Stranger Things’ Duffer Brothers Reveal Their First Choice for Hopper

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The Duffer brothers kept the door open three inches for David Harbour.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always fascinated by behind-the-scenes stories, and this one’s a good one! You know David Harbour as the perfect Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, right? Well, the show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, actually first offered the role to a different actor! It’s amazing how things can change during casting, isn’t it? It just goes to show you never quite know how a show will come together.

Matt shared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that it was Billy Crudup. He reflected that everything happens for a reason, and it felt right that Crudup ended up on The Morning Show, especially since he wasn’t doing a lot of television work at the time.

David wasn’t initially considered for the role of the somewhat difficult stepfather to Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven, but after his audition, he was the only choice.

Ross remembered one of their casting directors suggesting David for the part. David did a single reading, which the team didn’t even witness live – they only saw the recording. Ross said it was immediately obvious he was perfect for Hopper, and they cast him on the spot.

The question of whether the Duffer brothers were discussing personal conflicts actually came from David himself. He sent a video asking who was almost cast in his role before he was.

The 51-year-old asked the brothers about how they chose the actors for ‘Hopper,’ jokingly adding that he suspected he wasn’t their first pick – or even their second. He wondered who they had considered before him.

She said in a November interview with Deadline, which was posted on TikTok, that she felt safe on set. ‘We’ve worked together for ten years, and I trust everyone there,’ she explained.

Oh my gosh, he said we play father and daughter! It just makes so much sense! He explained that because of all those incredibly emotional scenes we got in season two, we naturally have a much closer bond than he has with anyone else. Seriously, those scenes were EVERYTHING, and it clearly translated to their chemistry. I KNEW it! It’s not just acting, you can feel the connection!

But more than anything, David’s performance helped push her own.

Even the way David asked showed he wasn’t upset – he simply wanted to know who had turned down the part, letting him take on what he described as a fantastic role.

It’s difficult to picture anyone other than David working with Millie and the rest of the cast of Stranger Things, including Winona Ryder, Joe Keery, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Gaten Matarazzo, and Noah Schnapp.

Millie has talked about the strong connection she and David built over the decade they worked together, particularly when filming their most challenging and emotional scenes.

She explained in a November interview with Deadline, which was shared on TikTok, that she felt secure on set because she’d been working with the same crew for a decade. “I feel safe with everyone there,” she said.

She explained that their roles as father and daughter on the show created a special connection. “We’ve had some really powerful scenes together, particularly in the second season, which naturally brought us closer.”

But more than anything, David’s performance helped push her own.

She explained that working with him motivates her to perform at her best, because she knows he consistently delivers a strong performance as well.

For more insight into how Stranger Things turned the world upside down, read on. 

Before creating Stranger Things, brothers Matt and Ross Duffer worked on M. Night Shyamalan’s television series Wayward Pines. Their initial idea for the show was actually called Montauk.

As a huge fan, I remember hearing that getting the name Stranger Things approved was a real struggle! Matt Duffer explained to The Daily Beast back in 2016 that once you’ve fallen in love with a title, it’s incredibly difficult to convince others to see things your way. Apparently, people weren’t immediately on board with Stranger Things when they first suggested it.

The creators of the show originally planned to film on Long Island, but it ended up being too difficult to make happen.

Matt told The Hollywood Reporter they chose Montauk as a filming location because of its beautiful seaside environment and its connection to the movie Jaws, which they love. However, they quickly realized that shooting on Long Island during the winter would be both unpleasant and too costly.

Atlanta ultimately became the home base for production.

Before Netflix decided to air the show, nearly 20 other networks rejected it, according to Vulture. Executives at those networks thought viewers wouldn’t connect with a series featuring four child actors.

4. To play Eleven, then 12-year-old Millie Bobby Brown had to say goodbye to her hair.

In 2018, at PaleyFest, the actress described shaving her head as the most liberating experience of her life. She explained that when the last of her hair fell, she felt completely exposed, unable to hide as she once did. Looking in the mirror, she understood her purpose was to inspire others, realizing that beauty doesn’t depend on having hair.

She found inspiration for her role in both Charlize Theron’s performance in Mad Max: Fury Road and old yearbook pictures of her fellow actress, Winona Ryder.

She mentioned Winona Ryder’s old pixie cut was a great look, and it inspired her to try one herself!

The British actress shared that she used a surprising resource to nail her American accent: Miley Cyrus’s Hannah Montana. She told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show that the show was “so good,” and that she found the accent work “amazing.”

When the Duffer brothers were casting for the main kid roles, they had all the young actors perform scenes from the movie Stand By Me. It was a fantastic way to see who really had that natural chemistry and acting ability – that film is just iconic for capturing childhood friendships, so it gave us a great sense of how these kids would work together on screen!

The brothers had a specific vision for the character of Mike, but that changed as soon as Finn Wolfhard auditioned.

Matt explained to The Daily Beast in 2016 that Mike was initially conceived as a wistful, imaginative character, much like Mikey from The Goonies. However, when Finn Wolfhard auditioned, they noticed his nervous, restless energy. They then tailored the character to fit Finn’s personality and how he performed.

Dustin’s character was significantly shaped by actor Gaten Matarazzo. According to Matt, they initially envisioned Dustin as a typical nerd, but after meeting Gaten, they rewrote the character to better suit his talents and personality.

After the show gained popularity, Kellogg’s noticed a big jump in Eggo waffle sales, thanks to Eleven’s love for them. Sales increased by 14% in late 2017, following the release of season two, and October became the most talked-about month for the product on social media.

In early 2018, David Harbour became an internet sensation when he agreed to take a fan’s senior portraits with her. It all started when she tweeted asking him to do her photos and jokingly asked how many retweets it would take. Harbour responded that it would take 25,000 retweets, and he wanted to wear the school sweatshirt and hold a trombone. True to his promise, he followed through and did the photoshoot!

He jokingly predicted on Instagram that, 24 years later, he’d be known for crashing someone else’s high school senior photos.

I honestly couldn’t believe it when David Harbour did it again later that year! He offered to marry one of his fans if she got 125,000 retweets, and – unbelievably – she did! He actually got ordained online and then officiated her wedding… dressed as Hopper! It was the sweetest, most wonderfully weird thing ever, and of course, he got the first slice of cake as promised.

Fans often speculated that Eleven might be Hopper’s biological daughter, but he ultimately became a father figure to her. A touching detail revealed in the season two finale showed Eleven wearing a blue braided bracelet – a meaningful keepsake made from the hair ribbon of Hopper’s deceased daughter – at her school dance.

Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, shared that her first kiss was with Finn Wolfhard (Mike) during the first season of the show. She described the experience as ‘strange,’ explaining that having a large crew watching made it feel overwhelming.

She shared what her co-star secretly told her right before they had to kiss for a second time on the show.

She recalled that he told her he was about to kiss her, describing how he said, ‘I’m coming in,’ but acted like a ventriloquist while doing so. She said it was a very strange experience.

Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton, who star as a couple on the show, started dating in 2016 and have generally kept their romance out of the public eye.

Natalia shared with Refinery 29 that she values keeping her personal life—relationships with family and friends—private. However, she also acknowledged that collaborating with someone you know well can be enjoyable. ‘It’s always really fun,’ she said.

Surprisingly, Joe Keery’s character, the popular Steve Harrington, was originally intended to die at the end of the first season of the show.

According to Ross, they quickly grew fond of Joe Keery, the actor playing Steve, during the first season. This is why they developed a storyline where Steve teams up with Jonathan and Nancy to help resolve the central conflict. Originally, Steve was intended to be a stereotypical, unpleasant athlete, but Keery brought much more depth to the character.

18. Also slated to perish was Eleven. Yes, really. 

As a huge fan, I remember reading in the Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down book that the original plan was for Eleven to make the ultimate sacrifice. Ross Duffer explained it was always intended as the ending, but when they realized the show might continue beyond a single season, they had to rethink things. They quickly realized the show just wouldn’t work without her! And honestly, once they saw how amazing Millie Bobby Brown was, they knew Eleven had to return if Stranger Things was going to continue. It’s great they figured that out – I can’t imagine the show without her!

The seventh episode of the second season, “The Lost Sister,” nearly didn’t make it onto screens. The Duffer brothers told Vulture they worried the episode – which focuses on Eleven searching for another child with similar experiences – would disrupt the story’s flow.

Matt explained that as they started writing the episode, they questioned whether it was even necessary. They seriously considered cutting it entirely, but the planned ending involving Eleven didn’t work without it. Ultimately, they realized the episode was essential.

20. Eleven’s sibling was written to be a boy, with the episode originally titled “The Lost Brother.” 

Once the audition was open to all young actors, Linnea Berthelsen won the role. The episode then showed Eleven meeting her “sister,” Kali. According to Matt, Linnea and Millie (who plays Eleven) connected well, and Millie specifically requested to work with Linnea.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I always find it fascinating to hear about how actors land their roles! Did you know Nicola Coughlan, who we all adore as Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton, originally auditioned for the role of Robin? Ultimately, Maya Hawke was cast, and Nicola has said Hawke was just perfect for the part – honestly, she admitted Maya was far better than she ever could have been! It just goes to show how things work out as they should.

She explained that actors can learn a lot by watching performances they weren’t chosen for. It helps them realize rejection isn’t personal – everyone is simply better suited for some roles than others.

Before landing the role of Sarah on the Netflix series Outer Banks, Madelyn Cline played Tina, a popular but unkind student, in the second season of the show.

To land the role of Billy, the rebellious older stepbrother of Max (Sadie Sink), Australian actor Dacre Montgomery created a playful and somewhat edgy audition tape. He told GQ he wanted to really impress the Duffer brothers, the creators of the show.

Dacre took a big chance by filming himself dancing in a G-string to 80s hits like “Come on Eileen” and “Hungry Like the Wolf.” He worried about the video, thinking it could end his career, but he hoped someone would recognize his talent and give him an opportunity. Luckily, his gamble worked out.

As the show entered its third season, Deadline reported significant pay raises for the cast. The younger actors saw their per-episode salary jump from around $30,000 to over $200,000, and potentially as high as $250,000. Winona Ryder and David Harbour were earning approximately $300,000 to $350,000 per episode, while Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton were making between $100,000 and $150,000.

Priah Ferguson, who plays Lucas’s spirited little sister Erica, was originally scheduled for just one episode in season two. However, the Duffer brothers were so impressed with her performance that they kept adding her to scenes. She became a regular cast member in the next season.

As a longtime fan, I always admired how seamless everything looked on screen, but I recently learned the wardrobe team had a really tough job! Because the younger actors were still growing during filming, keeping their costumes consistent from scene to scene was a constant puzzle. They really had to be creative to make sure everything matched up, even as the kids got bigger!

It was quite a challenge keeping up with the kids’ growing feet,” costume designer Kim Wilcox explained to TopMob News. “One child, in particular, seemed to outgrow his shoes every three weeks, needing a half size bigger! To solve this, we found brands that made their products in a wide range of sizes. We’d buy five pairs of each shoe so we’d always have a replacement when a child had a growth spurt.

The Duffer brothers, when creating the show, drew inspiration from films like The Goonies, E.T., and Stand By Me, but they made sure not to make those influences too obvious.

When pitching the project to Netflix, we created a nearly three-minute trailer that combined clips from around 20 to 30 movies, aiming to capture the feel of Stranger Things. However, these were just initial ideas, based on the films we loved growing up and that heavily influenced us, as Matt explained to The Daily Beast. Once we started writing individual episodes, we rarely referenced those movies directly. We focused on telling the story and letting the characters drive the plot, because constantly drawing on other films would have resulted in a confusing and disjointed narrative.

The team initially aimed for a vintage look by minimizing special effects, but they soon discovered that was much harder than they expected.

Originally, we wanted to use only practical effects, but we quickly learned how challenging that is—we really gained a new respect for the teams who created films like The Thing and Alien. Practical effects take a lot of time and planning. We were writing scripts very quickly, but we didn’t have the months needed to properly prepare for those kinds of effects. By the time we got to set, many of the ideas that sounded good in theory just weren’t feasible because we were short on time.

From the beginning, the creators of the show, the Duffer Brothers, planned for it to last five seasons. According to Netflix executive Matthew Thunell, much of what they imagined back in 2015 is now happening as the series nears its conclusion. Variety magazine reported that each episode of season four cost around $30 million to produce.

Although the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer brothers, know how the show will eventually end, they aren’t finished with the story or the world of the Upside Down.

In an interview with Variety, the creators revealed they have a spin-off idea they’re really enthusiastic about, but it’s still in the very early stages – they haven’t even shared the concept yet. Although they’ve been trying to keep it under wraps, Matt and Ross confessed that Finn had already correctly guessed what the series would be about, calling it “very, very different.” They emphasized that Finn is the only one who knows the premise so far.

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2026-05-18 18:19