Side-By-Side Photos Show Sadie Sink's Transformation Since Her Stranger Things Debut
It feels like only yesterday Sadie Sink joined the cast of "Stranger Things" in Season 2 and introduced the world to her loveably tough-as-nails character, Max Mayfield. She's been a staple on the show since 2017, with Max having a major storyline on Season 4 that involved her "running up that hill," as it were. The whole cast of "Stranger Things" has had quite the jaw-dropping transformation over the years, especially Sink.
Looking back at the actor's first red carpet for the show, in October 2017, she looked so different from the final season premiere, in November 2025. Besides the obvious fact that she's eight years older than she was back then, Sink looked super grown up on the red carpet, both in physical appearance and with her choice of outfit.
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As the above photos demonstrate, in 2017, a then-15-year-old Sink wore a cute black-and-white dress and had her long hair pushed behind her ears. In 2025, the now-23-year-old donned a super chic two-piece dress, and she had her hair loose. Interestingly, the actor's signature red locks have been lightened between the two photos, and they're now shorter, which are further hints that her style has evolved over the years.
Sadie Sink has been booked and busy since joining Stranger Things
Despite being a newcomer to the "Stranger Things" cast in Season 2, Sadie Sink had been acting for years prior to joining the beloved Netflix sci-fi series. Fans may not have known that Sadie Sink actually got her start on Broadway — along with co-stars Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin. She worked on "Annie" in 2012, then originated the role of Young Elizabeth in the Helen Mirren-led play, "The Audience," in 2015.
In April 2025, Sink returned to the Broadway stage as the lead in a new show, "John Proctor is the Villain," earning herself a Tony nod for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play. Since she first joined "Stranger Things," Sink has starred in high-profile projects such as "The Whale" and the "Fear Street" trilogy, also on Netflix. Moreover, she co-starred with Dylan O'Brien in Taylor Swift's short film for "All Too Well." Since dropping on Swift's YouTube page, in 2021, the clip has racked up over 109 million views.
While growing up in the public eye wasn't always easy for Sink, she at least had some good friends to rely on, who understood what it was like. Sink and co-star Millie Bobby Brown have a wonderful friendship, with the "Enola Holmes" star even sharing on the red carpet at the Season 5 premiere, when asked who she'd trust to babysit her baby daughter, "Sadie is very, very maternal" (via Entertainment Tonight).