Caleb Reginald McLaughlin (born October 13, 2001) is an American actor. He gained recognition for playing
Lucas Sinclair in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
series ''
Stranger Things
''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Pr ...
'' (2016–present). McLaughlin began his career on the
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
stage as Young Simba in the musical ''
The Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, ...
'' followed by small roles in television. Following his breakthrough with ''Stranger Things'', he appeared in the films ''
High Flying Bird'' (2019) and ''
Concrete Cowboy
''Concrete Cowboy'' is a 2020 American drama film directed by Ricky Staub from a screenplay by Staub and Dan Walser. The movie is based on the novel ''Ghetto Cowboy'' by Greg Neri, which was inspired by the real urban African-American horseridi ...
'' (2020), his first starring feature film role. His work also includes the miniseries ''
The New Edition Story
''The New Edition Story'' is an American biographical three-part miniseries about the R&B group New Edition, from their rise to fame as a boy band from the Orchard Park Projects of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to becoming a successful adult act. It ...
'' (2017) and various television voice acting roles.
Early life
Caleb Reginald McLaughlin was born on October 13, 2001 in
Carmel, New York
Carmel (pronounced ) is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the town had a population of 33,576. The town may have been named after Mount Carmel in Israel.
The Town of Carmel is on the souther ...
. 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
Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) is an art school in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City.
Harlem School of the Arts was founded in 1964, by soprano Dorothy Maynor. Maynor was succeeded by mezzo-soprano Betty Allen as President in 1979, when a new ...
under Aubrey Lynch, former ''
Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American Animated film, animated Musical film, musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd List of Walt Disney Animati ...
'' producer.
Career
McLaughlin's first acting role was as a child in the opera ''
Lost in the Stars
''Lost in the Stars'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson and music by Kurt Weill, based on the novel ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' (1948) by Alan Paton. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1949; it was the composer's last wor ...
'' in
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the ...
at the Glimmerglass Opera House. His first starring role was on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
as Young Simba in ''
The Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, ...
'' musical (2012–14). He then went on to have guest-starring roles in television series such as ''
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', ''
Unforgettable
Unforgettable may refer to:
Film
* ''Unforgettable'' (1996 film), a thriller starring Ray Liotta
* ''Unforgettable'' (2014 film), a Bollywood film
* ''Unforgettable'' (2016 film), a South Korean film
* ''Unforgettable'' (2017 film), an America ...
'', ''
Forever
Forever or 4ever may refer to:
Film and television Films
* ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice
* ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama
* ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...
,
What Would You Do?,'' and ''
Shades of Blue
Varieties of the color blue may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation, intensity, or colorfulness), or lightness (or value, tone, or brightness), or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shad ...
.'' In 2016, McLaughlin's breakthrough role came with his portrayal of Lucas Sinclair in the hit
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
series ''
Stranger Things
''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Pr ...
'' (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
The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
.
In 2020, McLaughlin made his feature film debut in ''
Concrete Cowboy
''Concrete Cowboy'' is a 2020 American drama film directed by Ricky Staub from a screenplay by Staub and Dan Walser. The movie is based on the novel ''Ghetto Cowboy'' by Greg Neri, which was inspired by the real urban African-American horseridi ...
,'' co-starring with
Idris Elba
Idrissa Akuna Elba (; born 6 September 1972) is an English actor. and
Jharrel Jerome
Jharrel Jerome (born October 9, 1997) is an American actor and rapper who is best known for appearing in Barry Jenkins's acclaimed drama film ''Moonlight'' (2016), and for portraying Korey Wise in Ava DuVernay's Netflix miniseries '' When They S ...
, which received positive reviews. In December 2020, McLaughlin was included as an honoree in
Forbes 30 Under 30
''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 is a set of lists of people under 30 years old issued annually by ''Forbes'' magazine and some of its regional editions. The American lists recognize 600 business and industry figures, with 30 selected in twenty industries ...
Class of 2021 list in the field of Hollywood and Entertainment.
Advocacy
McLaughlin has spearheaded the social media campaigns #EmbraceYourFace and #BeYourBiggestFan, promoting healthy body image, positivity and self-esteem.
McLaughlin has stated: "Feeling good about yourself is healthy. It always starts with you first, before it goes to anyone else... You have to learn to love and appreciate yourself and take that time to do it."
In 2020, McLaughlin also encouraged people to vote in the
2020 US presidential election
The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and the junior U.S. senator from California Kamala ...
, posting a video on his official Instagram account with links to the non-profit organization
Vote.org.
Filmography
Film
Television
Theater
Music videos
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLaughlin, Caleb
2001 births
Living people
African-American male actors
Male actors from New York City
American male child actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
21st-century American male actors
American male voice actors
21st-century African-American people