David Harbour’s acting career began at an early age when he played the Tin Man in a kindergarten production of “The Wizard of Oz,” which he humorously referred to as a “legendary performance” in an interview with Westchester Magazine. After making his screen debut as a waiter on “Law & Order” in 1999, Harbour established himself as a theatre actor in New York, appearing in plays such as “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” and several Shakespeare productions. He also built up his list of screen credits, with roles in movies like “Brokeback Mountain” and “Quantum of Solace” and numerous TV series. In 2016, he landed the role of Jim Hopper in “Stranger Things,” which propelled him to a new level of stardom.
Despite having been a professional actor for over two decades, there are still many things about David Harbour that even his most ardent fans may not be aware of. Keep reading to discover some little-known facts about the “Stranger Things” star.
David Harbour appeared in a crazy mockumentary about his fake family background
David Harbour’s mockumentary, “Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein,” premiered on Netflix in 2019 and features Harbour playing a fictionalized version of himself and his late father, David Harbour Jr. The 28-minute film showcases long-lost footage of Harbour Jr. in a made-for-television stage play based on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” with the elder Harbour portraying the titular Frankenstein, who also pretends to be the monster. Harbour’s character seeks insight into his father’s enigmatic persona through his work. The younger Harbour portrays his fictionalized father as a washed-up, pompous actor who appears in low-budget wine commercials. The project was meant to poke fun at Harbour’s own pretension and narcissism, according to an interview he gave to the Los Angeles Times.
David Harbour tied the knot with a popular British musician
David Harbour and Lily Allen were rumoured to be dating since August 2019 when they were spotted together at a London play. The couple attended various red carpet-events together, with Allen accompanying Harbour to the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January 2020. Harbour celebrated his birthday at Allen’s home in London that April, which sparked engagement rumours when Allen posted a selfie with a large diamond ring on Instagram. In September 2020, Harbour posted an Instagram photo of the couple outside a Las Vegas wedding chapel, confirming their marriage. The couple was photographed kissing at a Knicks game a few months before their wedding, and Allen was Harbour’s date at his “Saturday Night Live” debut.
David Harbour danced with penguins in Antarctica after participating in a Twitter challenge
David Harbour has demonstrated his social media prowess in connecting with fans, even leading to an encounter with penguins. In 2018, Harbour tweeted Greenpeace, jokingly asking how many retweets it would take for him to dance with emperor penguins in Antarctica. Greenpeace replied that if he could gather 200,000 retweets, he could join an upcoming mission. Thanks to his devoted fans, Harbour achieved his goal and embarked on a 16-day trip to Antarctica aboard a Greenpeace vessel. During the trip, he encountered whales, aggressive seals, and, as planned initially, penguins. The experience gave him a deeper connection to nature and provided perspective on his place in the world. Harbour acknowledged that he is not an “explorer dude” and prefers being on a couch in New York City.
He’s not a fan of the ocean
David Harbour, known for his role in “Stranger Things,” revealed to Women’s Health that he has a fear of the ocean despite acknowledging its beauty. He refuses to swim in the deep, dark water as it represents the unknown, which he is afraid of. Harbour shared that the things that terrify us also draw us in. This fear extends to floating on a boat, which he experienced during his Greenpeace mission to the Antarctic in 2018. While crossing the Drake Passage, Harbour experienced seasickness and stopped eating food, believing he was going to die.
Lily Allen had mixed feelings when David Harbour lost 60 pounds
David Harbour joked about his weight gain for his character’s “dad bod” in “Stranger Things” in a 2017 Variety interview. He then gained even more weight for his role as the Soviet superhero Red Guardian in Marvel’s “Black Widow” and reached 280 pounds while growing a beard. Harbour fell in love with and married British pop star Lily Allen while at his heaviest, joking that she fell in love with him when he was at his “worst.” During filming, he lost 60 pounds to play his character in his younger days, but Allen had mixed feelings about his weight loss. Harbour joked that he preferred starting the relationship at a physical low point and then improving.
David Harbour suffered an ironic injury during a Shakespeare play performance.
David Harbour suffered an ironic injury while playing Achilles in a Shakespeare in the Park production of “Troilus and Cressida” before his breakout role on “Stranger Things.” According to reports, Harbour tore his Achilles tendon during previews for the show, which caused the role to be recast with Louis Cancelmi. The injury required surgery, and Harbour joked about being a trendsetter for wearing a medical walking boot. During a Q&A with Build Series, Harbour explained that he injured himself while lunging for another character in the play.
David Harbour had a crush on one of his co-stars from Stranger Things in high school
David Harbour, who played Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, revealed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that he had a crush on his co-star Winona Ryder during high school. In the series, Harbour’s character starts to develop romantic feelings for Ryder’s character, Joyce Byers. Harbour also shared his theory about their characters’ backstory, saying that he thinks they dated in high school and that there’s some unfinished business between them. In a Reddit AMA, he elaborated on his theory, suggesting that Joyce dumped him for Lonnie, her ex-husband and father of her two sons. Harbour praised Ryder as a great person to work with and said that their onscreen process melded well together.
David Harbour disliked the title of Stranger Things initially
David Harbour considered being cast as Jim Hopper in Stranger Things a career-defining moment, but he had a strong dislike for the show’s title. He told Build Series that the pilot script was the best he had ever read but believed that he wouldn’t get the role because he wasn’t a big enough name. Initially called “Montauk,” the show’s title changed to “Stranger Things” when its location shifted to the midwest, a decision that Harbour strongly disagreed with. He said that it was the worst title he had ever heard and sounded like a stupid guy saying, “I’ve heard stranger things!” to Meyers during an appearance on Late Night.
David Harbour recalls an odd incident involving Christopher Walken and a squirrel
Before becoming famous for his role in “Stranger Things,” David Harbour was a young aspiring actor with a passion for live theatre. In an interview with Vulture, he recalled waiting in line for tickets to see Raul Julia and Christopher Walken perform in a Shakespeare in the Park production of “Othello” when he was just 14 years old. Although Harbour praised Julia’s performance, he felt that Walken’s portrayal of Iago was disturbing. During one of his monologues, a squirrel unexpectedly hopped onto the stage, prompting Walken to scream at it, causing the frightened animal to flee. Harbour described the incident as an unforgettable moment from the performance.
Law & Order” gave David Harbour a financial boost as a struggling actor
David Harbour has made appearances in several spinoffs of the popular crime show, “Law & Order,” including the original series. In a 2019 interview with Esquire, Harbour referred to his “L&O” appearances as a “Dick Wolf subsidy for the theatre arts,” jokingly mentioning that they provided him with income when he needed it. He said that the series paid his rent in New York for several months, during a time when off-Broadway salaries were not enough. Harbour starred in an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” as a child kidnapper with deep psychological scars and also appeared in two episodes of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” according to Moviefone.
David Harbour contemplated leaving the entertainment industry prior to landing his role in Stranger Things
David Harbour, known for his role as Jim Hopper on “Stranger Things,” was a cast member in the NBC drama “State of Affairs” with Katherine Heigl before his breakthrough role. Harbour revealed to the Los Angeles Times that he received the “Stranger Things” script a week before “State of Affairs” was canceled, leading him to think Hollywood was finished with him. Prior to this, Harbour felt frustrated with his career and only being offered police officer or suspect roles. Being cast in “Stranger Things” elevated Harbour’s career and showed him the power of storytelling in television and film.
Source: The List
