Star of Stranger Things, David Harbour, has revealed he shot multiple different versions of Jim Hopper’s reunion with Joyce Byers, after she rescues him from prison in season 4 episode 7.
Speaking to IndieWire, the actor said he felt under pressure to perfect this long-awaited, “amazing moment”, adding that the team shot various different takes.
“It’s an amazing moment. And the problem with amazing moments are that you read them in the script and you’re just like ‘f***’,” Harbour said.
“You just feel the pressure. Here it is: He’s been away, he feels like he’s killed her. He’s in such despair, and then lo and behold, his miracle, his knight in shining armour who saves him is this woman that he cares so much for.”
Harbour revealed that the crew shot 10 different takes of the reunion at the Kamchatka prison, before finally settling on the version that made the cut.
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“Initially there were some that we did where she’d run over to me and I just embraced her [right there and then],” he said.
“We did about 10 takes of it, and then I was like, ‘You know what I think it is, man? I just think he’s so in survival mode, I don’t even think he thinks she’s real.’ So when she comes over to him there’s this moment where he kind of stares, pulls her away from him and looks at her, and then embraces her again.”
“I was really appreciative of the Duffers allowing me to find the reality of this moment,” Harbour added.
“I had a lot of takes that were big and emotional and all that stuff and then I was like, ‘No, it’s got to be simple, it’s gotta be weirder than that.’ And I was very happy we all came to that and that they let us use that take because I think it is the most sophisticated.”
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