When you think of the most popular character to come out of Stranger Things, your mind likely goes to Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven. However, there's another very special character that may occasionally be overlooked, even in all his awesomeness. David Harbour's Detective Jim Hopper has worn many hats on the series, from dogged cop to father figure for Elle to possible love interest for Joyce (Winona Ryder). Who wouldn't love the heroic Hop going into season 3 of the Netflix series?
Of course, for everything that Hopper is, he would be nothing without Harbour's excellent portrayal — a portrayal for which he was Emmy nominated this year for the Supporting Actor category. That's why the Stranger Things cast and crew is gushing over the actor in a new spotlight video from Netflix.
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"He’s making this character really popular, far more interesting than we originally imagined," co-creator Matt Duffer says in the new video, first posted on Deadline.
"What I love about David, and especially his performance, is that it's so natural," Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin on the series, reveals. "It's like he is Hopper, and he really becomes Hopper when he steps in front of the camera."
Harbour, who is also in the video, reveals what motivates the character, who, while gruff and rough on the surface, definitely has a soft spot for the Hawkins' kids.
"He has a certain charisma, but underneath it is that feeling of injustice. I think he's very disappointed, I think he's very sad, and I think he's shoved it all down. Had you met him seven years ago, I think he was a guy with a really big heart. I think sometimes that really comes through, but there are layers and layers on top of that."
Harbour may be referring to the fact that Hopper lost his daughter to an illness years before the events of Stranger Things — a piece of information that some people believe has a great deal of relevance to the sci-fi elements of the story. (Was Hopper's daughter, like Eleven, secretly experimented on? Did her death really happen at all?)
Whether we get more of Hopper's backstory through flashbacks, or whether the series will just continue on with the man we know and love in present day, one thing's for sure: Stranger Things could not have cast Hopper better.
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Check out the video below:
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