Joe Keery has moved past his nine-year run as Steve Harrington on “Stranger Things” to build a genuinely dual career in 2026. He now leads a sleeper hit horror-comedy, holds a Grammy nomination for his music project Djo, has toured arenas with Tame Impala, and is preparing for his first Broadway role this fall.
The actor and musician, born Joseph David Keery in April 1992 in Newburyport, Massachusetts, graduated from The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago with a BFA in acting in 2014. That same theater training now underpins a stretch of his career spanning film, streaming, live music, and stage work within a single year.
Cold Storage Becomes a Streaming Sleeper Hit
Keery’s most visible post-“Stranger Things” project is “Cold Storage,” a science fiction horror comedy directed by Jonny Campbell and written by David Koepp, based on Koepp’s own 2019 novel. Keery plays Travis “Teacake” Meacham, a self-storage facility worker who, alongside costar Georgina Campbell, confronts a parasitic fungus that escapes a sealed government facility built on an old military base. Liam Neeson, Sosie Bacon, Vanessa Redgrave, and Lesley Manville round out the cast.
The film opened in Mexico and Brazil on January 29, 2026, followed by a wide US release on February 13 through Samuel Goldwyn Films, a French release via StudioCanal on February 18, and UK and Irish theaters on February 20. It reached digital and video-on-demand platforms on March 6, then premiered on MGM+ on July 15, 2026.
Made on a reported ten-million-dollar budget, “Cold Storage” earned roughly four million dollars at the worldwide box office during its limited theatrical run. Despite the modest theatrical numbers, the film became a notable streaming success on MGM+ and Prime Video by mid-2026, with critics praising Keery’s comic performance opposite Neeson.
Djo, a Grammy Nomination, and a Chart-Topping Single
Under his musical alias Djo, Keery released his debut album “Twenty Twenty” in 2019 and a follow-up, “Decide,” in 2022. The “Decide” track “End of Beginning” went viral on TikTok in 2024 and surged again around the time “Stranger Things” ended in 2025, becoming a major streaming hit.
His third album, “The Crux,” arrived on April 4, 2025, followed by a deluxe edition that fall. On November 7, 2025, “The Crux” received a nomination for Best Album Cover at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, a newly introduced category recognizing art direction rather than songwriting. The nomination credited Jake Hirshland, Keery, Neil Krug, and William Wesley II. Tyler, The Creator’s “CHROMAKOPIA” ultimately won the award.
Reuniting with Post Animal
Before launching Djo, Keery co-founded the Chicago psychedelic rock band Post Animal in 2014 and left in 2017 to focus on acting. He rejoined the group in 2025, and the band released a new album, “Iron,” on July 25, 2025, with a deluxe edition, “Iron: Expansion Pack,” following on November 21. Post Animal served as an opening act for Keery’s Back on You World Tour and its follow-up leg earlier in 2025.
Tame Impala Tour and a Nashville Stunt
Keery spent the first leg of Tame Impala’s Deadbeat Tour as the opening act across the United States and Canada, a run that continued through early August 2026 before Dominic Fike took over supporting duties for the tour’s second half. At the tour’s Nashville stop on August 4, Keery disguised himself as a stagehand and appeared onstage to sweep during Kevin Parker’s performance of “Dracula,” a moment that circulated widely among fans.
Broadway Debut in Other Desert Cities
This fall, Keery will make his Broadway debut in a revival of “Other Desert Cities,” Jon Robin Baitz’s Tony Award-winning 2011 family drama and Pulitzer Prize finalist. He plays Trip, the younger brother caught between his family’s political divisions.
The production also marks the Broadway debut of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, joined by Ed Harris, Allison Janney, and Lily Rabe. The 16-week limited engagement begins previews September 29, 2026, at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway, opens October 18, and closes January 17, 2027.
Keery’s 2025-2026 Milestones
| Project | Date | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| The Crux | April 4, 2025 | Third Djo studio album |
| Iron (Post Animal) | July 25, 2025 | Reunion album with former band |
| Grammy nomination | November 7, 2025 | Best Album Cover, The Crux |
| Cold Storage (US theaters) | February 13, 2026 | Lead role as Teacake Meacham |
| Cold Storage (MGM+) | July 15, 2026 | Streaming premiere |
| Deadbeat Tour support | Through early August 2026 | Opening for Tame Impala |
| Other Desert Cities previews | September 29, 2026 | Broadway debut at Hudson Theatre |
Personal Life
Keery’s only publicly confirmed relationship was with actress Maika Monroe, whom he met in 2017 while filming together. The couple appeared together at industry events for several years before their relationship ended, with reports of a split surfacing in late 2023. Keery has kept his personal life largely private since.
What Comes Next
Keery’s 2026 schedule shows a performer working across film, music, and theater at the same time rather than favoring one medium. His Djo project has grown from a side pursuit into a Grammy-nominated act with a charting single, while “Cold Storage” gave him his first lead film role since “Stranger Things” concluded. The Broadway debut this fall represents new territory: live theater carries different risks and rewards than streaming or touring, and it will test his range in front of audiences without the safety net of editing or retakes.
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