Hopper was a career-defining role for Stranger Things star David Harbour, and after spending a decade playing the part, it may be impossible for most fans to imagine anyone else as the iconic character. It could very well be the perfect casing choice. However, Harbour wasn’t who the show’s creators, Ross and Matt Duffer, originally had in mind.
The Duffer Brothers spoke about casting the role of Chief Jim Hopper during a recent interview with Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused podcast. The question was asked personally in a video featuring Harbour, who said he believed he was the second or third choice for the part, leaving him wanting to know who turned it down. Horowitz guessed that it might have been Josh Brolin, who is a good friend of Harbour’s, at which point Matt Duffer clarified that it was, in fact, Billy Crudup.
“No, it was Billy Crudup, which is a very different… like, everything happens for a reason, right?” he said. “So it’s like, once it kind of clicks into place… But yeah, Billy Crudup passed. I don’t think he was doing much TV at the time.”Ross Duffer added, “And then David just, honestly, he just came in and one of our casting directors thought he could be great for the role. But he came and read, and he just did one take. We weren’t even there, we just saw the tape, and it was just so clear, instantly, ‘This is Hopper.’ And we just cast him right then and there.”
Billy Crudup Was the Original Casting Choice
Crudup wasn’t interested in Stranger Things, but he clearly wasn’t against taking on TV roles. Shortly after Stranger Things debuted, Crudup co-starred with Naomi Watts in another Netflix series, Gypsy, which only spanned one season. Things still worked out well enough for Crudup on the small screen, as he went on to star in Apple TV’s The Morning Show, a role that won him two Emmy Awards. Before The Morning Show, however, he was certainly best known for his film work, including Almost Famous, Watchmen, and Without Limits.
With Harbour in the role, Hopper quickly became one of the most popular characters on Stranger Things. The show’s success helped turn Harbour into more of a mainstream celebrity, leading to big roles in other projects as well, such as starring roles in movies like Hellboy, Violent Night, and Gran Turismo. He also joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Red Guardian, and will be featured in the anticipated movie Avengers: Doomsday. Recently, Harbour starred in DTF St. Louis, an acclaimed HBO miniseries also starring Jason Bateman and Linda Cardellini.
Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix, with all five seasons available.
