Five Fast Facts About Stranger Things Star Cara Buono

Cara Buono is currently starring as Mike Wheeler’s mother, Karen Wheeler, on the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things. Though Buono didn’t have a lot to do in the first two seasons of the show, there’s a good chance she’ll be more involved in the storyline when the third season drops on Netflix in July.

From her famed high school education to her major television roles, here are five fast facts about Stranger Things star Cara Buono!

FAME
Buono was born and raised in The Bronx with two brothers and a sister. She had an interest in acting at a young age and attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, which is the performing arts school that the movie and TV series, Fame, was based on.

Broadway Baby
Her first professional acting job was in Harvey Fierstein’s play, Spookhouse, when she was only 12 years old, but she continued doing Off-Broadway and Broadway plays after she graduated college.

Pop Culture Roles
There’s a good chance you’ve seen Buono outside of her Stranger Things role, as she’s been on a number of different television shows. However, she’s been on two of the biggest shows ever — Mad Men (as one of Don’s many conquests, Faye Miller, earning her a guest actress Emmy nomination) and The Sopranos (as Kelli Moltisanti).

More Than An Actress
Along with acting, Buono also writes, produces, and directs. In fact, she did all three on a 1997 short film called Baggage, which starred Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan)!

Running For Her Life
The busy actress has also managed to take part in three New York City Marathons — 1998, 1999, and 2005. She was reportedly going to run in 2006 as well, but she became injured and dropped out about a week beforehand.