One of the biggest wins to come out of Stranger Things' own massive success has been David Harbour becoming a household name after decades of putting the work in. The actor took the role of Sheriff Jim Hopper against the advice of friends and loved ones, and kept with it despite having a miserable time filming Season 1. He's come out of filming those five seasons with tons of memories, including a surprising source of appreciation for his younger co-stars.
As it turns out, Harbour was a bit in awe of Stranger Things' teen stars for being able to fart in the middle of a performance, and then to continue with the scene without becoming a total mental case of shame. Speaking at a Los Angeles event showcasing the Duffer Brothers' creation, the actor gave his co-stars major props (not poops), saying:
These kids were just enjoyable as hell. A lot of kid actors that you work with are very actor-y, and part of the strength of the actors that they formed were that, at their essence, they were just kids. So, even during takes, they would fart and do things that you just couldn't believe that you had the relaxation to do that in front of a camera. I was like, I would dream of being able to do that and not being self-conscious in that way!
David Harbour
For all the problems and challenges that can come with younger actors on a high-profile series like this, the flip side is that they can often deliver perfectly childlike performances without having to stretch their skills. And, ipso facto, that childish behavior can obviously rear itself in other ways, such as letting one rip while cameras are rolling. And who am I to argue against farts always being funny?
On the one hand, I can love and appreciate this assessment that kids are gonna be kids and fart wherever they want. Especially if they're passing gas while filming and are then still able to finish a scene without launching into hysterics. I like to think I'd keep a straight face, but my thoughts are wrong often enough.
Just to tie things together: David Harbour's co-star Millie Bobby Brown acted opposite Chris Pratt in Netflix's The Electric State, where the Parks and Rec vet allegedly farted so loudly it "messed up the audio" for the scene. I dunno if any of the Stranger Things kids have that kind of power. But I would put good money on Derek Turnbow portrayer Jake Connelly being able to empty a room. Maybe saying "good" money is wrong there.
Harbour continued, giving his co-stars praise for making his time on the show stand apart from other projects, and for helping him get over the hump of his Season 1 journey. In his words:
These were real, beautiful human beings, and they were such a joy to work with; I had a blast. I look back on that first season as being a miraculous time in my life. Hopper was a very depressed individual, it was really tough to go through the acting of that, but the family that we created and the story that we were telling, I don't know if I've ever felt that enriched by some work that I was doing.
David Harbour
I'll just assume he wasn't talking about "having a blast" right out of his a-s, amirite?
David Harbour has a slew of new movies on the way, from the Russo brothers' Avengers: Doomsday to the upcoming action movie sequel Violent Night sequel to the Courteney Cox-directed thriller Evil Genius to the prequel John Rambo to the Paul Tremblay horror novel adaptation A Head Full of Ghosts.
All five seasons of Stranger Things, farts and all, can be streamed via Netflix subscription.
