Joe Keery Reveals the Role He Initially Auditioned for in 'Stranger Things'

Stranger Things Season 3 is just one day away, and, as the premiere draws closer, viewers are clamoring for as much information as they can get about the show. As it turns out, there’s always new bits of information about the show that can come to light--as exemplified by Joe Keery, who revealed that he originally auditioned for a much different role than that of Steve Harrington.

In an interview with Boston.com, Keery explained that he initially auditioned for the role of Jonathan Byers, the social outcast and brother of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp)--before later being asked to audition for the role of Steve.

“I didn’t hear anything for three months,” Keery said. “And then I heard they wanted me to tape for this other character, Steve Harrington. I remember being like, ‘Oh this guy? This guy’s a total jerk.’"

Keery ultimately accepted the offer to audition, and was later cast in the role of Steve. True to Keery’s observation, the character starts off in the series as a bully, but eventually finds redemption along the way, developing a fan-favorite friendship with young protagonist Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). In the meantime, Charlie Heaton was cast in the role of Jonathan Byers.

To be honest, we think that it was for the best--it’s pretty tough for us to imagine the charismatic Keery fitting into the role of Jonathan as perfectly as he does with Steve. We can’t wait to see where the character goes when Stranger Things Season 3 premieres on July 4.