Stranger Things creators finally tell David Harbour who they actually wanted to play Hopper
Now the dust has settled on Stranger Things following the conclusion of season five, The Duffer Brothers have given their biggest interview since the show concluded and revealed some major secrets about the show.
Stranger Things had an undeniably controversial final season, with critics and fans being overwhelmingly negative about some of the episodes leading up to the finale – which itself had a real mix of fans loving it and others slating the last episode.
The backlash was so stark that it even spawned its own viral movement, Conformity Gate, which claimed that Netflix were set to release one more episode which showed that the events of the final season were just a vision shown to the main cast by the villain Vecna.
This never came to be (which is probably for the best no matter what you think of the finale) but according to a new interview with the creators, the Duffer Brothers, this wasn’t even the biggest difference that could’ve been a reality for the show.
David Harbour was not the first choice for Hopper, and the actual first choice would have been very different
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Appearing on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Harbour himself asked a question to the Duffer Brothers, stating that nearly every actors big break in Hollywood came as a result of being second or third choice for a part.
The actor then asks the Duffers who their first choice for the role was, with Horowitz stating that Harbour had thought it was actor Josh Brolin.
Matt and Ross Duffer shook their heads at this though, and revealed the true first choice for Hopper: Billy Crudup.
Matt said it would have been ‘very different’, adding: “Everything happens for a reason right? But yeah, Billy Crudup passed, I don’t think he was doing much TV at the time. Now he’s doing The Morning Show.”
The Duffer Brothers said that once they saw a tape of Harbour they knew he was perfect for the role of Hopper
Ross continued in the podcast, saying that one of the casting directors on the project thought he was ‘great’, but they weren’t there for his audition.
He added: “We just saw the tape and it was just it was it was so clear instantly, right? This is Hopper. and we just cast him right then and there.”
Crudup is an undeniably great actor, known for roles in films such as Almost Famous, Watchmen, and Apple TV+ show The Morning Show, but fans are not convinced he would’ve done a better job than Harbour in the role.
One comment on Instagram said: “David was absolutely perfect as Hop.”
Another commented: “David was the perfect choice. I can't imagine anyone else as Hopper.”
A third said: “This is crazy! Thank god it ended up being David!”
Topics: Stranger Things, Netflix, David Harbour, TV and Film, TV
Michael Slavin