David Harbour Says He Doesn’t Take Fame Seriously As He’s ‘Close To Death’

David Harbour opened up about his leading role in Stranger Things, saying that he doesn't take his fame too seriously as he's 'close to death'.

The morbid reflection was part of a surprisingly lighthearted chat on comedian Rob Brydon's podcast where they delved into the actor's casting as Jim Hopper in the hit Netflix series.

Considering it's one of the biggest shows in telly, it's no surprise that Harbour admitted getting mobbed when he's out and about.

"It's crazy," he said, adding: "This happened to me at 40, so for a long time I was walking around the streets just being that guy."

Rob Brydon/YouTube

Brydon then interjected to say it's 'probably good' to reach celebrity status at an older age, something Harbour agreed with.

"In my estimation, it's a good thing," he explained. "Also, you don't take yourself that seriously, because you realise that, you know, you're pretty close to death."

It's no surprise Brydon had something to say about this considering he's 57 years old whereas Harbour's a whole decade younger than him.

The comedian went on to say that he thinks 50 is the 'peak of the hill' in life, adding: "You can have a good time coming down that other side of the hill, but I think when you look back, you'd say 50 is probably the peak."

Well, whatever side of the hill Harbour's on, he found fame at the right time in his life.

The actor later described what it was like landing such a huge role after having been struggling in the entertainment world for some time.

"I was on a show that was particularly terrible that had one season, and I was waiting for it to get picked up for a second season, which I was hoping and praying [for] because I couldn't pay my rent," he said.

The show didn't get a second season, but the next day he got the script for Stranger Things, adding: "At the time, Netflix was like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black and, you know, the series that were big, artistic ventures."

Harbour loved the script, but he admitted he was 'cynical' and convinced he wouldn't get the part, so much so that when the casting director asked him to run through the audition scene once more but without the hat he was wearing, he said, "Nah, I'm good."

Netflix

He continued: "I was like 39, I was like this isn't happening, I'm not getting the lead in this series anymore. And then they just called and were like 'you're our guy'...

"My heart exploded and I was just running down the street... it was an amazing day."

And the rest, as they say, is history - Harbour smashed his part as Hopper and he's now so famous he gets mobbed on the street and definitely doesn't need to worry about whether or not he'll make his rent each month.

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