David Harbour has revealed that he is happy to move on from Stranger Things after 10 years.

The actor played the much-loved character Jim Hopper in the Netflix series. For his portrayal of a troubled police officer, he received critical acclaim and audience appreciation. However, Harbour has made an interesting comment about Stranger Things now that the series is ending.

David Harbour is Relieved That Stranger Things is Over

In a recent conversation with Scarlett Johansson for Interview, Harbour opened up about being tied to a series for 10 years. Johnason asked the actor if he was relieved that Stranger Things was over. He said,

“When I started I loved it so much. Buddies of mine who’d done TV shows for many years said, ‘By season three or four you’ll be running.’ And I was like, ‘Never! I love all these guys so much. You get to a certain point where you’re like, ‘How much more story is there?’ You’re having to play a lot of the same beat. And there’s a feeling where you’re like, ‘I want to take a risk. I want to do something that people haven’t seen me do before.’ So yeah, after 10 years, it’s like, ‘Okay.’”

Johanson agreed with Stranger Things star as she has been playing Black Widow in the Marvel universe for 15 years. She said being committed to one character limits your flexibility as “your identity is wrapped up in this job for a long time.” Harbour nodded in agreement, saying,

“It’s the same thing with this show. There’d be certain seasons where you feel like, ‘I’m going to go in this different direction.’ But as you say, a piece of your psyche is occupied with this group of people and this storyline. I don’t paint my nails, but I get that idea of ‘I can’t get a haircut’ or ‘I can’t shave this freaking mustache.’”

Millie Bobby Brown is Also Ready To Move On

He’s not the only actor who is ready to move on from Stranger Things. Back in 2023, Millie Bobby Brown also expressed that Stranger Things is preventing her career from growing. Speaking to Glamour, she said,

“When you’re ready, you’re like, ‘All right, let’s do this. Let’s tackle this last senior year. Let’s get out of here. Stranger Things takes up a lot of time to film and it’s preventing me from creating stories that I’m passionate about. So I’m ready to say, ‘Thank you, and goodbye.’”

Stranger Things will soon return for the fifth and final season on November 26, 2025. Meanwhile, leaks from season 5 continue to circulate as a new rumor seems to have revealed the ending of Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler.