If there was no SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike currently underway in Hollywood, actor Joe Keery would likely be on set in Georgia, filming the final episodes of Netflix's Stranger Things.
Instead, he has a rare moment of downtime after filming the show's previous season, co-starring in the upcoming season of Fargo, and filming another sci-fi project, the film Cold Storage, in which Keery stars opposite Liam Neeson.
Speaking to WWD, Keery touched on all of these projects but also took a moment to reflect on his career-launching turn as Steve Harrington in Stranger Things.
"It does feel like it’s time. It won’t be easy for it to end. I mean, I owe my whole career to being on that show and all the opportunities that I had since are because of that show,” said Keery on the show's upcoming final season.
“So it’s very convoluted. There’s a sense of relief, there’s a sense of sadness. I guess my goal is to just really soak it up as much as I can while we’re doing it, and not take any of it for granted because it’s been an amazing ride with such great people. And then once it’s done, move forward and try to just hold on to the joy that we had when we were making it….Everything has a beginning and the middle and an end. It’ll be nice to have the end of this too.”
Keery is the latest Stranger Things star to voice their thoughts on the show's upcoming finale after Hopper actor David Harbour previously disclosed that he was able to learn how the show ends before the WGA strike halted all production on the show.
Depending on what happens in the show's final season, there's always a chance that Keery could return, as there are two spin-offs in development at Netflix. One is an anime, reportedly titled Stranger Things: Tokyo, while the other is another live-action TV series that is currently shrouded in mystery.
If Steve Harrington survives the final scene, maybe Keery will get to reprise his role if he chooses. But don't bank on David Harbour showing up in any spin-offs, as he recently stated that he wants to leave television behind and focus on showcasing his acting range in films.