Millie Bobby Brown has opened up about her close working relationship with David Harbour while filming the final season of Stranger Things, offering a glimpse into their experiences on the David Harbour Stranger Things set. The pair, who portray co-stars with a familial bond, navigated intense emotional scenes together during production of the Netflix series, highlighting their professional dynamic throughout the show’s history.
Brown Speaks on Her Dynamic With Harbour During Filming
Millie Bobby Brown, at 21, discussed working alongside David Harbour during the fifth and concluding season of Stranger Things. She emphasized the atmosphere of security and trust built over a decade collaborating with the actor who plays Hopper, especially during the show’s more emotionally charged moments.
“We’ve worked together for 10 years. I feel safe with everyone on that set.”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
The actress further examined the relationship between her character, Eleven, and her on-screen adoptive father, Jim Hopper. This dynamic not only shaped their roles but also contributed to a deep bond between the two actors throughout the years, particularly since they shared many challenging scenes, including key moments in the second season.
“We also play father and daughter,”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
“so naturally, you have a closer bond than the rest, because we have had some really intense scenes together, especially in season two.”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
Brown described her interactions with Harbour as a “labor of love,” asserting that their collaborations motivated her to perform at her highest level every time she appeared on set with him.
“It makes me wanna bring my A-game every single time I see that I’m on the call sheet working with him,”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
“because I know he’s bringing it right back.”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
Recent speculation had circulated regarding Harbour’s absence from the press events for Stranger Things’ final season. However, coverage clarified he was not scheduled for the appearance, as he was in production for Courteney Cox’s project Evil Genius. Despite public curiosity, Brown and Harbour dismissed rumors of friction by making a united and jovial appearance at the Los Angeles premiere, where Harbour exchanged a playful moment referencing Millie’s husband Jake Bongiovi.
“Am I as handsome as Jake?”
— David Harbour, Actor
“I’m not. It’s not my fault. It’s just genetics.”
— David Harbour, Actor
Development and Early Challenges in Bringing Stranger Things to Life
After their work on M. Night Shyamalan’s Wayward Pines, the Duffer brothers—Matt and Ross—began developing what would become Stranger Things. The initial concept was titled Montauk, and the team found transitioning to the eventual name a challenge, especially with colleagues accustomed to the original working title.
“It’s very hard when your brain is latched onto a title, it’s really, really hard to get people to agree and accept another title,”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
“Initially when we came up with this title Stranger Things, it was hard for people to embrace.”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
The creators also sought to film in Long Island to capture the coastal atmosphere that served as inspiration—especially since Montauk was the basis for the fictional Amity in Jaws, one of their favorite films. However, logistical and financial difficulties led the production to relocate to Atlanta, which became the central base for the show’s creation.
“We liked Montauk, because we liked the coastal setting, and Montauk was the basis for Amity, and Jaws is probably our favorite movie, so I thought that that would be really cool,”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
“Then it was really going to be impossible to shoot in or around Long Island in the wintertime. It was just going to be miserable and expensive.”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
Overcoming Industry Doubt and Casting the Series’ Iconic Roles
Before Netflix stepped in, nearly twenty networks passed on Stranger Things, expressing skepticism about the potential appeal of a story led by a group of children. This hesitation was eventually proven unfounded as the eventual cast became globally recognized. Millie Bobby Brown, at just twelve, dramatically changed her appearance for the role of Eleven, shaving her head—a decision she described as a transformative personal moment.
“The day I shaved my head was the most empowering moment of my whole life,”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
“The last strand of hair cut off was the moment my whole face was on show and I couldn’t hide behind my hair like I used to. As I looked in the mirror I realized I had one job to do: inspire…You don’t need hair to be beautiful.”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
Brown drew creative influence from Charlize Theron’s character in Mad Max: Fury Road and from vintage photographs of co-star Winona Ryder.
“Winona looked cool back in the day with the pixie cut,”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
“and I thought maybe I could bring it back!”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
To perfect her American accent, the British actress turned to a perhaps unexpected source—Miley Cyrus’s Hannah Montana series.
“Like the film, everything. Everything about it is amazing. And I got the American accent.”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
Establishing Character Identities and Unique Casting Decisions
The showrunners had young actors audition using lines from the classic film Stand By Me, seeking authenticity for the central childhood friendships. The role of Mike, as initially conceived, shifted after Finn Wolfhard’s audition brought a distinct anxious energy to the character, prompting the writers to modify the role to match the actor’s natural qualities.
“Originally Mike was a sigher, he was a dreamer, he was much more like Mikey in The Goonies in a lot of ways,”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
“But Finn had this really anxious, twitchy energy about him and we thought that that was really great and we just kind of wrote the character to match him and his personality.”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
Gaten Matarazzo’s interpretation of Dustin similarly transformed the writers’ vision, causing them to pivot from their initial character sketch to something more original following his audition.
“I don’t think we really understood who that character was. He started out more like a stereotypical nerd and then we met Gaten and we basically tailored the show to him.”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
Show’s Pop Culture Influence and Memorable On-Set Moments
Eleven’s fondness for Eggo waffles boosted Kellogg’s sales, demonstrating the show’s impact on marketing and consumer habits. Following the release of season two, Kellogg’s noted a 14 percent uptick in Eggo consumption, with October of that year marking a peak in social media mentions for the product.
David Harbour’s engagement with fans went viral in early 2018 when he joined a fan’s high school senior photo shoot after a challenge on social media. The actor kept his word, donning the school’s sweatshirt and posing with a trombone as requested.
“How many retweets for you take my senior photos with me,”
— Fan on Twitter
“25k. And I get to wear the school sweatshirt and hold a trombone.”
— David Harbour, Actor
Harbour later reflected on the moment online.
“Voted most likely to hijack someone’s high school senior photos 24 years later.”
— David Harbour, Actor
Harbour’s playful interactions continued as he officiated a fan’s wedding after meeting a social media challenge, dressing as Chief Hopper for the ceremony after getting ordained.
Character Backgrounds, Easter Eggs, and Series Lore
The series built rich character backstories, often referencing them through nuanced details. Despite early fan theories suggesting Eleven could be Hopper’s biological daughter, the show intentionally developed their adoptive father-daughter relationship. In a symbolic touch, Eleven wore a bracelet crafted from Hopper’s late daughter’s hair ribbon during the season two finale dance, an understated nod to his personal history.
Brown’s first on-screen kiss with Mike, played by Finn Wolfhard, took place in front of a sizable crew, providing a memorable, if awkward, milestone for the actress.
“Having 250 people looking at you kissing someone is like, ‘Whoa!’”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
She recounted another kissing scene in the subsequent season, revealing a private moment between the co-stars during filming.
“He wanted to let me know he was, like, kissing me then,”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
“So he was like, ‘I’m coming in,’ and he was like a ventriloquist! It was the craziest thing.”
— Millie Bobby Brown, Actress
Off-Screen Relationships and Unexpected Character Arcs
Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton, who portray Nancy and Jonathan, sparked a real-life relationship beginning in 2016, while keeping most details private. Dyer reflected on the experience of collaborating with a partner both on and off set.
“That’s something important to me—with my family, with my friends, I really like to keep it for me,”
— Natalia Dyer, Actress
“It’s an interesting thing to work with somebody who you go home with. It’s always really fun.”
— Natalia Dyer, Actress
Several character arcs shifted from the showrunners’ initial plans. Joe Keery’s character, Steve Harrington, was originally intended to die in the first season, but the production team grew fond of Keery’s portrayal, prompting them to expand his story and integrate him further into the main narrative.
“we fell in love with him during the making of season one, which is why we ended up writing that arc for him where he’s helping to save the day with Jonathan and Nancy,”
— Ross Duffer, Co-creator
“Steve was supposed to be this jocky douchebag, and Joe was so much more than that.”
— Ross Duffer, Co-creator
Likewise, Eleven’s fate was meant to be sealed after the first season, but plans changed due to both the show’s success and Millie Bobby Brown’s compelling performance.
“Eleven was going to sacrifice herself to save the day,”
— Ross Duffer, Co-creator
“That was always the end game. But once we realized that the show was potentially going to go on longer than one season, we needed to leave it more up in the air, because deep down we knew the show just wouldn’t really work without Eleven. And at that point, we knew how special Millie was. If there was going to be more Stranger Things, Eleven had to come back.”
— Ross Duffer, Co-creator
Episode Decisions and Creative Direction
The Duffer brothers encountered challenges with the pacing and structure of certain episodes. The seventh episode of season two, “The Lost Sister,” almost did not air because of concerns it could disrupt the story’s flow. Ultimately, the team recognized its importance for Eleven’s character arc, leading to its inclusion.
“When we got to the point of writing the episode, we wanted to see if we really needed it or not,”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
“We actually did toy with pulling the episode completely, but then the ending with Eleven didn’t work at all. It just didn’t land at all. Then we ended up deciding we needed it.”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
The sibling introduced in the episode was initially scripted as a brother. However, when casting was broadened, Linnea Berthelsen was chosen, resulting in Eleven meeting her sister, Kali, on screen.
“Linnea and Millie really had a connection,”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
“Millie was like, ‘I want to do this with Linnea.’”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
Auditions, Casting, and Near Misses
Nicola Coughlan, now known for her roles in Bridgerton, originally auditioned to play Robin, a part that ultimately went to Maya Hawke. Coughlan reflected on losing the role, emphasizing how the casting process reveals the suitability of specific actors for particular roles.
“was far better than I ever would have been.”
— Nicola Coughlan, Actress
“It’s a good lesson to actors: Watch the stuff you didn’t get, because you’ll totally understand how it’s not personal. You’re just right for some things and you’re not right for other things.”
— Nicola Coughlan, Actress
Madelyn Cline, of Outer Banks, appeared in season two as Tina, a memorable Hawkins High student, before achieving greater fame elsewhere. Dacre Montgomery, meanwhile, secured the role of Billy with an unconventional, high-energy audition tape featuring 1980s music and distinctive dance moves. Montgomery admitted that risking such a bold audition could have backfired, but ultimately it paid off when he landed the part.
“wanted to make a bit of a splash with the Duffers.”
— Dacre Montgomery, Actor
“Either I’m never going to work again, or somebody somewhere is going to see one thing in me, and they’ll give me a chance.”
— Dacre Montgomery, Actor
Salary Increases and Growing Roles
The cast saw significant salary bumps heading into the third season. Major stars such as Winona Ryder and David Harbour reportedly earned between $300,000 and $350,000 per episode, while other main cast members’ compensation rose dramatically. Priah Ferguson, initially scheduled for only one episode as Lucas’ outspoken sister Erica, became a fan favorite and was promoted to series regular the following season.
Production Challenges and Behind-the-Scenes Solutions
The youthful cast’s continuous growth presented unique wardrobe challenges to the costume department. Kim Wilcox, the show’s costume designer, worked out creative strategies to maintain continuity, purchasing multiple versions of character outfits to keep pace with the actors’ changing sizes.
“It’s crazy,” — Kim Wilcox, Costume Designer
“We had one kid we could not keep in shoes, like every three weeks he grew a half-size.”
— Kim Wilcox, Costume Designer
“We’d buy five of them so that when somebody grew we’d have something.”
— Kim Wilcox, Costume Designer
References, Inspirations, and Special Effects Choices
Matt and Ross Duffer drew inspiration from classic films like The Goonies, E.T., and Stand By Me, careful to weave these references organically into Stranger Things while maintaining the show’s unique identity and avoiding overt allusions. When pitching to Netflix, the two presented a trailer layered with nostalgic cinematic influences but ultimately focused on letting the story and characters steer the narrative during writing sessions.
“When we billed the project to Netflix, we had this big two-and-a-half-minute trailer that had about 20 or 30 of these movies kind of woven together to try and tell the story of Stranger Things, but obviously all these images or ideas were in our heads,”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
“Those are the movies that we grew up on and they’re so much a part of our DNA. But then when you get into the writers’ room and you’re working on individual episodes, actually very little time is spent referencing other movies. Mostly you’re just trying to tell the story, letting the characters guide where everything’s going. Otherwise it would just be a jumble and a mess.”
— Matt Duffer, Co-creator
Though the team initially planned to minimize digital effects in favor of practical ones to capture an authentic 1980s aesthetic, the realities of television schedules meant that some scenes had to rely on computer-generated effects in order to meet production timelines.
“The funny thing is that the original goal was to do entirely practical effects. But what we realized—and it really made us admire those guys who did The Thing and Alien and whatever—is that doing practical is really hard,”
— Ross Duffer, Co-creator
“It takes a lot of time and preparation. We were turning out scripts as quickly as we could but they don’t have six months to prep this stuff. You show up on set and stuff that seemed like it would be a great idea to do in that old school way, we didn’t have time to do.”
— Ross Duffer, Co-creator
Planned Structure for the Saga and Future Prospects
From the outset, the Duffer brothers envisioned a five-season arc for Stranger Things. Many elements established early in the show’s development remain present in its final chapter. The financial scale of the series grew accordingly, with each episode of the fourth season reportedly costing around $30 million.
“So much of what they had in their head in 2015 is what we’re now seeing play out as we come to the end of this series,”
— Matthew Thunell, Netflix Executive
Spin-Offs and Continuing the World of Stranger Things
With the conclusion set for the original Stranger Things storyline, the Duffer brothers have indicated a willingness to expand the universe, teasing ideas for a spin-off series distinct from the original but remaining tight-lipped about specific details. Though Finn Wolfhard is the only cast member to have guessed the premise, the creators have kept the project’s nature closely guarded.
“We do have an idea for a spin-off that we’re super excited about,”
— Matt and Ross Duffer, Co-creators
“but we haven’t told anyone the idea yet, much less written it.”
— Matt and Ross Duffer, Co-creators
“Aside from Finn, no one else knows!”
— Matt and Ross Duffer, Co-creators
The Enduring Legacy of Stranger Things
The final season of Stranger Things on Netflix draws a close to an era marked by its compelling characters, influential cultural references, and emotionally charged performances—most notably between Brown and Harbour on the David Harbour Stranger Things set. As volume one streams and the series sets the stage for its last chapter, anticipation surrounds both its concluding impact and the future projects hinted at by its creators. The rapport and mutual respect shared among the cast, especially Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour, have undeniably shaped the heart of the series and contributed to its lasting appeal.
