Joseph David Keery (born April 24, 1992), also known by his musical stage name Djo, is an American actor, singer, musician, and songwriter. He rose to international prominence for his role as Steve Harrington in the sci-fi horror series Stranger Things (2016–2025). He has also starred in films such as Spree (2020) and Free Guy (2021) and the fifth season of the crime drama series Fargo (2023–2024).
As a musician, Keery was a founding member of the psychedelic rock band Post Animal, which he left in 2018 due to acting commitments. Following the departure, he took on the stage name Djo (pronounced "Joe") for his solo musical projects and released the albums Twenty Twenty (2019), Decide (2022), The Crux (2025) and The Crux Deluxe (2025). Decide featured "End of Beginning", which became a sleeper hit and his first Billboard Hot 100 entry after it went viral on TikTok in 2024. He rejoined Post Animal in 2025, during which time he also headlined his solo Back on You World Tour with Post Animal as a supporting act.
Early life Joseph David Keery was born in April 1992, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, the second of five children. He attended Newburyport High School. When he was younger, he participated in Theater in the Open, a performing arts camp at Maudslay State Park. He acted during high school at his older sister's insistence. He joined The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago, graduating in 2014 with a BFA in acting.
Career
Acting
Keery's breakthrough role was as Steve Harrington in the Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things (2016–2025). Having initially auditioned for the role of Jonathan, he later sent in a tape for Steve and was cast in late 2015. The show premiered in 2016 to critical acclaim. He was promoted from recurring cast to a series regular starting with the second season. Before Stranger Things, Keery had appeared in KFC, Domino's, and Amiibo commercials, and had roles in Empire and Chicago Fire. His first appearance in a full-length film was in Stephen Cone's 2015 indie, Henry Gamble's Birthday Party.
Outside of Stranger Things, Keery has had roles in several independent films, including starring in the 2020 satire Spree. He also played the role of Walter "Keys" McKey, a game developer, in the 2021 action comedy Free Guy, which went on to become a box-office hit. In 2022, he was cast opposite Liam Neeson in the sci-fi action film Cold Storage and as Gator Tillman in the fifth season of Fargo. In 2024, he played both Steven Malkmus and himself in the biopic Pavements. In 2025, he voiced John Greenwood in the PBS documentary mini-series The American Revolution.
Music In his early twenties, Keery released music under the stage name Cool Cool Cool. From 2014 to 2018, he was a co-founder, drummer, guitarist, and vocalist for the Chicago-based psychedelic rock band Post Animal. Keery originally contributed drums on their first EP Post Animal Perform the Most Curious Water Activities (2015), before current drummer Wesley Toledo joined during their second EP The Garden Series (2016). Their debut full-length album When I Think of You in a Castle (2018) saw Keery performing guitar and vocals.
Keery stopped touring with the band in 2017 and officially left due to acting commitments in 2018. He stated in a Bustle interview, "It's important to disassociate Steve from Stranger Things to the band because I think it will eventually hurt the band... I think it's important that they're hitting the pavement for a while and making a name for themselves and it's not necessarily associated with Stranger Things."
On July 19, 2019, Keery self-released the single "Roddy" under the stage name Djo. Djo released a second single titled "Chateau (Feel Alright)" on August 9, 2019. On September 13, 2019, Djo released his debut album Twenty Twenty. In a positive review of the album, NME called Keery "a musician of very high calibre who... dabbles in the kind of inventive, warped psychedelia that gently twists your melon and constantly shapeshifts around you" and compared his music to that of Tame Impala and Ariel Pink.
On September 9, 2020, he released a new single, "Keep Your Head Up", which is currently the only single by Djo to not be included in a larger album or re-issue. In 2022, he took part in a summer music festival tour. His second album Decide was announced in June 2022, along with the release of its first single "Change". The album was released on September 16, 2022, and received positive reviews. In 2024, the sixth track of the album, "End of Beginning", was released as a single after gaining popularity and becoming viral on social media.
On April 4, 2025, Djo released his third album, The Crux, which was preceded by the singles "Basic Being Basic", "Delete Ya", and "Potion". The album was well received, and the album cover, credited under art director William Wesley II, was nominated for the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Album Cover.
Djo went on the Back on You World Tour in early 2025 to promote the album, with Post Animal as openers for the majority of show dates. On May 2, the tour was extended with the Another Bite Tour, a second leg that mostly covered the United States. During the tour, Post Animal announced their new album Iron, along with Keery's involvement in the album and him re-joining of the band. Iron was preceded by three singles: "Last Goodbye", "Pie in the Sky", and "What's a Good Life" before releasing on July 25th, 2025, around the end of the tour's first leg.
In September 2025, Djo released the singles "Carry the Name", "It's Over", and "Awake" before surprise-releasing the companion album The Crux Deluxe on September 12. Despite its cover and design mirroring that of The Crux, Keery stated that he does not consider it a reissue of that album. Deluxe features 12 new tracks that were written at the same time as The Crux and recorded after its release.
On November 4, Djo announced another tour in South America and Mexico to begin in March 2026. Following the tour, Djo is set to support Tame Impala for the first leg of the 2026 Deadbeat tour.
Keery co-wrote the song "Funny Mouth" for Charli XCX's soundtrack to the 2026 film Wuthering Heights.
Personal life Keery was in a relationship with actress Maika Monroe from 2017 to 2023. In 2023, he moved from Los Angeles to the West Village in New York City. He briefly dated actress Chase Sui Wonders from late 2023 to early 2024.
Filmography Film Year Title Role(s) Notes 2015 Henry Gamble's Birthday Party Gabe Debut film 2016 The Charnel House Scott 2017 Molly's Game Trust Fund Cole 2018 After Everything Chris Slice Jackson 2019 How to Be Alone Jack / The Gimp Short film 2020 Spree Kurt Kunkle Death to 2020 Duke Goolies 2021 Free Guy Walter "Keys" McKeys Death to 2021 Duke Goolies 2023 Finalmente l'alba Sean Lockwood 2024 Marmalade Baron Lamram Pavements Stephen Malkmus, Himself 2026 Cold Storage Travis "Teacake" Meacham
Television Year Title Role Notes 2015 Sirens Scenester Episode: "Screw the One Percent" Chicago Fire Emmett 2 episodes Empire Tony Trichter III Episode: "Who I Am" 2016–2025 Stranger Things Steve Harrington Recurring role (season 1)Main role (season 2–5) 2019–2021 No Activity Officer Ed Reinhardt Recurring role (season 3–4)Voice (season 4) 2023–2024 Fargo Gator Tillman Main role (season 5) 2025 The American Revolution John Greenwood (voice) 4 episodes 2026 One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 Himself Documentary
Stage Year Title Role 2026 Other Desert Cites Trip Wyeth
Music videos Year Title Artist 2025 "Loser" Tame Impala
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2019 Dead by Daylight Steve Harrington Likeness
Discography
Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected details, chart positions, and certifications Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications US AUS BEL(FL) CAN GER LTU NLD NZ SCO UKTwenty Twenty Released: September 13, 2019 Label: Djo Music (via AWAL) Format: Digital download, streaming, LP — — — — — — — — — —Decide Released: September 16, 2022 Label: Djo Music (via AWAL) Format: Digital download, streaming, CD, LP, cassette 24 — 180 35 16 55 10 — 33 — RMNZ: PlatinumThe Crux Released: April 4, 2025 Label: Djo Music (via AWAL) Format: Digital download, streaming, CD, LP, cassette 50 19 7 96 71 89 23 27 11 54 "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Extended plays +List of extended plays, with selected details Title Details D-Sides Released: November 17, 2023 Label: Djo Music, AWAL Format: Digital download, streaming
Singles +List of singles, with selected chart positions, certifications, and album name Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album US AUS CAN IREPeaks in Ireland: "End of Beginning": "Basic Being Basic" and "Delete Ya": ITA NLD NZ SWE UK WW "Roddy" 2019 — — — — — — — — — — Twenty Twenty "Chateau (Feel Alright)" — — — — — — — — — — RIAA: Gold "Mortal Projections" — — — — — — — — — — "Keep Your Head Up" 2020 — — — — — — — — — — "Change" 2022 — — — — — — — — — — Decide "Gloom" — — — — — — — — — — "Figure You Out" — — — — — — — — — — "Half Life" — — — — — — — — — — "End of Beginning" 2024 6 3 5 2 1 4 3 1 1 1 RIAA: 5× Platinum ARIA: 7× Platinum BPI: 3× Platinum FIMI: Gold MC: Platinum RMNZ: 4× Platinum "Basic Being Basic" 2025 — — — 81 — — — — 62 — The Crux "Delete Ya" — — — 78 — — — — 74 — "Potion" — — — — — — — — — — "Carry the Name" — — — — — — — — — — The Crux Deluxe "It's Over" — — — — — — — — — — "Awake" — — — — — — — — — — "—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Other charted songs +List of other charted songs, with selected chart positions, and album name Title Year Peak chart positions Album USRock "Charlie's Garden" 2025 44 The Crux
Songwriting credits + List of songs written or co-written for other artists, showing year released and album name Title Year Artist Album Notes "Funny Mouth" 2026 Charli XCX Wuthering Heights Co-written with Charli XCX and Finn Keane
Awards and nominations Acting career Award Year Nominated work Category Result Screen Actors Guild Awards 2017 Stranger Things Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2018 2019 Teen Choice Awards 2018 Choice Hissy Fit The Astra Awards 2022 Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Drama 2024 Fargo Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Musical career Award Year Nominee(s)/work(s) Category Result American Music Awards 2025 "End of Beginning" Social Song of the Year Billboard Music Awards 2024 Top Rock Song Brit Awards 2025 Best International Song Grammy Awards 2026 The Crux Best Album Cover IHeartRadio Music Awards 2025 Himself Best New Alternative/Rock Artist Kids' Choice Awards 2024 Favorite Social Music Star 2025 Favorite Male Breakout Artist NRJ Music Awards 2026 International Revelation of the Year
Tours Headlining Back on You World Tour (2025) South America & Mexico Tour (2026) Summer North American Tour (2026)
Supporting Noah Kahan (2025) Gracie Abrams – The Secret of Us Deluxe Tour (2025) Tame Impala – Deadbeat Tour (2026)
Notes
References
External links