protestant kids hear is ‘you better believe this or things are gonna happen,’ and that was the original source of my first panic attacks.”

He found out about the concept of hell when he was about 10 years old, and by his own account it was genuinely traumatic. “When you’re 10, you’re like, ‘oh my god, I just found out what death was, and you’re telling me that this is an option?’ Not only an option, but probably the most prevalent option.”

As an adult, Gaten has not made any public declarations about his current religious practice or affiliation, and has kept that side of his life private. Given what he’s described about his childhood experiences with religion, that’s not hard to understand. He’s spoken about his advocacy work, his music, and his acting career at length, but his current relationship with faith is his own business.

Noah Schnapp (Will Byers) – Jewish

Noah Schnapp is Jewish, and unlike some celebrities who keep their heritage quiet, he’s been pretty open about it.

His connection to his Jewish identity has shown up in his work too: he played a young Jewish boy in the 2019 film “Abe,” and a young shepherd helping smuggle Jewish refugees out of Nazi-occupied France in the 2020 film “Waiting for Anya.” Those weren’t accidental casting choices, and they reflect a genuine part of who he is.

His family background is well documented: his parents Mitchell and Karine Schnapp are both originally from Montreal, Canada. His mother’s side of the family is particularly observant, and Schnapp has posted about Jewish holidays and his heritage on social media over the years.

His Jewish identity also became a flashpoint in late 2023 when he was filmed with people distributing pro-Israel stickers, which led to significant backlash from some fans. He later issued a statement saying his thoughts and beliefs had been “misconstrued” and that he wanted peace for all innocent people affected by the conflict. Regardless of where people stood on that controversy, it was a moment that made his Jewish identity highly visible in a way it hadn’t been before.

Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler) – Agnostic

Finn Wolfhard‘s background is genuinely unusual. In his own words: “What’s funny is I’m German, but then I’m like French – I’m French and German and then Jewish. It’s really weird. I have really weird blood. And then I go to Catholic school, which is really weird.”

So he’s got Jewish heritage on his mother’s side, French and German background on his father’s side, and he attended Catholic school throughout his childhood. That’s about as tangled a religious background as you can have without actively trying.

Wikipedia notes his father converted to Catholicism in his 40s, which adds another layer to an already complicated picture.

As for what Finn himself actually believes right now: according to a 2025 interview, he describes himself as agnostic. He’s mentioned that he finds the current Pope interesting, but that he doesn’t consider himself religious these days. That’s about as clear a statement as he’s made on the subject, and it’s refreshingly direct compared to the usual celebrity non-answer.

Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers) – Jewish

Winona Ryder was born Winona Laura Horowitz, and she’s been open about her Jewish identity throughout her career.

Her father is from a Ukrainian and Romanian-Jewish family, and she describes herself as Jewish in interviews. It’s an identity she’s carried comfortably throughout her public life, without being particularly vocal about it but also without hiding it.

The Jewish Journal noted her prominent role in Stranger Things specifically in the context of the show’s Jewish cast members, calling her performance as Joyce “solid ground” for the series. There’s something quietly fitting about a Jewish actress playing the mother of a Jewish actor (Schnapp) in a show that, without ever making it explicit, has a notably Jewish presence across its ensemble.

Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) – Christian Background, Privately Spiritual

Millie Bobby Brown grew up in a Christian household and has referenced faith in passing in interviews over the years, though she’s never made it a major public topic.

She’s spoken broadly about believing in something larger than herself, and has credited her family’s values as a grounding force during her rapid rise to fame as a young teenager. Beyond that, she’s kept the specifics private, which for someone who has had basically every other aspect of her life scrutinized since she was 12 years old, is completely understandable.

David Harbour (Jim Hopper) – Not Publicly Discussed

David Harbour hasn’t made any significant public statements about religion or faith. He’s given extensive interviews about his mental health, his career, his sobriety, and his approach to acting, but religion hasn’t come up in any documented way.

Given how open he’s been about other personal topics, it’s probably safe to assume this is simply an area he doesn’t feel the need to discuss publicly rather than something he’s actively hiding. Some people just don’t talk about it, and that’s fine.

Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield) – Not Publicly Discussed

Sadie Sink has also kept her personal beliefs private. She grew up in Texarkana, Texas, which has a strong religious culture, but she hasn’t made any public statements about her own faith or lack of it. Her interviews have focused almost entirely on her work, her craft, and her advocacy, which is where she seems to want to keep the public conversation.

Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler) – Not Publicly Discussed

Same story with Natalia Dyer. She’s a fairly private person across the board, and religion is one of many personal topics she hasn’t addressed in interviews. Nothing to report here, and it would be wrong to speculate.

Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers) – Not Publicly Discussed

Charlie Heaton is British, grew up in West Yorkshire, and has been acting professionally since his teens. He’s talked about music, acting, and his personal life to varying degrees, but religion has never come up publicly in any documented interview or statement.

Joe Keery (Steve Harrington) – Not Publicly Discussed

Joe Keery similarly hasn’t made any documented statements about religion or faith. His public persona leans heavily into music and acting, and personal spiritual beliefs haven’t entered the conversation in any interview or social media post that’s been reported on.

If you step back and look at the cast as a whole, a few things stand out. The most vocal about faith are the ones who grew up in religious households where it was a central part of daily life: Caleb McLaughlin, who has leaned into his Christianity more openly as he’s gotten older; Gaten Matarazzo, whose Catholic and Methodist upbringing was formative even if his relationship with faith has since become complicated; and Noah Schnapp, whose Jewish identity has been a visible part of his public persona.

Several others have Jewish heritage: Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, and Noah Schnapp all have documented Jewish backgrounds, which has made Stranger Things something of an unexpectedly Jewish show without ever being explicitly about it. And then there’s a large group that simply hasn’t said anything publicly, which is their right. Fame doesn’t obligate anyone to share their spiritual life with strangers on the internet.

Last updated: July 2026