Though he's been acting for a while, David Harbour was launched into true stardom by his role as Jim Hopper in the Netflix sensation Stranger Things. The actor became a true fan-favorite for playing the benevolent father figure to Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven. At this point, it's even fair to say that Harbour has become a household name, as the show continues to rise in popularity. He's also since become something of a movie star, joining the world of Marvel through Black Widow and headlining the Christmas action flick Violent Night last year. Harbour is now opening up about what he wants for his career after the show ends and compared that to George Clooney's post ER-stint -- and it makes sense.
The Hellboy actor was candid about his own career trajectory during an interview with Insider. He specifically discussed how he feels about continuing his Stranger Things role while also wanting to branch out into other projects. With that, he eventually compared his career goals to the resume of George Clooney, who was famously able to establish himself as a film star after leaving ER. Harbour explained:
I think about George Clooney leaving ER. Now we just see him as George Clooney. But there was a time when it was, ‘The guy from ER is doing a movie with Nicole Kidman.'
In terms of how that could apply to his own life, the 48-year-old Brokeback Mountain alum hopes to also one day been known for his collective body of work instead of just his Stranger Things character. He said:
I’m trying to navigate some of that [with Stranger Things]. It’s tricky because you don’t want to s— on the people that love you for this thing that you did that you also love. But at the same time, you kind of want to leave the nest. I got more in me. I got different stuff in me, and I want you guys to see that. I don’t want people yelling ‘Hopper’ on the street every five minutes the rest of my life.
One can honestly understand why the star would feel this way at this point in his career. While he's surely appreciated the notoriety he's received from the Duffer Brothers' sci-fi, horror dramedy, he simply wants to try new gigs. George Clooney is also a great blueprint for such a path, as he's done quite a bit since his days on the small screen. He even has two Academy Awards to show for his efforts.
While he may be looking forward to retiring Hopper, David Harbour’s time with the series isn’t over just yet. He still has the fifth and final season of the hit show in front of him, which continues to be delayed. Due to the ongoing Hollywood strikes, it could be a while before Stranger Things Season 5 premieres. That's not the only production he's waiting to get started on, either. He's also set to reprise his Marvel Cinematic Universe role in the delayed Thunderbolts, which Harbour had a delightful take on.
David Harbour’s drive and desire to establish himself outside of the TV show is admirable. He's also already off to a great start, as he's inked a number of upcoming projects that will likely resume production after the 2023 WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA strike. Harbour and George Clooney have a lot in common and are great as leading men. They've situated themselves within franchises while also attempting more dramatic work. While many have probably looked to Clooney’s career as something to aspire to, Harbour already seems to have the tools to get to that position.
You can catch the beloved actor in the four available seasons of Stranger Things now using a Netflix subscription. And anyone who wants to stream classic episodes of ER should know they're available to Hulu subscribers.
