Stranger Things star David Harbour recently discussed the upcoming final season of the popular Netflix series and his feelings as the show ends after nearly a decade.
Harbour, who stars as Jim Hopper, the often beleaguered sheriff and father to Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven, a young girl at the center of strange happenings in Hawkins, Indiana, has seen a fair share of challenges in Stranger Things. Most recently, Hopper fought to escape a Russian prison overrun by demigorgons and reconnect with ongoing love interest Joyce (Winona Ryder), in addition to helping Stranger Things' younger cast battle both sinister government forces and the evil of the Upside Down.
With Stranger Things season 5 and Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts movie set to shoot this summer, Harbour already feels exhausted thinking about the year ahead. However, he understands why Stranger Things could not wait. "Just thinking about the year, it’s going to be crazy. It’s nothing like I’ve ever done before," he told Discussing Film. "You know, Stranger Things had to go. We have to get going because the kids are growing up, we got to shoot this thing!"
Harbour says that while starring in Stranger Things has been a wonderful experience, he believes that he is mentally ready to move on from the show after its final fifth season. "Now we're almost nine years from filming the first season, and I think it is time for it to end. But it is, of course, very bittersweet. You know, there's a sadness there-but also, we've all grown up. It is time for us to leave that nest and try other things and different projects," he said. "And to let the Duffer Brothers try different things as well. I mean, those guys are so talented. I want to see what they come up with next. So, it is bittersweet, but it's definitely time."
Harbour, whose recent credits include Hellboy (2019), Black Widow (2021) and the Christmas slasher Violent Night (2022) has much to keep him busy as the last season of Stranger Things wraps. His lovable character, who regularly provides deadpan humor and fatherly affection to the kids under his care, makes him a fan favorite.
Stranger Things, which regularly breaks streaming records (and Netflix servers temporarily due to demand when the second half of season 4 premiered last summer), has been running for 9 years, with large breaks between new installments, which means the cast has grown, both in age and career. Many of its younger stars have successfully gone on to other roles, including Finn Wolfhard, who will be making his directorial debut soon with a slasher comedy Hell of a Summer, and Millie Bobby Brown, who stars in the Netflix film series Enola Holmes.
Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are now available on Netflix.
Source: Discussing Film