Actors From the '80s on Stranger Things

1 Winona Ryder

Ryder was a bona-fide star in the '80s and '90s, starring in cult classics like Beetlejuice, Heathers, and Edward Scissorhands before snagging a pair of Oscar nominations for her roles in The Age of Innocence and Little Women. Her career famously took a hiatus after a shoplifting conviction in 2001, but Stranger Things has launched her back to the forefront — and earned her Golden Globe and SAG nominations!

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2 Matthew Modine

Image Source: Everett Collection

Modine was one of the villains of Stranger Things' first season, the calculating Dr. Martin Brenner. His major credits from the '80s include Streamers and, most famously, the Vietnam War movie Full Metal Jacket. Modine may be just as famous for the role he turned down as he is for the roles he actually played: he turned down the role of "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun (the role that would be made iconic by Tom Cruise) because he disagreed with the film's pro-military themes.

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3 Sean Astin

Image Source: Everett Collection

Best known to most audiences as Lord of the Rings' loyal Samwise Gamgee, Astin actually is coming full circle in a way on Stranger Things. Back in 1985, Astin was one of the kids in the classic The Goonies, a kid-centric adventure movie whose influence can be seen on Stranger Things.

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4 Paul Reiser

Image Source: Everett Collection

Reiser's Stranger Things role as dedicated scientist Dr. Sam Owens couldn't be more different from the roles that made him famous in the 1980s. He was best known as a sitcom star, with leading roles on Mad About You and My Two Dads. But this isn't his first foray into creepy sci-fi: he also starred in 1986's Aliens.

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5 Cary Elwes

Image Source: Getty / Frazer Harrison

With just three words, Elwes made his The Princess Bride hero Westley into a timeless heartthrob for generations of fans. All together now: "As you wish." If your wish was to see him play the mayor on Stranger Things, it will be granted in season three.

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