Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1984-02-15
- Born Place: Durham, North Carolina, USA
Also Known As:
Duffer Brothers, The Duffer Brothers
Matt Duffer
Born on February 15, 1984, in Durham, North Carolina, Matt Duffer is an American writer, director, and producer who, alongside his twin brother Ross, created the cultural juggernaut Stranger Things. The brothers' obsession with storytelling began in the third grade after receiving a Hi8 video camera for Christmas, leading them to spend their childhood making home movies in the North Carolina suburbs. After studying film at Chapman University and graduating in 2007, Matt and Ross struggled for years to break into the industry, facing multiple rejections of their "Montauk" pitch before Netflix eventually greenlit the project. Before their breakout, Matt honed his craft by co-writing and directing the hidden-gem horror film Hidden (2015) and writing for the M. Night Shyamalan-produced series Wayward Pines. As of early 2026, Matt Duffer has reached a massive career crossroads, having officially concluded the flagship Stranger Things series on December 31, 2025. In the new documentary One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, Matt is depicted as a deeply hands-on creator who faced immense pressure to deliver the finale, "The Rightside Up," while still refining the script deep into production. The documentary captures his emotional journey through the final 237 days of shooting, including his decision to focus the ending on "intimacy over spectacle" and his direct involvement in debunking fan theories like "Conformity Gate." Personally, Matt resides in California with his fiancée, hair and makeup designer Sarah Hindsgaul, and their two children; famously, Stranger Things lead Winona Ryder serves as the godmother to his children, illustrating the deep family-like bond he shares with his cast. Looking toward the future, Matt Duffer is entering a significant new chapter as he prepares to transition from his long-time home at Netflix to a four-year exclusive deal with Paramount starting in April 2026. This move marks his first major foray into large-scale theatrical filmmaking, an ambition he and Ross have held since their youth. Despite the move, he remains heavily involved in the expansion of the Stranger Things universe through his production company, Upside Down Pictures. His 2026 slate includes serving as an executive producer on the animated series Stranger Things: Tales From '85 and the supernatural drama The Boroughs, as well as developing a live-action Stranger Things spin-off and a series adaptation of Stephen King’s The Talisman.
