Caleb McLaughlin: Beyond ‘Stranger Things’

Were you captivated and glued to your screen as every other person was while watching the “Stranger Things” TV show? One of those who made that happen was Caleb McLaughlin, a talented American actor who gained recognition for playing the role of Lucas Sinclair in the Netflix series Stranger Things (2016 –present)

But Caleb McLaughlin has a career far beyond Stranger Things and acting. Read to the end to find out.

How has life been for McLaughlin after starring in Stranger Things, you might ask? Well, we have all the scoops about all he's been up to after hitting the jackpot portraying Lucas Sinclair in the hit Netflix series called Stranger Things, which earned him several award nominations and wins.

In 2017, McLaughlin was featured as Ricky Bell in the miniseries The New Edition. He also voiced the character of Young Gary in the TV series Final Space in just one episode. Thanks to his early opportunities, he was often called upon by big companies for brand promotions.

According to a statement from Dior, an agreement was reached with McLaughlin to partner with the brand while also supporting Dior Beauty in the fragrance department. Caleb's deal with Dior makes the latter’s shifts to target younger customers. After all, McLaughlin is well-loved and highly followed by the young generation.

Acting is a major prowess of McLaughlin. However, what attracted Dior to him was also his philanthropic nature. He likes to give back to society. We've seen him do that often with his nonprofit, Tao Foundation Inc.

Ask an average Hollywood buff who Caleb McLaughlin is. The most probable answer is, “That must be Lucas Sinclair in Stranger Things.”

Yeah, we get it. Stranger Things is a career highlight for Caleb. But again, they don't call him the “hardest working cast member” in Stranger Things for nothing.

That's just one of the many comments from fans appreciating his hustles outside Stranger Things in a post about his most recent film appearance, The Book of Clarence.

His filmography shows he's also had a career that goes far beyond Stranger Things. From High Flying Bird, the 2019 sports thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh, to Concrete Cowboy, the 2020 Western drama.

One of his latest roles is in Shooting Stars, a new film by Peacock, where we see him play Lil Dru. The film's about LeBron James and his teammates at high school, which they call the Fab Four. Being a dance and basketball-themed movie, Caleb had to bring his a-game to his basketball and dance moves.

He recently talked to Glamour about having a basketball coach on set to coordinate his game scenes for the movie. As for his dancing moves, that was all thanks to his natural coordination skills.

“Doing tap, ballet, and jazz—it has to do with footwork,” he tells Glamour in an interview. “It definitely helped me with my basketball skills now.”

Caleb has also been featured in films like The Book of Clarence and Noah Dreams of Origami Fortunes. We've also seen him on several TV shows.

These include:

• Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

• Unforgettable

• Forever

• What Would You Do?

• Shades of Blue

• Blue Bloods

• The New Edition Story

  Very soon, you'll also get to see McLaughlin star in a new movie that features 21 Savage and Donald Glover. They call this The American Dream.

When Caleb is not in front of the cameras, dancing, or taking up new sports, you'll also find him in the music studio. Yeah, he sings, too! FYI, he recently released his first single in 2021 titled “Neighborhood.”