Baton Rouge-based actor Joe Chrest has played a handful of big- and small-screen dads, from Vernon Presley in Sun Records to Jonah Hill’s character’s goofy father in 21 Jumpstreet and its sequel. But one of his most recent roles, as the father of Mike Wheeler on Netflix’s Stranger Things, has drawn more fans than ever to his body of work, which includes parts in big-budget films like The Hunger Games franchise, Free State of Jones and Deepwater Horizon.

But Chrest also dedicates much of his time and passion to teaching the art of drama and acting, a creative skill he says that everyone is born with but that most lose as it becomes “less cool” in adulthood.

To learn more about Chrest and his experience with acting and the child stars of Stranger Things, check out our article in the May issue of inRegister, available on newsstands now.