On July 31, Sadie Sink officially joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring as Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But for viewers tuning in to the long-awaited sequel without knowing much of her story, her acting days go way back.

In fact, Sadie started acting in her local community theater at just 9 years old, and has been steadily growing as an actress ever since. Of course, because she was so young at the time, her parents, Lori and Casey Sink, played a crucial role in getting the powerhouse actress to where she is now. “My family has always been so supportive of me and my career,” she told Glamour in 2022.

Growing up in Brenham, Texas, with four other kids (three boys and another girl), giving Sadie the support she needed also meant moving cross-country, restarting their teaching careers, and dropping everything to watch her follow her dreams. Luckily, their sacrifices have all been worth it.

Below, find out everything there is to know about Stranger Things star Sadie Sink’s parents, Lori and Casey Sink, and how they’ve supported her in her career.

Lori Sink

Sadie’s mom, Lori Sink, was the one who recognized her daughter’s talents at a young age. In an interview with Inside the Moms Club, Lori opened up about the beginning of Sadie’s acting journey.

Per Lori, it all started when Sadie and one of her brothers, Mitchell, would show off their acting talents growing up. “My husband and I don’t act; we never did any kind of performing and we had these two little kids who wanted to do skits all the time,” she remembered. At the time, High School Musical was at its peak, and Sadie and Mitchell were obsessed. “They would act it out from start to finish,” Lori said.

“Growing up, we watched a lot of musicals like Hairspray and The Sound of Music—I wasn’t allowed to watch Grease, but I secretly did,” Sadie remembered in an interview with Backstage. “We were a sports family, but I feel really lucky that my parents had the same mentality for us [with theater], which was: Go wherever you’re happiest.”

Noticing their skills, Lori encouraged them to audition for a local theater, and they both snagged roles. After that, Lori enrolled Sadie in acting school nearby, and she was soon discovered, landing her first role on Broadway in Annie in 2012.

Instead of shying away from the cross-country move, the Sinks embraced the challenge and relocated from Texas to Queens, New York. Initially, the move was temporary, but when Sadie was offered the title role in Annie, their move became permanent, and the Sinks moved yet again to Summit, New Jersey. “The stars aligned, everything worked out the way it was supposed to,” Lori looked back. “It was kinda crazy to look back on.”

Casey Sink

Casey Sink, who currently teaches geometry and algebra and serves as special teams coordinator for the freshman football team at Summit Senior High School, has a bit of his kids’ artistic talents. “He would sing in church,” Lori said of her husband on Inside the Moms Club. “He can definitely sing.”

Before the Sinks moved to New Jersey, Casey was a teacher and the offensive line coach at Brenham High School from 1992 to 2013, per his LinkedIn. “My husband was a football coach, and we were just the Friday Night Lights kinda family,” Lori joked. “Football was everything.”

Casey earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University, majoring in kinesiology and exercise science. He also has a master’s degree from Ramapo College of New Jersey, specializing in educational/instructional technology.

In an interview with W Magazine, Sadie looked back at how her dad helped her balance her career as an actress and being a full-time student in New Jersey. “There was one time during my busiest month when I went into school and they were like, ‘Sadie, where’s your calculator? The PSAT is today,’” Sadie recalled. As it turns out, while it was still a practice test, Sadie texted her dad to bring her calculator.

In addition to Sadie, Casey is also a proud dad to four other kids. They include sons Caleb, Spencer, and Mitchell, and their youngest daughter, Jacey. Jacey, who was born on January 5, 2010, acted alongside Sadie in Stranger Things and The Whale.