Stranger Things star Joe Keery opens up about his honest thoughts on Steve's iconic hair. Stranger Things, Netflix's massively popular sci-fi drama series, first premiered on the streaming service in July 2016. The show has released a total of 4 seasons so far, with the 5th and final season expected to debut sometime in late 2023 or early 2024. Stranger Things holds the title of Netflix's most-watched English language program, and has been nominated for a total of 51 Emmys so far.
Introduced in season 1, Keery's character Steve Harrington was initially an antagonist in the series. In fact, Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers admitted that they had originally intended to kill Steve off at the end of season 1 - but it's a good thing they didn't. By season 2, Steve became a beloved character, having transformed from high school bully to heroic babysitter. Keery's performance was met with critical acclaim, and has been widely regarded as Stranger Things' big breakout character. Just as iconic as Steve himself is Steve's hair: a carefully-styled 80s do that, as Steve shamefully admits in Stranger Things season 2, is the product of Fabergé Organics and Farrah Fawcett hairspray. Steve's hair is immediately recognizable and much-adored by fans, but Keery has some thoughts of his own.
During an interview with The Daily Beast, Keery openly admits that he's tired of talking about his hair. Keery even leaves his hat on during the interview until after the subject of Steve's hair is done being discussed, a hat that he often wears in public to disguise his identity. While avid Steve fans might adore Keery's hair, Keery prefers that people focus on other aspects of his career. Read Keery's full comment below:
It’s really ridiculous. It’s not something I have control over. It’s just internet fodder that’s carried over and is now attached to me. I can’t really knock it. I have a career, so I have to be like, “Who cares? I’ll take it.” But it’s also not something I care about at all. Still, people seem to really care about it and fixate on it, for whatever reason. It’s so stupid, honestly.
Recently, Keery was cast in Fargo season 5, signaling that he is beginning to move onto other projects as Stranger Things slowly comes to an end. Though playing Steve has helped launch his career to new heights, it's understandable that Keery might be looking to distance himself a bit from Stranger Things. The frequent questions about his hair demonstrates just how closely the actor is tied to Steve, and for an actor, that can become grating. Keery will likely always think fondly of Stranger Things, but he might be ready for a change.
Though other Stranger Things characters have come to be associated with specific hairstyles, like Eleven's shaved head or Billy's mullet, no other cast member has been asked about their hair half as much as Keery. With Steve having become an absolute favorite Stranger Things character for his humor, sincerity, loyalty, and bravery, it's no surprise that Keery would want to move the conversation on from talking about something only his hair stylist has control over. As Stranger Things season 5 looms on the horizon, fans will hopefully be so swept up in seeing what happens to Steve's character that they won't be paying as much attention to Keery's hairdo.
Source: The Daily Beast