You’ve definitely seen her face everywhere by now. Whether she’s running from treasure hunters in the marshy wetlands of North Carolina or solving a high-stakes murder mystery on a private Greek island, Madelyn Cline has become one of those "it girls" you just can't escape. But long before she was Sarah Cameron, the Kook princess of the Outer Banks, she was just another face in the background of Hawkins, Indiana.
Honestly, it’s one of those fun "wait, what?" moments for fans. You’re rewatching old seasons to prep for the series finale, and suddenly, there she is. Not a main character. Not even a sidekick. Just a girl named Tina.
Madelyn Cline Stranger Things: The Role You Forgot
Most people think Madelyn Cline just appeared out of thin air when Outer Banks premiered in 2020. That's not really how it works in Hollywood. Before the big breaks, there are the "small" breaks. In 2017, Cline landed a minor recurring role in the second season of Stranger Things.
She played Tina.
If the name doesn't ring a bell, don't feel bad. Tina wasn't fighting Demogorgons or decoding Russian transmissions in a mall basement. She was a popular girl at Hawkins High School. You can catch her in two specific episodes: "Chapter One: MADMAX" and "Chapter Two: Trick or Treat, Freak."
Basically, she was part of the "cool kid" clique that hung out with Steve Harrington and Tommy H. Remember that massive, booze-fueled Halloween party where Nancy Wheeler got "bullseye" drunk and told Steve their relationship was "bullsh*t"? Yeah, that was Tina’s house.
What exactly did she do?
Tina wasn't just a face in the crowd. She actually had a few lines, which is a big deal for a guest spot.
- The Billy Introduction: When Billy Hargrove (played by Dacre Montgomery) first pulls into the school parking lot in his blue Camaro, Tina is one of the girls ogling him. She’s the one who says, "He’s a bit of a douchebag, but he’s a hot douchebag." Classic '80s mean girl energy.
- The Party Host: She spends the first episode handing out flyers for her "Halloween Bash."
- The Madonna Look: At her party, she’s dressed up as "Like a Virgin" era Madonna. It’s a brief look, but once you know it’s her, you can’t unsee it.
It’s wild to think that this minor character was played by someone who is now headlining major motion pictures. It just goes to show how much talent the Stranger Things casting directors actually have. They have a knack for picking future stars before the rest of the world even knows their names.
Why the Madelyn Cline Stranger Things connection matters now
You might be wondering why anyone cares about a two-episode guest spot from years ago. Well, with Stranger Things Season 5 officially on the horizon and the hype reaching a fever pitch, fans are obsessed with "full circle" moments.
There’s been plenty of Reddit speculation about whether we might see Tina again. Could she return as an adult (well, an older teen/young adult) in the final season?
Probably not.
Let’s be real: Madelyn Cline is a massive star now. Bringing her back for a tiny cameo might feel distracting, or frankly, it might be too expensive for a character that most casual viewers don't remember. But in the world of the Upside Down, stranger things have happened.
The Netflix "Incubator" Effect
Madelyn isn't the only one. Netflix loves to keep it in the family.
The streaming giant has a history of taking young actors from small roles and turning them into the faces of their biggest franchises. Look at Jenna Ortega or even Madelyn's Outer Banks co-star Chase Stokes. Fun fact: Chase Stokes actually had a tiny role in Stranger Things Season 1 as a guy named Reed who yells at Nancy from a car.
They were both "Hawkins residents" before they were "Pogues."
Life after Tina: The rise of a Netflix powerhouse
After her stint in Hawkins, Madelyn didn't just sit around. She was hustling. She did a few episodes of The Originals (playing a witch named Jessica) and had a role in the critically acclaimed film Boy Erased.
Then 2020 happened.
Outer Banks dropped during the height of the pandemic when everyone was stuck inside dreaming of a summer at the beach. It was the perfect storm. Madelyn’s portrayal of Sarah Cameron turned her into an overnight sensation. Suddenly, she wasn't "Tina from the Halloween party" anymore. She was a lead.
Since then, she’s moved into "prestige" territory. Being cast in Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was a huge pivot. She played Whiskey, the influencer girlfriend of Dave Bautista’s character. She held her own against Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, and Janelle Monáe. That’s a long way from handing out party flyers in a school hallway.
Could she return for Season 5?
As we approach the end of the series, the Duffer Brothers have hinted at bringing back some familiar faces from the past to give the show a sense of closure. We know they like nostalgia.
Fans have joked that maybe Tina survived the "earthquake" (the gate opening) at the end of Season 4 and will be part of the civilian resistance. It’s a fun theory, but don’t hold your breath. Between filming the final seasons of Outer Banks and her upcoming projects like the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, her schedule is packed.
What to watch next if you're a fan
If you've already rewatched her Stranger Things episodes and you're caught up on the treasure hunting drama, here is what you should check out:
- Glass Onion (Netflix): To see her comedic timing and range.
- Vice Principals (HBO): She has a small role here as a cheerleader named Taylor Watts. It’s dark, weird, and very funny.
- The Originals (CW/Netflix): For a bit of supernatural flair before she became a beach icon.
The "Madelyn Cline Stranger Things" era was short, but it was a vital stepping stone. It’s a reminder that every big star starts somewhere—sometimes as a girl in a Madonna costume, watching a blue Camaro pull into a parking lot.
To see the cameo for yourself, head over to Netflix and skip to the 22-minute mark of Season 2, Episode 1. You'll see her standing by the lockers. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, but it’s a cool piece of TV history now. If you're doing a full series rewatch before the final season drops, keep an eye out for other "before they were famous" faces—Hawkins is full of them.