David Harbour Reveals the Secret to Great Acting

David Harbour doesn't actually have any real relationship with the fictional character Will Byers from the Netflix Original "Stranger Things", but somehow he has to make you as an audience member feel as if he's going to be heartbroken if Will dies. How does he do it?

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[BabyBearRudy]

Wow this snippet is a gem for actors, especially his superb analogy, The Gangster is to Prison as David is to What?

[hamzariazuddin]

I think I could listen to this guy for 24 hours straight without blinking

[evalynn]

This is fascinating. This is why so many people love Hopper. Because it's not just David pretending to be Hopper, he created this person. We may not see the whole process but you can feel it. He is his own being and that builds empathy in the people watching him.

[nimanwozo]

This interview showed the extent to which this man’s talent goes like wow this is a true actor

[cstokes]

I’ve never commented on YouTube videos before but I read as Jonathan Byers at the very first table read with the entire cast. As soon as David walked in the room, there was a sense of holy shit this guy is about to create something incredibly special. definitely an experience I’ll hold onto for forever.

[vigouranddash]

This guy is seriously brilliant. I hope he gets picked up for more serious (academy award type) roles in future because dude is worthy

[tkinsey]

All of this work was evident from the moment you meet Hopper in S1. I was so, SO impressed with that character and how much of it was SHOW, not TELL. Such good writing, and even better acting from David.

[therealarien]

Such an interesting guy! He clearly loves his craft

[shukis]

This reminds me of a day I had studying at Playhouse West where we watched a short scene these two actors did and it was fantastically dramatic. The male actor in the scene has a moment with a very long pause after his gf in the scene says something hurtful. That pause just felt so emotional and painful you could see it in his eyes. Then after the play was over he revealed he actually forgot his lines and he was trying to remember it in that moment. But he was so in tune with his feelings and emotions in the scene that he was still projecting them even when he was struggling to remember a line.

[nebulousisgod]

I’ve never heard any method of acting articulated so damn well. That’s deep man. I do love Jim Hopper. To me, the best part about Stranger Things is the acting. All of them are fantastic and they vibe beautifully. It’s a silly show in a lotta ways but it’s so intimate and acted so convincingly that it feels real. I love it

[blushskies]

David is an amazing actor, i am literally so impressed. Now thats the reason why we fell in love with jim hopper when we first saw him.

[larislalalaris]

The brilliant thing about how he plays this character is that he creates the depth Xer. Hopper has by bringing this front of harshness, but leaving the gem of his big heart and good intentions well-polished as well, hidden beneath it all. The inability to express his emotions though they run deep make this character the one we want to succeed, although he stumbles through being hard headed and this persona of I don't give a damn, I'm a brute, I don't care but feels every hit deeply. There's so much more I want to see from this actor! I think he has a lot to bring to so many characters I don't even know about. I wish him the BEST! (too)

[Artist]

He thinks that this "work doesn't get seen"?? He has quickly become one of my favorite actors of all time and not just because of Stranger Things, but because he puts everything he has into his characters. And it is very noticeable. He brings a kind of personal feeling and attachment to his characters that I haven't ever felt before. I hope he is able to realize how much of an impact he has had on people who watch his performances and how his determination to put his all into what he does is so inspiring.

[JasonSmith-lpwg]

I don't know how you get this level of conversation from your guests, but it's brilliant. Thank you, so very much. J

[sophiarodriguez]

So glad Sam interviewed David Harbour. I've felt he was underrated and underutilized for years. Thanks!

[urekmazino]

Best interview I've seen. David Harbour put into words the very quality of acting that I value and that generally sets apart good work from the bad.

[nikap]

I could listen to him speak for eternity

[ScreaminSavior]

I love hearing David talk about acting (his Actors on Actors with Kyle MacLachlan is suggested next seeing) because he's so passionate and open about his process. I differ from him in that I enjoy filling the shoes of whatever character I am and trying to live their exact moment and being fully in the context of the scene. I do love how he talked about having the character's inner psychology then also they're psychology of who they're trying to be to the world! That's interesting.

[andreaandrea]

Sam Jones, you listen with ALL of your being. I LOVE that. This show is perfect (I do wish the 'snippets' of interviews were more like 10 to 15 minutes). You ABSOLUTELY know what you're doing: NO DISTRACTIONS!!!! Good lighting, excellent camera work, NO BACKGROUND NOISE (music), and ... (brilliant) IN BLACK & WHITE. Thank you.

[clarissar]

You are an amazing interviewer. I love everything about this show.