At just 19-years-old, Canadian actor Finn Wolfhard has made a major name for himself in the business. His career really took off when he was cast to play Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things on Netflix. Season one premiered in 2016, and Wolfhard was just 13-years-old at the time. He’s essentially grown up on the show, and during that time has also secured other notable roles.

Wolfhard has made strides in the horror genre, holding large roles in movies like the remake of It and the sequel It: Chapter Two. He’s also appeared in dramas like The Goldfinch, Dog Days and Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut When You Finish Saving the World. Along with his physical acting credits, he’s also done some voice-acting work, most notably as Pugsley Addams in the 2019 animated adaptation of The Addams Family.

He is also set to play Lampwick in Guillermo del Toro’s animated Pinocchio, premiering in December of this year. This will be another voice acting credit for Wolfhard, and he’ll star alongside big names like Ewan McGregor (Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace), Tilda Swinton (Snowpiercer), Cate Blanchett (Ocean’s Eight) and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds).

Despite his young age, Wolfhard has accomplished quite a bit in his acting career and is sure to achieve even more in the years to come. In the meantime, here are some of the best Finn Wolfhard performances thus far.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

6 The Addams Family (2019)

     MGM

The Addams Family is a classic, creepy, kooky bunch that first appeared in a comic strip by Charlie Addams in the 1930s. It was adapted into a black and white TV series decades later that was rebooted several times over the years. When most people think of The Addams Family though, the 1991 movie The Addams Family and the 1993 sequel, Addams Family Values, are likely what comes to mind first. Both movies manage to capture the zany, off-the-wall nature of the macabre family. They’re funny, heartwarming, and worth a re-watch if it’s been a while since you’ve seen them.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

In 2019, the spooky family was re-imagined again, this time in animated form. Among the cast of heavy-hitters including Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Nick Kroll, Martin Short, Chloë Grace Moretz, Catherine O’Hara, Titus Burgess and Bette Midler, is Finn Wolfhard, who voiced Pugsley Addams. Pugsley is a mischievous, destruction-loving kid who is always up to no good. The movie was followed up in 2021 with the sequel The Addams Family 2 and while the movies themselves aren’t that memorable, Wolfhard’s voice as Pugsley really brings the character to life and makes him more of the stand-out in the movies.

5 Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

      Columbia Pictures

Ghostbusters is another franchise that has been rebooted and re-imagined in several ways since its original release. Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which premiered in 2021, is meant to serve as a sequel to the two original movies from the ’80s. It follows a single mother and her children as they move to an Oklahoma farm that she inherited from her father, who happened to be one of the members of the original Ghostbusters. The movie also features a great cast, including Mckenna Grace (Gifted), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man, This is 40), Carrie Coon (The Post, Avengers: Infinity War) and Finn Wolfhard. The movie also brought back original Ghostbusters cast members Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver, who reprised their roles from the earlier movies. Overall, the movie was a major success, grossing over $204 million worldwide.

Wolfhard gives a great performance. It’s a role in a film that has a similar feel to the work he’s already done that he’s excellent at, like Stranger Things and It. It’s that trope of “young kids and teens making supernatural discoveries with their friends and trying to steer clear of danger.” It’s a role that fits him well, and anytime he’s cast to bring it to life on screen, he always delivers.

A sequel, Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2, is currently in development.

4 When You Finish Saving the World (2022)

     A24

When You Finish Saving the World is about a mother (Julianne Moore) and her son (Finn Wolfhard), who have a tricky relationship and can’t quite seem to make a real connection with each other. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2022, and is Jesse Eisenberg’s (Zombieland, Now You See Me) directorial debut. Generally, the movie received positive reviews from critics.

When You Finish Saving the World features another impressive performance from Wolfhard. He’s playing an awkward teenager and — even though he’s a teenager himself — he gives the performance in a compelling and realistic way. It doesn’t feel like a character on the screen; it feels like someone you probably know in real life. The movie also features musical performances by Wolfhard, highlighting his other talent as a young musician.

3 The Turning (2020)

     Universal Pictures

Premiering in 2020, The Turning is another one of the many adaptations of Henry James’ 1898 horror novella The Turn of the Screw. It stars Mackenzie Davis (Tully), Brooklynn Prince (Home Before Dark) and Wolfhard. Compared to other adaptations of James’ work, like The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Turning is rather lackluster. However, the best part of the movie is the acting from both Prince and Wolfhard.

Wolfhard plays a troubled teen who doesn’t like his new live-in tutor (Davis) and is seemingly connected to the paranormal energy present in the house. Wolfhard gave an eerie, dedicated performance that, in a way, saves the movie. It also further established him as a capable actor, able to take on a wide variety of roles.

2 Stranger Things (2016-Present)

When Stranger Things premiered on Netflix in 2016, it was an instant hit. From the ensemble cast to the ’80s nostalgia and deep, complex plot, it’s well-loved on a massive scale. Stranger Things is really where Wolfhard got his start as an actor. He was just 13-years-old when he was cast as Mike Wheeler, a major role on the show. Starting so young allowed Wolfhard to grow up on the show, taking the audience along with him.

Wolfhard gives a stellar performance throughout the entire series. He’s funny, witty, a little nerdy, is sincerely believable as a kid living in the ’80s, and stands out as sort of the leader of his friend group. Stranger Things’ instant success led it to be renewed for four more seasons, with the fourth premiering just a few weeks ago. This fourth season has been met with “record-setting viewership” and is getting fans excited about the fifth and final season coming next. So, luckily for viewers, there will be one more season of Wolfhard’s exceptionally delivered Mike Wheeler character.

1 It (2017)

     Warner Bros. Pictures

One of Wolfhard’s most notable performances to date has to be his role as Richie Tozier in the remake of Stephen King’s It in 2017. Richie is one of King’s most beloved characters. He’s the funny, foul-mouthed kid that’s always cracking “your mom” jokes and egging on his friends. Wolfhard as Tozier is a no-brainer. He’s truly the comic relief in an otherwise sinister tale, and delivers several memorable one-liners throughout the course of the movie. Tozier is a dynamic character, though, and there are some softer sides to him. This is no problem for Wolfhard, though, as he’s able to blend and deliver both rather seamlessly.

While the second half of It — which was released as a sequel movie, It: Chapter Two, in 2019 — features a time jump and focuses on the older versions of the characters in the first installment, Wolfhard returns as the younger version of Tozier — as Bill Hader plays the elder — and brings that same charming energy he did in part one.

While there hasn’t been a release date announced yet, there’s an upcoming spin-off based on King’s It titled Welcome to Derry. It’ll be about the small town of Derry, where Pennywise the Dancing Clown appears to wreak havoc every 27 years, and what led to the town becoming the epicenter of such evil. There also hasn’t been an official cast announcement yet, but based on Wolfhard’s impressive performances in the horror genre, and the It movies, it’d be great to see him take on a role in this upcoming series.