Sadie Elizabeth Sink (born April 16, 2002) is an American actress. She began her career in theater, playing the title role in the musicalAnnie (2012–14) and youngElizabeth II in the historical playThe Audience (2015) onBroadway. In 2016, she made her film debut in the biographical sports dramaChuck. Sink had her breakthrough portrayingMax Mayfield in theNetflix science fiction seriesStranger Things (2017–2025) and received critical praise for her performance inits fourth season.
Sadie Elizabeth Sink[1][2] was born inBrenham, Texas on April 16, 2002.[3][4] She has English, German, and Irish ancestry.[5] Her mother Lori (née Baughman) is a math teacher, and her father Casey Sink is a football coach.[6] She has three older brothers and a younger sister.[7] While her family was sports-oriented, she and her brother Mitchell were interested in performing arts, particularly musical theater.[3][8] The pair would often recreate scenes fromHigh School Musical (2006) and watchBroadway plays andTony Award performances.[9][3][10]
When Sink was seven, her mother put her in acting classes inHouston.[11] Sink began acting in community theater with a production ofThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever in Brenham at age seven.[3] When she was eight years old, she had a leading role in a local production ofThe Secret Garden, which involved "more learning lines and real practice". The experience encouraged her to pursue a professional acting career.[3][11] In 2012, Sink's family supported her career by moving toNew Jersey.[12][13] She began homeschooling while in second grade and returned to regular school after performing inThe Audience (2015).[14][15]
Sink was regularly performing in plays atTheater Under the Stars by the age of nine;[16] she appeared in musical productions ofWhite Christmas (2011) and portrayed the title role inAnnie (2012).[11][17] At age 10, Sink was cast in the 2012 Broadway revival ofAnnie.[18][10] She appeared in the show for 18 months,[10] performing eight times a week.[15] From October 2012 to July 2013, she was a standby for the characters of Annie, Tessie, Duffy, July, and Pepper.[19] Following the departure ofLilla Crawford at the end of July, Sink and Taylor Richardson began alternating between the roles of Annie and Duffy. On their casting as Annie, directorJames Lapine said: "As we were preparing to cast the next Annie, I realized we had two wonderful candidates already in the orphanage. Both Taylor and Sadie are such unique young actresses, that I decided to let them share the role".[20] Sink continued appearing in the production until its final performance in January 2014.[21] She said she gained discipline from performing in the play and subsequently decided to pursue her acting career permanently, having loved "every second" of the show.[15]
During herAnnie Broadway run, Sink made her television debut in 2013 in a guest role on the spy drama seriesThe Americans.[22] The part prompted her to seek a career in film.[9] She also made an appearance in a 2014 episode of the police procedural showBlue Bloods.[23] In 2015, Sink starred as Suzanne Ballard in theNBC action thriller seriesAmerican Odyssey,[24] which was canceled after one season.[25] That year, she appeared in the Broadway production ofThe Audience as youngQueen Elizabeth II, who is portrayed byHelen Mirren as an adult.[26] Sink's relationship with acting "really shifted" after observing Mirren's approach.[16] She said working with "some of the greatest minds in the industry" showed her the true meaning of acting.[8] Reviews inUSA Today andThe New York Times deemed Sink's performance as Elizabeth "touching" and "very good".[27][28] She made her film debut in the biographical sports dramaChuck (2016).[29]
In September 2016, Sink auditioned to playMaxine "Max" Mayfield inthe second season ofNetflix's science fiction drama seriesStranger Things.[30] The casting directors deemed the 14-year-old Sink too old for the role, but she "begged and pleaded" for more material to perform for them.[8] She attended four callbacks, including a chemistry read withGaten Matarazzo andCaleb McLaughlin.[8][30] During the audition process, Sink lied about having rollerblading experience.[31] According to director and writerMatt Duffer, casting Sink was "a bit of a no-brainer" due to her "innocent, child chemistry" with Matarazzo and McLaughlin.[32] After she booked the role, Sink had to learn how to skateboard, an activity she disliked due to falling on her first day of practice.[31] She attended three-hour lessons daily for two months.[30] The role became Sink's breakthrough.[33][34][35] Critics described her as "spirited",[36][37][38] withIGN commenting that she acts "beyond her years and makes a welcomed addition to the cast".[39] Sink, along with herStranger Things cast members, was nominated for theSAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.[40]
Sink had a leading role oppositeDylan O'Brien inAll Too Well: The Short Film (2021), which was written and directed by American musicianTaylor Swift. The singer had been impressed by Sink's onscreen presence and emotivity inStranger Things.[58] Swift said that had Sink declined her offer, she would not have proceeded with making the film.[59][60] Sink saw the role as an opportunity to "step out of being a kid on screen" and play a "more rounded and mature" character.[7][61] The short received critical acclaim.[65]Collider stated that Sink and O'Brien gave "vividly emotional performances" and told "an incredibly moving tale of love, power, gaslighting, and heartache".[62]
Sink appeared inthe fourth season ofStranger Things, released in two parts on May 27 and July 1, 2022.[66] She journaled and did internal reflection to prepare for the character's journey.[67] Critics gave the season positive reviews,[68] with Sink receiving acclaim.[73]Rolling Stone described her performance as "poignant and emotionally raw", stating that she brings "a degree of emotional heft" that balances out the season's more comedic moments.[74] For her performance, Sink won theHollywood Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, Drama,[75] and received aSaturn Award nomination for Performance by a Younger Actor.[76]
Sink was cast in the psychological dramaThe Whale (2022) in February 2021, following aZoom meeting with directorDarren Aronofsky and lead actorBrendan Fraser. She starred as Ellie, the estranged daughter of Fraser's character.[10] Commenting on her role, Sink explained that "I'd just have these moments of, 'Is she actually evil?' And then there would be some days where I was like, 'No, she's good. She's just in so much pain.'"[14] Sink said filming could be "so draining" at times due to the darker subject matter requiring her to "fully shed every layer and be really vulnerable".[77] She stated that the role enhanced her confidence, which she attributed to "stepping out of the child actor role and into ... your adulthood, where you stop seeing yourself as this little puppet that stands on their mark and takes direction".[14]
Sink led the drama filmDear Zoe in 2022.[83] That same year, she appeared on the annualForbes 30 Under 30 andTime 100 Next lists.[84][85] For her profile forTime,Stranger Things co-starWinona Ryder wrote: "[Sink] is this creative acrobat and she's on this balance beam that very few have the courage to walk. [...] As an actor, she knows that we are ultimately in service to the characters and story".[85] In July 2023, Sink was announced as a global ambassador forArmani Beauty.[86] Sink starred in the thriller filmA Sacrifice (2024), an adaptation ofNicholas Hogg's 2015 novelTokyo.[87][88]IndieWire praised her and co-starEric Bana's performances, stating they "make for a pleasant viewing experience even when the [film's] intellectualism comes up short".[89] Sink also starred as the titular character inSearchlight Pictures's rock opera filmO'Dessa. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but Sink's performance was met with critical praise and seen as a standout in the film.[90]
In March 2025, Sink fronted a recyclednylon campaign byPrada alongsideBenedict Cumberbatch.[91] She later returned to Broadway, starring in the comedy playJohn Proctor is the Villain.[92] Opening in April 2025, the play and her performance were met with critical acclaim. Christian Lewis ofVariety wrote that Sink "gives a spellbinding performance as a girl who is deeply pained but shielded with thick armor: She's smart but underestimated, and ready to harness her rage against the patriarchy."[93] The role earned her a nomination for theTony Award for Best Actress in a Play.[94] Sink will make herWest End theatre debut in March 2026, playingJuliet inRobert Icke's second production ofRomeo and Juliet.[95]
Media publications have described Sink as a fashion icon,[35][44][98] with her wavy, red hair cited as her trademark feature.[105] According toVogue, Sink's wardrobe "effortlessly achieves both a youthful sensibility and sophisticated style".[106] In 2023, she was featured onMaxim'sHot 100.[107]
In an interview withVariety, Sink described her experiences of havingpanic attacks from as young as 11 years old.[108]
Sink stated that she prioritizes her privacy, noting that the less the public knows of an actor's personal life the more believable their roles can be. "I think the louder that gets, the quieter the impact of your characters can be."[109]
Sink identifies as afeminist, which she considered an obligation as a woman.[110] She becamevegetarian in 2015 after watching the documentary filmFood, Inc. (2008). A year later, she wentvegan; herGlass Castle co-starWoody Harrelson's family inspired her to try it.[110][111] In 2019, Sink stated that she supports local animal shelters and encourages fans to become vegetarians or vegans.[112]
^abcdSink, Sadie (January 13, 2023)."Sadie Sink Shows No Mercy".W. Interviewed by Lynn Hirschberg.Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. RetrievedOctober 27, 2023.
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