Overview
Caleb Reginald McLaughlin (born October 13, 2001) is an American actor. He gained recognition for playing Lucas Sinclair in the Netflix series Stranger Things (2016–present). McLaughlin began his career playing Young Simba in the Broadway musical The Lion King, followed by small roles in television. After his breakthrough with Stranger Things, he appeared in the films High Flying Bird (2019) and Concrete Cowboy (2020), his first starring role in a feature film. His work also includes the miniseries The New Edition Story (2017) and several television voice acting roles.
Early life
McLaughlin was born on October 13, 2001, in Carmel, New York. He was born to parents April and Corey McLaughlin. He attended Kent Primary School and later attended George Fischer Middle School for one year. He studied dance for a year at Happy Feet Dance School in Carmel, New York and then attended Seven Star School of Performing Arts in Brewster Hill, New York, for one year. He then studied at The Harlem School of the Arts under Aubrey Lynch, former Lion King producer.
Career
McLaughlin's first acting role was as a child in the opera Lost in the Stars in Cooperstown, New York, at the Glimmerglass Opera House. His first starring role was on Broadway as Young Simba in The Lion King musical (2012–14). He then went on to have guest-starring roles in television series such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Unforgettable, Forever, What Would You Do?, and Shades of Blue. In 2016, McLaughlin's breakthrough role came with his portrayal of Lucas Sinclair in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things (2016–present). In 2017, he was a nominee for the BET YoungStars Award, and in 2018 he won Outstanding Performance by a Youth at the NAACP Image Awards. In 2020, McLaughlin made his feature film debut in Concrete Cowboy, along with costars Idris Elba and Jharrel Jerome. The movie received mixed reviews. In December 2020, McLaughlin was included as an honoree in Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2021 list in the field of Hollywood and Entertainment.
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