Stranger Things Jake Connelly: Real Age, Nationality, and Must-Know Facts Revealed

I did not expect a late-arriving kid in the final season of Stranger Things to grab this much attention, but here we are. Derek Turnbow shows up looking like your standard-issue hallway menace, and then the show starts peeling back layers. The actor behind him, Jake Connelly, is suddenly the name everyone is Googling. Here’s the quick tour of who he is and how he ended up in Hawkins.

Who is Jake Connelly?

Connelly was born in 2012, which makes him 13 in 2025 (per The Mirror). He was four when Stranger Things first premiered, watched it with his family, and yes, he was already a fan before he ever stepped on set. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, and he’s still rooted there, going to middle school in his hometown.

Not just an actor, also a right tackle

When he’s not filming, he’s playing American football for his school, lining up at right tackle (per Teen Vogue). That tracks if you’ve seen how he carries himself as Derek: big presence, steady base, zero fear of contact.

Before Hawkins

Connelly isn’t coming in totally green. He was credited in a short film called 'Between the Silence' before Stranger Things (per IMDb). Small project, but it clearly opened the right doors at the right time, because now he’s smack in the middle of the show’s endgame.

A little on-set context

Joining a global hit in its last lap is no one’s idea of a chill first week. Connelly says Millie Bobby Brown took him under her wing right away. He told The Wrap about a moment early on at a table read that turned into an accidental mentoring session.

"I gotta say, one of the first days of the table read, Millie Bobby Brown called me over to her trailer and — my mom had no idea where I went — I was just there with Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi just chilling it up, just talking. And she said, 'Oh yeah, we were all your age when we started. If you ever need anything, you can just call us.'"

That’s the kind of behind-the-scenes nudge that makes a difference, especially when you’re the new kid in a cast that basically grew up on this show.

Why he’s popping with fans

This is a late-season addition who could’ve been a one-note bully. Instead, Connelly plays Derek with enough rough edges and vulnerability that people are already drawing the Joseph Quinn/Eddie Munson comparison from Season 4. Different character, same breakout energy.

Stranger Things Season 5 snapshot

• Season: Stranger Things Season 5 (the final chapter)
• Creators: The Duffer Brothers
• Major cast: Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo
• Rotten Tomatoes: 84% Tomatometer | 82% Audience Score
• Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix

So, where are you on Derek Turnbow so far? Love the arc, or still not sold? Either way, Jake Connelly’s making a case that he’s not just a one-season footnote.