David Harbour has revealed that he was not the first choice in casting Jim Hopper in Stranger Things. The actor said that initially a big movie star was supposed to do the role but he turned down the offer.

During a candid conversation with fans at New York Comic Con 2021, Harbour revealed how he almost lost the role in Stranger Things to another actor who was a bigger name. The actor said he often jokes about it with the show’s creators, but he is still speculating about who the other star might have been. Later he even named Ewan McGregor as the prime suspect who might have turned down the role of Hopper.

Here is what David Harbour said at the Comic Con.

“And I joke with the Duffer Brothers. There was one person that was offered the role of Hopper before me, who was apparently a big movie star, and occasionally when I am in such a self-hatred mood that I Google myself, ScreenRant’s got all these articles that are always like, occasionally they’ll be like, ‘Ewan McGregor was off-,’ but I still don’t know who the actual celebrity — if anybody knows, let me know so I can thank them for passing.”

It has not been officially confirmed who the role was originally offered to before David Harbour. However, it is not the first time that another actor has been linked to Stranger Things. Earlier it was rumored that the role had been offered to Sam Rockwell. In the end, it was Harbour who played the much-beloved character Jim Hopper.

Harbour had been very grateful for being cast in Stranger Things as it led him to worldwide fame. Recently it was revealed that both Harbour and Winona Ryder are earning around $350,000-$400,000 per episode of the show.

Fans may never know about the big movie star who turned down the role of Hopper. Stranger Things season 4 is expected to release in 2022.