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Caleb McLaughlin

Caleb McLaughlin

Actor · Born October 13, 2001 (25) · Carmel, New York, USA

Screen Actors Guild Award winner

Caleb Reginald McLaughlin (born October 13, 2001) is an American actor. He gained international recognition playing Lucas Sinclair in the Netflix series Stranger Things (2016–2025). He began his career playing young Simba in the Broadway musical The Lion King, and then had small roles in television. After finding success in Stranger Things, he appeared in the drama films High Flying Bird (2019) and Concrete Cowboy (2020), the latter his first lead role in a feature film. He also was in the miniseries The New Edition Story (2017) and has had several television voice acting roles. Description above from the Wikipedia article Caleb McLaughlin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 13, 2001 (25)
From
Carmel, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
18 on MovieCove · 23 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 13% in 30 days

What are Caleb McLaughlin's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
35%
Bonds
33%
Society
13%
Morality
10%
Power
9%
Family bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFaith2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 3 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 2 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 3 of 4 analyzed roles.

Ally
3 of 4
Hero
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
3
Hopeful
4
Warm
4
Contemplative
3
Melancholic
2
Other
3

How their films linger

Hopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet4
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Caleb McLaughlin's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Caleb McLaughlin's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

23 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page; 35 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Stranger Things: Tales from '85(2026)

    Show 18 episodes · Thanks

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows

  • GOAT(2026)

    as Will Harris (voice)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Deliverance(2024)

    as Nate Jackson

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Book of Clarence(2023)

    as Zeke

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Shooting Stars(2023)

    as Dru 'Lil Dru' Joyce III

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Diabolical(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Mo-Slo (voice)

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Ultra City Smiths (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 6 episodes · as Trevor Johnson (voice)

  • Concrete Cowboy(2020)

    as Cole

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Bookmarks(2020)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • High Flying Bird(2019)

    as Darius

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Summer Camp Island(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · as Ghost (voice)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Final Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as (voice)

  • The New Edition Story(2017)

    Show 3 episodes · as Young Ricky Bell

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Stranger Things(2016)

    Show 42 episodes · as Lucas Sinclair

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Shades of Blue(2016)

    Show 3 episodes · as Jay-Jay

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Forever(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Alejandro

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Noah Dreams of Origami Fortunes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Noah

  • Junior On The Job (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 10 episodes · as Theo

  • Unforgettable(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Older Brother

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Blue Bloods(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as ToneLane

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • What Would You Do?(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Foster Child

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Boy

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • 2034 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 23 titles, 22 of them dated from 1999 to 2026; peak year 2024.

Biggest box office

The Book of Clarence (2023)

$6.2M worldwide

Highest rated

Stranger Things (2016)

Midcredits 96th

Film career

MilestoneAward win
19992026

Peak 2024 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting22 of 23: 22 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score56thOther crew1 of 23: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s11 · acting2020s9 · 8 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 33% of 6 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

Awards

a Screen Actors Guild Award from 3 major nominations, 2017–2020.

WinNomination
  1. 2020
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  2. 2018
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  3. 2017
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Caleb McLaughlin's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 18 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

The Book of Clarence (2023)

77th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The New Edition Story (2017)

Midcredits 98th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 55. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Caleb McLaughlin's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 68 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 20 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 69 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 52 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 81 · severeMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Caleb McLaughlin work with?

People who share at least 2 of Caleb McLaughlin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jamal Henderson shares the most, 2.

Producers

Mixed roles