Fame seemed to show up almost overnight, or close enough that it felt sudden. The lead‑up, though, had been simmering long before Netflix put his name in a lot of living rooms.
Born December 23, 2002, in Vancouver, he probably had no real way to guess he’d become one of the more recognizable faces on TV. His dad researches Indigenous land claims in Canada. His older brother, Nick, acts too. Catholic school in Vancouver, homework, guitar, big plans that might have sounded a bit far-off at the time.
The Stranger Things Phenomenon
Then 2016 hit. Finn landed Mike Wheeler on a small‑looking Netflix series called Stranger Things, and the thing just took off. Within a season, his name was everywhere.
Mike didn’t play like a stock character. More like the steady center of a messy, loyal friend group tangling with monsters and weirder stuff from somewhere else. Finn brought an easy, lived‑in tone to it. Nothing showy, just grounded. Maybe that’s a big reason the series clicked the way it did.
The momentum arrived fast. Stranger Things became one of Netflix’s headline shows, often cited among its biggest. Finn and the cast picked up group honors, including a SAG Award for ensemble work.
Beyond Hawkins
He didn’t park there. As Richie Tozier in the It films, he shifted into sharper, wise‑cracking energy. Those movies landed hard at the box office, by most measures, and suggested he could move between tones without losing his footing.
Next came Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021. As Trevor Spengler, he tied into the original line without leaning too heavily on nostalgia. The movie did well enough that a 2024 sequel followed.
There’s voice work too. Pugsley in The Addams Family animated film. A recurring stint on Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego. Off‑camera performances that let him stretch in different directions, which seems to suit him.
Music Is His Other Passion
Here’s the part some folks still miss: he’s serious about music. Not a novelty, not a quick detour.
He fronted Calpurnia as singer and guitarist, an indie rock band that charted and toured beyond Canada before wrapping in 2019. That reads less like a hobby and more like a real run.
In 2020, he started The Aubreys with a friend. Several EPs followed and a full record, Karaoke Alone, in 2021. The songs hold up on their own, which is rarer than people admit for actor‑led projects.
This year, he put out his first solo album, Happy Birthday. He’s looking less like an actor who plays guitar and more like a musician who also acts.
Behind the Camera
He’s been inching toward directing. A short first, Night Shifts, in 2020. Then a feature, Hell of a Summer, in 2023.
It hints at long‑game thinking. Acting opened doors, but he seems intent on shaping stories from the other side of the lens too.
The Fashion World Noticed
Fashion houses took interest as his profile grew. Yves Saint Laurent tapped him for a campaign, which isn’t exactly routine for young male actors. Call it a sign that his look and vibe travel well.
Using Fame for Good
He’s hosted charity events that funnel support to musicians who need it. Using a platform that big to boost others says something about where his head might be.
What’s Next
By 22, he’d stacked credits most actors take a decade or two to collect. Major TV, studio films, touring bands, fashion campaigns. Some directing. A few awards along the way.
What stands out is how unforced he seems, or at least how it comes across. Less manufactured sheen, more ease. Maybe that’s why people stick with him.
His path reads like talent meeting opportunity, sure, but also like someone trying to stay honest while growing up in public. Not perfectly, not neatly, just steadily.
A kid from Vancouver with a big idea of a life. Now a multi‑hyphen artist leaving marks across a few corners of entertainment. And there’s probably more coming, if he feels like it.
