Sounds Like David Harbour Is Kinda Glad That ‘Stranger Things’ Is Coming To An End

Actors are basically freelancers, so when they score an insanely popular TV show no one wants to end, it must be a relief. After all, it’s a steady paycheck. No doubt David Harbour was thrilled when Stranger Things, in which he plays police chief Jim Hopper, turned into a phenomenon. But now, after almost a decade on the job, it sounds like he’s not sad that it’s finally coming to an end with its fifth season.

“What’s funny is when I started the show, I never ever wanted it to end. That’s why I love the show,” Harbour told Discussing Film (in a bit caught by IndieWire). “I think it’s a great show, even if I wasn’t in it. Now we’re almost nine years from filming the first season, and I think it is time for it to end. But it is, of course, very bittersweet. You know, there’s a sadness there.”

He added, “But also, we’ve all grown up. It is time for us to leave that nest and try other things and different projects. And to let the Duffer Brothers try different things as well. I mean, those guys are so talented. I want to see what they come up with next. So it is bittersweet, but it’s definitely time.”

The announcement to end Stranger Things came nearly a year ago. The reason for ending it was practical: The kid stars just keep getting older, as kids do, and while CGI de-aging has come into vogue over the last few years, the Duffer brothers still don’t want to have the leads still playing kids when they’re in their mid-30s.

That said, you won’t be saying bye to the Stranger Things-verse. There are already multiple spinoffs in the offing, including one for Millie Bobbie Brown’s Eleven. As for Harbour, he’ll be back in the MCU with this summer’s Thunderbolts, and this week Netflix will drop his new ghost movie We Have a Ghost.