David Harbour couldn’t hold back laughter during one unforgettable Stranger Things scene — a memory he now cherishes as one of his favorite moments from the hit Netflix series. Speaking to PEOPLE at the Season 5 premiere in Los Angeles on Nov. 6, the actor opened up about the one time he completely lost control on set alongside Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard. For Harbour, who plays Jim Hopper, the moment was as hilarious as it was humbling, revealing a rare side of the usually composed actor.
David Harbour opens up about his funniest Stranger Things moment
David Harbour revealed that while he’s “pretty responsible” on set, there was one scene in Season 3 that tested his professionalism. “If you watch [the] behind the scenes of season 3, I’m sitting there with Finn and Millie on the bed and I say to Finn — I’m very angry at Finn and I’m like, ‘You got to get home because I don’t want him in bed with my daughter.’ And I’m like, ‘You got to get home.’ And he goes, ‘Why? What’s the matter?’ And I go, ‘It’s your grandma,’” Harbour recalled with a laugh.
The actor said that the seemingly simple line became impossible to deliver. “And I just, for some reason, that particular line, I couldn’t say it for like an hour,” he explained. “And I laughed and laughed and laughed to the point where the children, Millie and Finn, were like, ‘What is wrong with you? We need to get to work.’”
Eventually, he apologized to his co-stars. Still, the experience left him with one of his fondest memories. “If you watch that thing, that really is probably one of my favorite memories because I’m a pretty responsible guy when I go to work, but I was very, very irresponsible that day,” he added. “And yeah, it was amazing.”
At the Season 5 premiere, Harbour and Brown shared a warm red-carpet reunion, laughing, hugging, and posing for photos together. Netflix even shared the moment on social media with the caption, “David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown arrive together for one last Stranger Things premiere 🥹.”
A Bittersweet Farewell to Stranger Things
Beyond the laughs, Harbour also got candid about saying goodbye to the show that changed his life. Calling the event “bittersweet,” he told PEOPLE that reuniting with the cast and crew for one final time brought a wave of emotion. “It’s beautiful. The fans, the people that love the show, what we’re trying to do this season, how we really want to pay it off, we really want to tell this story,” he said.
“And then at the end of it, it’s also like I just see all these people that I’ve loved and known so deeply for 10 years and we have to move on and let go. And that is life.”
Reflecting on his journey since 2016, Harbour admitted that Stranger Things was a turning point in his career. “This role changed the landscape. It was like an earthquake in my life,” he shared. “I mean, we shot that season. I loved it. It was so simple and kind of low budget when it started and then people just fell in love with it and really attached to it and it just blew up in a way that I never imagined.”
Harbour added that the show gave him creative freedom and opportunity beyond anything he’d experienced before. “And so in terms of opportunities to tell stories and to create art, I think it’s given me more than any other role in my life for sure.”
As Stranger Things prepares to close its epic chapter, fans are gearing up for an emotional finale. Season 5 begins in the fall of 1987, following the mysterious disappearance of Vecna and the looming final battle that threatens Hawkins once again.
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 premieres on Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Volume 2 on Dec. 25 and the finale on Dec. 31 — marking the end of an era for both the cast and millions of fans who’ve grown up with them.
