"The absolute best": Gaten Matarazzo shares his feelings about working alongside Stranger Things co-star Joe Keery shortly after finale

Stranger Things has just ended a long 10-year run, and instead of talking about monsters or portals, Gaten Matarazzo is talking about the people involved in the show. More specifically, he is talking about Joe Keery.

Right after the finale, in an interview with Variety, Gaten shared exactly how he feels about working with Joe, and it was simple, honest, and kind. He said,

"Joe is the absolute best. He’s the MVP of every room he walks into, and I don’t think he even knows it."

That pretty much answers the headline question. Gaten does not just respect Joe as a co-star. He genuinely admires him as a person, a leader, and a friend.

And after almost a decade inside Stranger Things together, that means something.

A working relationship that grew quietly into something real

What makes Gaten’s words about Joe stand out is that they are not flashy or dramatic, but they're just as truthful as they can get.

"He has a leadership quality that he doesn’t demand, but commands, seemingly without trying..."

When Gaten says this, it sounds like something you only notice after years of watching someone show up the same way every day.

He also calls Joe Keery a “strong actor,” “very thoughtful,” “very grounded,” “a good friend,” and “tremendously funny.” This list covers more than just talent. It covers presence. It covers how someone makes a space feel when they walk into it.

Gaten also explains that he did not even expect to work closely with Joe at first. He says he was excited when Stranger Things Season 2 finally gave them scenes together, because before that, he did not think their characters would ever really cross paths. When it finally happened, he says,

"Before that I didn’t think I’d ever get to work with him, so I was excited to take the opportunity while it was there. Thankfully, it just clicked."

That click did not come from planning. It came from timing. Both Dustin and Steve were in strange emotional places. Their romantic storylines were not going anywhere. The show needed something new for them. Gaten describes that moment honestly when he says they were all basically asking, What do we do with Dustin and Steve right now.

So it was like “What the fuck do we do with Dustin and Steve right now?” Because they were both kind of dealing with similar predicaments in their love lives and they kind of had something to relate to there. Thankfully, there was a quality that worked between us and we locked into it.""

The answer turned out to be each other.

And that is how a side pairing slowly became one of the emotional centers of Stranger Things.

Why Dustin and Steve's bond on Stranger Things feels so real to us fans

The reason this duo works is that it does not feel designed. It feels discovered. They started awkward, then funny, then loyal, then emotional. Over time, they stopped being a joke pairing and started being a safe place for each other inside the story. That is why moments like their fight in the final season hurt to watch, and why their reconciliation feels earned.

Gaten even admits that the fight could be a tough watch for fans. That alone shows how aware he is of what the relationship means to fans of Stranger Things. It is not just a plot thread. It is comfort. It is familiarity. It is watching two characters grow up together in different ways.

Their early scenes were light. Hair advice. Love advice. Jokes. But later scenes carry weight, promises, fears of losing each other, and loyalty between the boys.

Hence, when Gaten calls Joe the MVP of every room, it sounds less like hype and more like gratitude.

And in a show built on friendship, that feels exactly right.

Gaten Matarazzo’s words about Joe Keery do not feel like a press quote. They feel like something you say about someone you trust. He talks about Joe’s calm leadership, his kindness, and his steady presence, not just his talent.

That explains why the Dustin and Steve bond on Stranger Things feels so natural on screen. It grew out of a real working connection that had time to breathe. In the end, Stranger Things did not just give fans a great duo.

It gave two actors a partnership that clearly meant something to both of them. And that is what people are really responding to now.

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