David Harbor may feel inseparable from Chief Jim Hopper now, but ‘Stranger Things‘ almost had a very different face leading the Hawkins Police Department.
Co-creator Matt Duffer has revealed that Harbor was not the first choice for the role, as Billy Crudup originally had the chance to play Hopper before passing on the Netflix series.
Billy Crudup Was The First Choice For Hopper in ‘Stranger Things’
The casting revelation came during an interview with Happy Sad Confused host Josh Horowitz, posted Monday. Matt and Ross Duffer discussed the early days of ‘Stranger Things‘, and the conversation soon turned toward the role of Hawkins’ Chief of Police.
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Interestingly, the question came from David Harbor himself. Horowitz played a pre-recorded message from the actor, who wanted the Duffer Brothers to explain the casting process behind Hopper. Harbor also made it clear that he suspected he had not been the first choice for the role.
“Hello, Duffer Brothers,” Harbor said. “I would like to know the casting process of Hopper. I’m pretty sure I was the second choice, and I don’t know who I was second choice to, maybe I was the third choice? But would you please answer the question of how I came to be cast as Chief Hopper, and who had to say no to allow me to do that wonderful, incredible role.”
Since the Duffers hinted that the person was one of Harbor’s friends, Horowitz suggested Josh Brolin. But Matt Duffer immediately made it clear that Brolin was not the answer.
David Harbor’s One-Take Audition Changed The Direction Of The Role
Harbor’s entry into the casting process came after Billy Crudup passed, but the Duffers did not treat him like a backup for long. Once his audition tape reached them, the role began to look very different from what they had first imagined.
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Ross Duffer said, “And then David just, honestly, he just came in and one of our casting directors thought he could be great for the role”. He then added, “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.”
That one take gave the creators everything they needed. They did not watch Harbor’s audition in person, but his tape still made the choice obvious. His performance showed the toughness, sadness, and emotional weight that would later define Hopper across the series.
Crudup passing on the role may have changed the original casting plan, but Harbor’s audition quickly turned that change into a win for the show. Harbor may not have been the Duffers’ first choice, but he became the actor who made Hopper into one of ‘Stranger Things‘ most memorable characters.
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