We’re only a couple of weeks from the beginning of the end of Stranger Things, and one imagines that the show itself and what will happen to the characters is where everybody expected to be focusing their attention. However, right now, there's a lot of attention on David Harbour following reports that he was allegedly bullying and harassing one of his younger co-stars.
In an interview published by Esquire around the same time the report of the allegations was coming to light, Harbour was specifically asked about the young actors, who were all kids when Stranger Things first began. Fame came to them at a young age, which has a history of being problematic, but Harbour seems to feel this group is handling it well. He said...
They're all pretty good kids. Maybe it's just because I'm sober, I'm sure everyone's doing them, but it just feels like kids are not as substance-abusive as my generation was. But I think there were other pitfalls that I was really worried about. One of the real ropes to hang on to in this business for me has been the artistry of what you're doing. There are things that are just so beyond your control – whether or not you get box office, or whether or not people like you. All of these things are way beyond your control. But one of the things that you can control is your particular passion for storytelling, for art, for what you want to say, your voice. How you see the world.
Fame has certainly arrived for Millie Bobby Brown. She was the real breakout star of Stranger Things, and it's her who allegedly filed a complaint against Harbour at the beginning of production of this final season of the series. At this point, there’s been no official acknowledgement that the complaint even exists, and even if it does, no specifics of what it says have been reported, so we have to take everything with a grain of salt, but the allegations are still upsetting.
Whatever the relationship between Harbour and Brown, in the interview, the Hopper actor says he hopes to see long, successful careers from all the young actors. While they started Stranger Things as “child actors,” they are all adults now, and the Thunderbolts* actor hopes they are still performing well into old age. He continues…
I think the problem with young fame is that it's very exciting, you know? It's very exciting to have people think you're a genius, but you don't really want to be a genius at 11 years old. Any sort of protégé... I mean, look at what happened to Mozart or whatever. It's not a long life. I would love to see Gaten [Matarazzo] play King Lear when he's 70 years old, I would like to see those kinds of careers out of them. And that's my own selfish desire for them to explore their artistry and their instruments to the fullest of their potential.
David Harbour divorced singer Lily Allen last year, and that relationship has also fallen under scrutiny following Allen’s latest album, which included songs that seem to accuse the actor of violating the terms of their marriage. The pair never had children, though Harbour seems to see his role in the lives of the Stranger Things “kids” as that of a father. He indicates that he does his best to help steer them, but ultimately can’t do anything but watch and hope. He said…
I do think it's the sanest way to approach this business. I would get very worried for them, but as any parent knows, it's hopeless and nothing works. You just offer what you can and then watch, and you're just there for them if they need you. That's where I discovered my place for them. I'm always here to help them out, but they're on their own path. It's a wild path, but they all seem to be doing great.
With Stranger Things having wrapped production, the show is officially in the rearview mirror for most of the actors. It’s unclear at this point if there will be any potential fallout from the alleged complaint or if the fact that the show is now over ultimately ends the issue.
The final season of Stranger Things will be available with a Netflix subscription starting November 26, with Part 2 and the finale to follow on the 2025 TV schedule on December 25 and December 31.
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