Joseph David Keery (born 24 April 1992), also known by his musicalstage nameDjo, is an American actor, singer, musician, and songwriter. He rose to international prominence for his role asSteve Harrington in the sci-fi seriesStranger Things (2016–2025). He has also starred in films such asSpree (2020) andFree Guy (2021) and thefifth season of the crime drama seriesFargo (2023–2024).
As a musician, Keery was a founding member of the psychedelic rock bandPost 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 albumsTwenty Twenty (2019),Decide (2022),The Crux (2025) andThe Crux Deluxe (2025).Decide featured "End of Beginning", which became asleeper hit and his firstBillboard Hot 100 entry after it went viral onTikTok in 2024. He rejoined Post Animal in 2025, during which time he also headlined his soloBack on You World Tour with Post Animal as a supporting act.
Keery's breakthrough role was asSteve Harrington in theNetflix sci-fi seriesStranger 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.[7] The show premiered in 2016 to critical acclaim. He was promoted from recurring cast to a series regular starting with the second season.[8] BeforeStranger Things, Keery had appeared inKFC,Domino's, andAmiibo commercials,[9] and had roles inEmpire andChicago Fire.[5][10] His first appearance in a full-length film was inStephen Cone's 2015 indie,Henry Gamble's Birthday Party.[5]
In his early twenties, Keery released music under the stage name Cool Cool Cool.[16][17][18] From 2014 to 2018, he was a co-founder, drummer, guitarist, and vocalist for the Chicago-basedpsychedelic rock bandPost Animal.[19] Keery originally contributed drums on their first EPPost Animal Perform the Most Curious Water Activities (2015), before current drummer Wesley Toledo joined during their second EPThe Garden Series (2016). Their debut full-length albumWhen I Think of You in a Castle (2018) saw Keery performing guitar and vocals.[20]
Keery stopped touring with the band in 2017 and officially left due to acting commitments in 2018. He stated in aBustle interview, "It's important to disassociate Steve fromStranger 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 withStranger Things."[21][22]
On July 19, 2019, Keery self-released the single "Roddy" under the stage name Djo.[23] Djo released a second single titled "Chateau (Feel Alright)" on August 9, 2019.[24] On September 13, 2019, Djo released his debut albumTwenty Twenty.[25] 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 ofTame Impala andAriel Pink.[26]
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.[27] In 2022, he took part in a summer music festival tour. His second albumDecide was announced in June 2022, along with the release of its first single "Change".[28][29] The album was released on September 16, 2022, and received positive reviews.[30] 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.[31]
Djo went on theBack 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 albumIron, 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.[34]
In September 2025, Djo released the singles "Carry the Name", "It's Over", and "Awake" before surprise-releasingThe Crux Deluxe on September 12. Despite the album's cover and design mirroring that ofThe Crux, the album was not a reissue and instead featured 12 new tracks that were written at the same time as the first album and recorded afterThe Crux's release.[35][36][37]
On November 4, Djo announced another tour in South America and Mexico to begin in March 2026.[38][A] Following the tour, Djo is set to supportTame Impala for the first leg of the 2026 Deadbeat tour.[39]
On February 13 2026, it was revealed that Keery collaborated with English singer-songwriterCharli XCX, co-writing the song "Funny Mouth" for the soundtrack albumWuthering Heights.[40][41]
Personal life
Keery was in a relationship with actressMaika Monroe from 2017 to 2023.[42]
^The announcement was made through the Instagram account "Djocorp", which is an official updates account that fans received a link to through Djo's mailing list. The post was later shared to Djo's story on his main account.
