In an interview for Esquire Magazine, David Harbour talks about how ‘Stranger Things‘ changed his life at 40 and how fame hit differently when he was older.
A few months ago, the actor opened up with the magazine about his current celebrity life, his future projects, and the lessons he has learned by turning 50 years old and more after the ending of the recording of the last season of the Netflix series that brought him to fame.
When David Harbour was asked about the first time he thought, “I’ve made it,” he immediately talked about the weekend that ‘Stranger Things’ came out, saying that this time, unlike his previous projects, put him on a high new level.
“When I was about 35, I was very happy with my life and what I was doing. I was just going to be one of these character actors who was never really the star and never headlined the movie. I was okay with it.”
“And then Stranger Things hit like a thunderbolt. The weekend it came out I was doing a play. Normally a couple of people would always wait for me after a show, because I was at a level where they had known me or known my work,” but he suddenly notices that every time more people were waiting to see him after the show.
“And that was the weekend I realized [that] I’m not going to be able to walk down the street anymore without people recognizing me.”
Later, the interviewer recalled ‘Stranger Things’ premiered when he was 41 and asked, “Is it easier not to become a jerk when fame comes a little later in life?” to which he answered with sincerity, “For me it certainly is.”
“The great thing about getting famous when you’re older is that you know you’re going to die, so who cares? You get to enjoy it more, I think, instead of trying to preserve it or control it or hang on to it. You take it so seriously; it defines you, and you have to chase it.”
