David Harbour was actually the second choice to play Hopper in Stranger Things

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Most people recognize David Harbour as Jim Hopper from the popular Netflix show Stranger Things. However, he actually wasn’t the original actor considered for the part.

During a live recording of the Happy Sad Confused podcast with host Josh Horowitz, Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer discussed the show. David Harbour surprised everyone by appearing in a pre-recorded video to ask a question.

The actor expressed curiosity about how he was cast in Hopper. He believes he wasn’t the first choice for the role and wonders who turned it down originally, allowing him the opportunity to play it. He described the role as ‘wonderful and incredible’.

The Duffer brothers said Josh Brolin wasn’t their first pick, and explained who they originally wanted for the role and why that didn’t work out.

“Actually, it was Billy Crudup,” Matt explained. “It just goes to show, things happen for a reason, don’t they?”

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It just suddenly made sense. Also, Billy Crudup unfortunately passed away. He wasn’t really working in television much at that point in time.

Since Stranger Things first came out in 2016, Kyle Chandler, like many film actors, has begun appearing in television series. He’s starred in shows like Gypsy and Hello Tomorrow!, and played a significant role in the popular Apple TV+ series The Morning Show.

Ross shared that Harbour auditioned because their casting director suggested him. According to Ross, Harbour only needed one take to nail the reading.

We hadn’t even met him, we only saw his audition tape, but it was immediately obvious: this was the actor we needed for Hopper. We cast him on the spot.

With Stranger Things finished, David Harbour is moving on to new projects, including the psychological horror film A Head Full of Ghosts. He’s also joined the large cast of the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie, which is set to be released later this year.

He hinted at a potentially romantic connection between his character, Alexei Shostakov (Red Guardian), and Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh), suggesting their story could continue after the events of Black Widow and in future projects like Thunderbolts or a new Avengers team.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released in cinemas on 18 December.

Stranger Things seasons 1-5 are available to watch on Netflix.

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2026-05-25 18:49