Portrait · Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 3.0

Finn Wolfhard

Actor, musician and filmmaker

Born 2002

Finn Wolfhard was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on December 23, 2002. He grew up and went to school in Vancouver. Watching films as a child gave him an early ambition to become a filmmaker; small independent acting jobs offered a practical way into that world. Speaking to Ryan Reynolds as a teenager, he credited his parents and family with supporting him while keeping him grounded. His interest in film school was an aspiration, rather than a record of university attendance. Music developed alongside acting. His mother introduced him to the Beatles, and learning bass and then guitar gave him a second creative language. A job in PUP’s Guilt Trip video brought him into contact with drummer Malcolm Craig. Their friendship eventually connected his early band Calpurnia to the Aubreys, a duo that allowed them to explore a less public, more experimental approach to songwriting. Television appearances in The 100 and Supernatural preceded his breakthrough as Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things. Richie Tozier in It and It Chapter Two brought a parallel film audience. His subsequent range includes The Goldfinch, The Turning, the Ghostbusters films and Saturday Night, alongside extensive voice work in animation. With the Aubreys, music became a space for self-expression and collaboration. Karaoke Alone arrived in 2021; later work such as Running continued that independent approach. He described Joe Keery as an encouraging musical guide and kept connections with the musicians who helped him begin. Directing became another sustained part of his work. Night Shifts preceded Hell of a Summer, which he co-wrote and co-directed with Billy Bryk. The feature’s development began in 2019 and its theatrical release followed its earlier festival premiere. Acting in The Legend of Ochi, filmed years before its release, also gave him time to reconsider a character as he grew older. He described moving among acting, music and filmmaking as a way to renew his curiosity. Happy Birthday marked his first solo album in 2025, gathering songs whose sound did not fit the duo’s direction. His second solo record, Fire From The Hip, followed in July 2026. Recording live together on tape made collaboration central to the process: a mistake meant the group played again. That preference for collective performance connects his recording work to life onstage. A 2026 LEGO Pokémon campaign with Terry Crews added a playful commercial appearance to his continuing screen and music work.

Verified identityCore facts checked against named sources.

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Connected people

ConnectionBilly BrykHell of a Summer co-writer and co-director.

ConnectionMalcolm CraigThe Aubreys collaborator.

ConnectionRyan ReynoldsInterviewed him about growing up in Vancouver.

Official records · wins and honours

Awards & Honours

Selected recognition linked to the awarding organisation or primary record.

2023
NickelodeonIndustry honor
Male TV star — family winner
Stranger Things
Official record
2020
SAGNomination
Drama ensemble nominee
Stranger Things
Official record
2018
SAGNomination
Drama ensemble nominee
Stranger Things
Official record
2018
MTVIndustry honor
On-screen team winner
It
Official record
2017
SAGIndustry honor
Drama ensemble winner
Stranger Things
Official record

Male TV star — family winner

Drama ensemble nominee

Drama ensemble nominee

On-screen team winner

Drama ensemble winner