Which actor plays Dustin Henderson in "Stranger Things"?

Gaten Matarazzo plays Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things.

Dustin is one of the four original friends at the center of the series, alongside Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, and Will Byers. He is known for his quick wit, scientific curiosity, encyclopedic knowledge of monsters, and distinctive sense of humor. In the group’s Dungeons & Dragons games, Dustin is the Bard, while Mike commonly serves as Dungeon Master.

In season 1, Dustin helps search for Will after Will vanishes and accepts Eleven as an ally when the others are still unsure what to believe. His interest in science helps the friends understand that the strange events in Hawkins are connected to the Upside Down. Dustin’s intelligence often turns obscure clues into practical plans, making him an important problem-solver rather than merely comic relief.

Matarazzo was born with cleidocranial dysplasia, a condition also given to Dustin. That detail is part of the character and is discussed naturally in the show. Viewers sometimes confuse Dustin’s actor with Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, or Finn Wolfhard, who play Will, Lucas, and Mike.