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David Harbour says Stranger Things co-stars were ‘crying their eyes out’ over series finale

Published 11:57 1 May 2025 BST

Updated 13:44 2 May 2025 BST

Stephen Porzio

David Harbour says Stranger Things co-stars were ‘crying their eyes out’ over series finale

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The Chief Hopper actor spoke to JOE about what fans can expect from Stranger Things' final episode.

David Harbour has told JOE how several of his Stranger Things co-stars were "crying their eyes out" during the read-through for the hit series' upcoming finale.

Harbour made the comments while promoting his new Marvel movie Thunderbolts*, in which he stars opposite Florence Pugh.

The actor in the film plays a Russian super soldier named Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian, now working in the United States as a chauffeur.

Feeling like he has lost his purpose, he unexpectedly gets a second chance at being a hero.

JOE caught up with Harbour and Pugh ahead of the superhero flick's release, and we had to ask the former about Stranger Things' upcoming fifth and final season.

Our question for Harbour was how he feels about having filmed the finale of the Netflix mega-hit.

In response, the actor told JOE that he was actually ready for the show to end.

This was because he had been part of it for 10 years and also because season five was a "difficult shoot" lasting 280 days, with much of the filming at night.

In fact, Thunderbolts* was made in the middle of the Stranger Things' season five, with Harbour noting that his character of Jim Hopper, has an "Alexei beard" in the new batch of episodes.

The actor was quick to add, however, that as the series' last episode grew closer, he started to feel more emotional.

He also explained to JOE how the read-through for the finale was "very moving and beautiful and special", with several of his young castmates "crying their eyes out".

"How do I feel? It's funny. I tell you what, I was ready. I've been doing [Stranger Things] for 10 years," Harbour said.

"So, we went into this final season, and it was so big. We shot for 280 days. It was a full year of shooting: January to December.

"We shot [Thunderbolts*] in the middle. Hopper has an Alexei beard this season, in season 5. And a lot of nights, like a lot of nights. 14-hour days, a lot of takes, really difficult sort of shoot."

"And then as we sort of got towards the end, I started to really feel it, I guess."

Discussing his young co-stars' emotional reaction to the finale, Harbour added:

"We did a read-through of the final episode, episode eight. I remember we were going to do it in this big publicity way. You know, everyone was going to be there.
"And I was like: 'Can we do just us, just the people that have been here - the Duffers and the cast.' And we did it just sitting around on couches and I remember little Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard and Millie [Bobby Brown] just crying their eyes out. Because they grew up on this show. I mean, they started the show when they were 11 years old. Now they're 20, 21 or whatever.
"We make it a real clear ending, and so you have reflections of what the show's been in that final episode, and they were just crying like only young people can cry, and there was something just so special about that."
"And I was like: 'Wow, this is a really big deal, I mean, for a lot of the world and certainly for these kids.' There was something very, very moving and beautiful in it."

Harbour then joked: "It warmed my icy cold heart, which had been suffering from 3.00am shoots in the Upside Down.

"But yeah, it's going to be a great season. I think you guys are going to really enjoy it."