David Harbour, renowned for his portrayal of Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, may never have secured the role. The Duffer Brothers, showrunners, revealed this revelation on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused.
Harbour himself posed a question to the creators, demanding an explanation about the casting process for Hopper. “Hello, Duffer Brothers,” he said in a pre-recorded message shared by Horowitz. Harbour expressed his belief that he was second choice, possibly even third.
Horowitz guessed Josh Brolin might have been the first choice, but Matt Duffer quickly clarified, “No, no, no, no, no, no.” He then revealed the original casting choice as Billy Crudup.
Duffer reflects on this decision, stating it was a different path that led to everything happening for a reason. The actor notes, “So it’s like, once it kind of clicks into place.”
Crudup declined the role in Stranger Things, likely due to his limited availability for TV at the time. Harbour’s persistence paid off as he became one of the most recognized faces on global television.