Why Millie Bobbie Brown, David Harbour Missed Stranger Things Event

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Okay, everyone, calm down! I know it looked terrifying, but we’re not in the Upside Down! It was just… honestly, it almost killed me to see it, but Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour weren’t at the latest Stranger Things event! Can you believe it? It was so strange seeing them missing, like a piece of Hawkins was gone!

Originally, both stars were scheduled to join the celebration for the final season of Stranger Things at the Paley Museum in New York City on December 18th. However, they canceled their appearance before the event, while the rest of the cast—including Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, Maya Hawke, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, and Jamie Campbell Bower—did attend.

At the event, the panel’s moderator addressed the elephant in the room.

Collider’s Perri Nemiroff started by acknowledging that not all of the cast and crew could attend the event. She shared that those who couldn’t be there send their greetings and appreciation to everyone present, according to People magazine.

Okay, so everyone’s been asking about Millie and David’s absence from the event. Here’s the scoop: sadly, Millie had a recent injury and won’t be able to attend, either on the red carpet or for the panel discussion. And David just had some unavoidable scheduling conflicts come up, so he couldn’t make it either. We’re sending them both our best wishes!

Just three days before, Millie had to appear on Good Morning America remotely because she’d fallen and hurt her arm, which was now in a sling.

She explained in a pre-recorded video on December 15th, while briefly showing her injured arm in a sling, that she unfortunately couldn’t be with them because she had fallen.

Noah’s costar playfully explained that she always finds a way to be involved, adding with a laugh, ‘I just have to make everything about me!’

Fans noticed David Harbour wasn’t at the recent press event for the final season of Stranger Things, leading to speculation about his absence. However, a source told TopMob News that he wasn’t actually scheduled to attend the interviews.

Millie spoke enthusiastically about her positive working relationship with David, emphasizing that she felt secure and comfortable with him on set. He plays Jim Hopper, the adoptive father of her character, Eleven, on the show.

“We’ve worked together for 10 years,” she noted. “I feel safe with everyone on that set.”

She added that their roles as father and daughter on the show created a special connection. They’ve shared some very emotional scenes, particularly in the second season, which naturally brought them closer together.

Keep reading for more about Stranger Things…

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

Matt explained to The Daily Beast in 2016 that it’s tough to convince people to change a title once you’ve become attached to it. He said that when they first suggested Stranger Things, it was a hard sell to get others on board.

The creators of the show originally planned to film on Long Island, but it turned out to be too difficult to do so.

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 shooting on Long Island during the winter would have been too difficult and costly.

Atlanta ultimately became the home base for production.

Before Netflix decided to air the show, nearly 20 other networks rejected it, as reported by 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.

Okay, so, seriously, when she shaved her head
 it completely changed my life, even though it wasn’t my head! I was at PaleyFest in 2018 when she talked about it, and she said it was the most powerful thing she’d ever done. She described how, with every strand of hair falling, she felt more and more exposed, but in a good way! Like she was finally seen. She said when that last piece fell, she realized she had to use that vulnerability to inspire people. It hit me so hard – she was right. You really don’t need hair to be beautiful, and she proved it. It was just
 everything.

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

She mentioned that Winona Ryder’s short, pixie cut was really stylish years ago, and it inspired her to try the look herself!

Okay, so I was watching Jimmy Fallon and I nearly lost it! This amazing British actress revealed the secret to her flawless American accent? Miley Cyrus’s Hannah Montana! Seriously! She said it’s just…so good. Like, the whole show, the movie, everything about it is incredible, and that’s how she nailed the accent. I’m immediately rewatching Hannah Montana now, obviously. It’s a masterpiece, clearly!

The Duffer brothers used scenes from the movie Stand By Me when auditioning young actors to find the four main child stars for their show.

The brothers had a specific vision for the character of Mike, but that changed after Finn Wolfhard’s audition.

Matt explained to The Daily Beast in 2016 that Mike originally resembled the character Mikey from The Goonies – a bit of a dreamer. However, Finn Wolfhard brought a nervous, energetic quality to the audition, so they tailored the character to fit his personality.

Gaten Matarazzo, who played Dustin, also had a big impact on the show’s development. 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 Eggo waffles on social media.

In early 2018, David Harbour became an internet sensation when he agreed to take a fan’s senior portraits for her. It all started when she tweeted asking if he would, offering a retweet goal of 25,000. Harbour responded that he’d do it, with the added condition of wearing the school sweatshirt and holding a trombone – and he followed through on his promise!

He jokingly predicted on Instagram that he’d be the one to playfully ‘take over’ someone else’s high school senior photos years down the line – and it seems he followed through!

Later that year, Harbour playfully offered to officiate a fan’s wedding if she could get 125,000 retweets and a piece of the wedding cake. He became legally ordained and ended up performing the ceremony while dressed as his character, Chief Hopper.

Okay, so everyone was obsessed with the idea that Eleven might actually be Hopper’s biological daughter, and honestly, it made SO much sense! Even though it turned out he was more like a dad to her, it was still the sweetest thing. And can we talk about the bracelet?! In the season two finale, at the dance, Eleven was wearing a blue braided bracelet, and it was the same one Hopper always wore! It was made from a ribbon from his daughter, Sara, who passed away. I nearly lost it – it was such a beautiful, heartbreaking little detail, and it just proved how much he loved her. Seriously, the showrunners are geniuses!

As a huge fan, I always found that first kiss between Eleven and Mike in season one particularly sweet, and it’s even more special knowing it was Millie Bobby Brown’s very first kiss! She’s talked about how weird it was, having the whole crew – like, 250 people! – watching. Can you imagine? She said it was a total ‘Whoa!’ moment, and honestly, I totally get it!

She shared what her co-star quietly said to 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 did so in a strange way. ‘It was like he was a ventriloquist,’ she explained on The Tonight Show in 2017. ‘It was the craziest thing!’

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

Natalia explained to Refinery29 that she values keeping her personal life—especially relationships with family and friends—private. However, she also noted that collaborating with someone you live with can be enjoyable, saying, “It’s always really fun.”

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

You know, when we were creating the first season, we quickly fell for Joe Keery, the actor playing Steve. He brought so much to the role that we actually rewrote Steve’s storyline! Originally, he was meant to be a fairly one-dimensional, typical ‘jock’ character, but Joe was just so much more than that. We ended up crafting an arc where Steve gets to be a real hero, teaming up with Jonathan and Nancy to save the day – all thanks to Joe’s talent!

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

In the book Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down, Ross Duffer explained that the original plan was for Eleven to sacrifice herself to save everyone. However, when they realized the show might last beyond one season, they had to change that ending. They knew the show wouldn’t work without Eleven, and they quickly realized how talented Millie Bobby Brown was. If Stranger Things continued, Eleven needed to survive.

The seventh episode of the second season, called “The Lost Sister,” nearly didn’t air. The Duffer brothers told Vulture they worried the episode—which focuses on Eleven’s search 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 decided the episode was essential to make the ending successful.

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 actresses, Linnea Berthelsen won the role. The episode then showed Eleven meeting her “sister,” Kali. According to Matt, Linnea and Millie (who plays Eleven) had a strong connection, and Millie specifically requested to work with Linnea.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe this! I just found out that Nicola Coughlan – Penelope Featherington herself! – originally auditioned for Robin! Can you even imagine?! She said Maya Hawke was just so much better for the part, and honestly, Maya is amazing, but still! Nicola would have been incredible at anything, and the thought of her as Robin
 it’s just blowing my mind! It’s wild to think how different things could have been, but I’m so glad Penelope ended up in her hands. She is Penelope!

She explained that actors can learn a lot by looking at roles they didn’t land. It helps them realize rejection isn’t about them personally – everyone is simply better suited for certain parts and not for others.

Before becoming known for her role as Sarah on the Netflix series Outer Banks, Madelyn Cline played the character 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 (played by Sadie Sink), Australian actor Dacre Montgomery created a memorable audition tape. He told GQ he aimed to impress the Duffer brothers with something bold and a little edgy.

Dacre took a big gamble 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, the risk paid off.

As the show entered its third season, Deadline reported significant pay raises for the cast. The younger actors saw their per-episode salaries jump from around $30,000 to over $200,000, and potentially as high as $250,000. Winona Ryder and David Harbour were each 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 was originally scheduled for just one episode in season two as Erica, Lucas’s feisty younger sister. However, the Duffer brothers were so impressed with her performance that they kept adding her to scenes. She became a main cast member in the next season.

Because the young actors were still growing during filming, the costume designers had a hard time making sure their clothes fit consistently from scene to scene.

Costume designer Kim Wilcox described a unique challenge while working on the production. She told TopMob News they had a young actor who outgrew shoes incredibly quickly – about half a size every three weeks! To solve this, Wilcox sourced shoes from brands that offered the same style in a wide range of sizes. They would purchase five pairs at a time, ensuring they always had a backup when the actor’s feet grew.

The Duffer brothers, when creating the show, were inspired by classic films like The Goonies, E.T., and Stand By Me, but they made sure their references weren’t too obvious.

Matt Duffer explained to The Daily Beast that when they initially pitched Stranger Things to Netflix, they created a lengthy, two-and-a-half-minute trailer. It combined clips and ideas from around 20-30 movies to give a sense of the show’s overall story and atmosphere. He said these films were a big influence on them growing up and deeply ingrained in their creative process. However, during the actual writing process for each episode, they rarely discussed specific movies. Their focus shifted to simply telling the story and letting the characters drive the plot. He explained that constantly referencing other films would have resulted in a confusing and disjointed narrative.

The team initially aimed for a retro look by minimizing special effects, but they soon realized it was more challenging than they expected.

Originally, we wanted to use only practical effects, but we quickly learned how challenging that is. We really gained a new appreciation for the teams who created films like The Thing and Alien. Practical effects take a lot of time and careful planning. We were writing scripts fast, but didn’t have the months needed to prepare everything. On set, we realized many of the ‘old school’ effects we’d envisioned just weren’t feasible with our schedule.

The creators, the Duffer brothers, originally planned for ‘Stranger Things’ to last five seasons. According to Netflix executive Matthew Thunell, many of their ideas from 2015 are now coming to fruition as the series nears its conclusion. Each episode of the fourth season reportedly cost around $30 million, as noted by Variety magazine.

Although the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer brothers, know how the show will eventually end, they aren’t finished exploring the story and 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, though it’s still in the very early stages. They haven’t shared the concept with anyone yet, and haven’t even started writing it.

However, Matt and Ross did let slip that Finn had correctly guessed what the series would be about, describing it as ‘very, very different.’ They emphasized that Finn is the only one outside of themselves who knows the premise.

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2025-12-19 23:19