In addition to welcoming back most of the familiar faces of the series, the new season
of Stranger Things will introduce a few newcomers, from an intriguing lifeguard to an ambitious
politician.
But even if they're new to Hawkins, some of these actors just might look familiar.
There's no doubt that Cary Elwes' credentials precede his arrival as Mayor Larry Kline in
Stranger Things 3.
But what's hard to pinpoint is exactly which role he's most famous for.
Fantasy fans probably know him best as the romantic swordsman Westley in The Princess
Bride or perhaps the title role in Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
For horror fans, though, it's more likely that his turns as Lord Arthur Holmwood in
Bram Stoker's Dracula or Dr. Lawrence Gordon in Saw left the biggest marks.
Meanwhile, others might remember Elwes more as antagonist Russ Wheeler in Days of Thunder
or as a cocky tornado scientist in Twister.
He may even be familiar to TV fans for his appearances in series like The X-Files or
Psych, to name a few.
No matter what he's best known for, he definitely comes into Stranger Things as the most veteran
newcomer of the bunch.
Things are just heating up for Maya Hawke's career as she joins Stranger Things as the
ice cream-slinging Robin, but she's been a part of show business her entire life.
She's the oldest child of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, and was born shortly after her
folks met on the set of 1997's Gattaca.
She was raised away from the limelight, but even at a young age she still dove right into
local theatrical productions and is now following in her parents' footsteps by pursuing an acting
career.
Hawke made her onscreen debut in the PBS miniseries adaptation of Little Women as Jo March, who
refuses to conform to the gender expectations of her era.
Soon after, she appeared in the indie thriller Ladyworld.
Her post-Stranger Things resume is already set to make her even more recognizable.
The buzziest of her upcoming projects is probably Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Like Maya Hawke, Jake Busey is an heir to a Hollywood legacy who bears a striking resemblance
to his famous parent.
He's the son of the inimitable Gary Busey and has the same white-blonde hair and toothy
grin as his father.
In addition to their similar appearances, a look at his filmography reveals that Busey
also seems to share his dad's penchant for action-oriented movies and TV shows.
The younger Busey's career began in 1978, when he appeared alongside his father in the
film Straight Time.
His credits really started to build up in the '90s in the likes of Contact and Starship
Troopers.
More recently, he showed up in 2018's The Predator and has guest starred on shows like
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Ultimately, it was his turn as a psychotic serial killer in 1996's The Frighteners that
got the attention of the Duffer Brothers and inspired them to write the role of Bruce,
a newspaper journalist with loose morals and a sick sense of humor.
"Oh, Patricia.
You kill her.
I'll watch."
Before becoming new lifeguard Heather in Stranger Things 3, Francesca Reale had already made
a name for herself on another Netflix original.
In the sitcom Haters Back Off!, she starred as Emily, the very normal sister of the very
abnormal Miranda Sings.
“What is a bag of salami?"
"Emily, you know what a bag of salami is."
"Don't play dumb.
We all know what a bag of salami is."
Apart from that series and a guest spot in a 2016 episode of Blue Bloods, Reale's still
very much an actress who's in the midst of breaking through.
Like many up-and-comers, she's been steadily establishing a reel with appearances in short
films with names like "The Furies of War," "Goodbye Charm City," and "Cabin."
She could also be seen sharing the screen with Stranger Things co-star Natalia Dyer
in the 2019 teen drama Yes, God, Yes.
She might be new to the biz, but Caroline Arapoglou is quickly rising through the ranks
of TV stars ahead of her appearance as Winnie in Stranger Things 3.
She got her start with bit roles on shows like Atlanta and films like Hot Summer Nights.
She later nabbed a recurring role as lab tech Noni Turner on The Resident.
Arapoglou also appeared in one episode of The Walking Dead's ninth season as zombie
apocalypse survivor Rose.
After Stranger Things, she'll continue to work on Netflix on the drama series Outer
Banks, and she's also busy cultivating her career in live theater.
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