Caleb McLaughlin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Caleb McLaughlin
McLaughlin in Neuss, Germany at the German Stranger Con in 2022
Born	Caleb Reginald McLaughlin (2001-10-13) October 13, 2001 (age 23) Carmel, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2012–present

Caleb Reginald McLaughlin (born October 13, 2001) is an American actor famous for playing Lucas Sinclair in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things. Before his big break, he started his career on the stage. He played the role of young Simba in the Broadway musical The Lion King.

Since becoming famous from Stranger Things, Caleb has also starred in movies. He appeared in the drama films High Flying Bird (2019) and Concrete Cowboy (2020). Concrete Cowboy was his first time playing the main character in a movie. He has also acted in TV shows and done voice acting for animated series.

Early Life and Training

Caleb McLaughlin was born in Carmel, New York. His parents are April and Corey McLaughlin. From a young age, Caleb was interested in performing. He studied dance for a year at the Happy Feet Dance School.

To improve his skills, he also attended the Seven Star School of Performing Arts. Later, he trained at the famous Harlem School of the Arts. There, he learned from Aubrey Lynch, who was a producer for The Lion King musical.

Acting Career

From Broadway to Television

Caleb's first professional acting job was in an opera called Lost in the Stars. Soon after, he landed a major role on Broadway, the famous theater district in New York City. From 2012 to 2014, he played young Simba in the hit musical The Lion King.

After his time on Broadway, Caleb appeared in several TV shows. He had small roles in series like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Unforgettable, and Shades of Blue.

Breakthrough with Stranger Things

In 2016, Caleb's career took off when he was cast as Lucas Sinclair in the Netflix show Stranger Things. The show became a huge success all over the world, making Caleb and his co-stars famous. For his role, he won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance by a Youth in 2018.

Movie Roles

In 2020, Caleb starred in his first feature film, Concrete Cowboy, alongside actor Idris Elba. The movie was well-received by critics. He was also recognized by Forbes magazine in their "30 Under 30" list for 2021, which honors successful young people.

In January 2024, it was announced that Caleb would be in a movie about the rapper 21 Savage, playing a younger version of the artist. However, a few weeks later, 21 Savage said the announcement was a "parody," or a funny joke, but that a real movie might be made one day.

Advocacy and Positive Messages

Caleb uses his fame to spread positivity. He started the social media campaigns #EmbraceYourFace and #BeYourBiggestFan. These campaigns encourage people to have a healthy body image and good self-esteem. "Feeling good about yourself is healthy," he said. "You have to learn to love and appreciate yourself."

Caleb has also spoken about the challenges he has faced. As the only Black actor in the main young cast of Stranger Things, he said he experienced racism. He shared that at his first Comic-Con, some people avoided his line because he was Black. He said, "Sometimes it's hard to talk about and for people to understand, but when I was younger it definitely affected me a lot."

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

Music videos

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Caleb McLaughlin para niños