'Stranger Things' star reveals he got serious about faith, church attendance and stopped social media: 'rejuvenating'

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Wednesday, January 07, 2026

“Stranger Things” star Caleb McLaughlin recently revealed he grew more serious about his faith over the summer, praying, stepping back from social media and returning regularly to church with his family. 

“I've always felt the connection with God in my spirit from, I can't even remember the day it started,” the 24-year-old actor, who stars as Lucas Sinclair on the hit Netflix series, recently told Podcrushed. 

“It’s just always been a part of me, but it's always a different level to me [now]. Because I feel like sometimes you live your life, and you kind of like, get into the world a little bit, and then you kind of stop praying sometimes, and you're like, ‘Alright, I'm praying before I go to sleep. All right, great.’ But then you have those moments like, wait, I need to pray and talk to God and ground [myself].”

“I did that a lot this summer, and I went to church a lot with my family, and I deleted Instagram and got off social media and just started grounding myself a little bit more and talking to God more, and it's been really replenishing.”

McLaughlin’s comments echo themes he has touched on in previous interviews, in which he has spoken about purpose, discipline, and staying grounded as a young actor who rose to global fame as a teenager. 

“I feel like it’s my calling,” he told Essence in 2022 of his acting career. “Of course, there’s more I have to do to become better and I have to work at that,” he said. “God has called me to do this thing called acting and the performing arts. I never wanted to do it — it just happened. I love it more than anything now.”

Cast in “Stranger Things” at age 13 after starring in "The Lion King" on Broadway, McLaughlin grew up in the public eye as the series became one of Netflix’s most successful original shows.

In recent years, he has expanded his career beyond television, appearing in films such as “Concrete Cowboy,” “The Book of Clarence” and starring as Dru Joyce III in “Shooting Stars,” an inspirational sports film touching on themes of genuine friendship and human connection. 

"In this film, we talk about basketball, but I feel like this movie represents life," he told The Christian Post at the time. 

"Basketball is more than a game. It's about friendship. It's about a bond. It's about community. There are a lot of parallels in this film that people don't see. Don't forget about the people that love you and support you, because you're going to need them at the end of the day when all else fails, when your back's against the wall. ... You're going to need that person to have your back."

“You need people that are there to support you,” he added. “You need your friends because sometimes you can be in your own head, you can go left or right. So support, loyalty and friendship is very important for anybody."

McLaughlin is also slated to star in the animated film “GOAT,” produced by Steph Curry and releasing in February.