As the final episodes of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” approach, series star David Harbour is reflecting on his role as chief-of-police Jim Hopper. In a new interview with British GQ, Harbour — who is currently in the press cycle for the upcoming Marvel movie “Thunderbolts” — looked back at the character and offered surprising insight as to how he thought his arc should have ended much earlier.
In the show, Hopper is the adoptive father of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), the telepathic young girl whose mysterious arrival in the small town of Hawkins, Ind. kicks off sci-fi adventures and danger. Yet Harbour initially thought his character should have bowed out of the series even sooner.
“As for ‘Stranger Things,’ saying goodbye to Hopper this late in the story is something Harbour initially didn’t think should have happened,” the profile reads. “Before it became a phenomenon for Netflix, and there was a high chance it would run for only one season like any other show, Harbour read the scripts and was convinced the first season should have ended with Hopper dying by suicide. To him, it was the only way Hopper could apologize to his daughter.”
Even though his character made it to the upcoming fifth and final season, there was a cliffhanger at the end of season three where it looked like Hopper may have sacrificed his life for his loved ones. Despite a teaser scene at the end of the finale that hinted Hopper might not be dead, Harbour says many fans preferred to think of him making that sacrifice.
“I think they were just committed to the beauty of that moment of his death,” Harbour says. “It was so moving that I think they almost didn’t want him to be alive.”
The final season of “Stranger Things” debuts on Netflix later this year.
If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
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