Stranger Things star Joe Keery has reacted to being called a “mother” on the mystery horror series. Keery’s Steve Harrington has received a positive reception from fans due to his strong character development. However, he has also become the subject of internet memes, drawing attention to his protective nature towards the younger characters, particularly Gaten Matarazzo’s Dustin Henderson.
Joe Keery on Steve being the ‘mother’ of children on Stranger Things
Netflix recently shared a video of Joe Keery on X (formerly Twitter) responding to a comment that joked Steve Harrington was a “single mom who works two jobs, loves his kids, and never stops.”
Keery noted that his parental role towards the younger cast members of Stranger Things was something fans noticed when they saw him “carting everyone around.” “Kind of looking after everybody,” he added. “And they just sort of dubbed me the mother,” he said.
The Free Guy actor further stated that the label stuck with him, emphasizing it as a “testament to the fans and them taking things and just running with it.” Keery’s Stranger Things co-stars have also joined the meme fest, highlighting Harrington’s paternal/maternal roles.
Three years earlier, a TikTok user shared an edit of the show’s cast attending a San Diego Comic-Con panel. In the video, a person can be heard mocking Finn Wolfhard’s name, calling it “the greatest porn name ever.” The footage showed Wolfhard expressing mild annoyance before cutting to Keery, who, as the video captions suggested, urged the former to ignore the person who mocked him.
Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Lucas Sinclair, responded to the video. He commented, “Joes really Mom bro. Truly an inspiration.”
Moreover, years before this, Jim Hopper actor David Harbour celebrated Father’s Day on Instagram by posting a picture of Keery. He captioned the post, “Happy Father’s Day.” However, users commented “Happy Mother’s Day” under the post.
Stranger Things Season 5 — the show’s final season — will premiere on Netflix in three parts. The first two parts or volumes will drop on November 26, 2025, and December 25, 2025, respectively. The finale will then arrive on December 31, 2025.
Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on ComingSoon.
