Stranger Things actor David Harbour isn’t a fan of method acting.
One of the most infamous techniques actors use to prepare for roles, method acting is based on taking from a person’s real life experiences to inform their portrayals. However, method acting has also been used as an excuse for actors to behave a certain way just so they could better relate to their characters. Think Jared Leto on set of Suicide Squad acting like the Joker even when the cameras stopped rolling.
“I’m very much trained in classical American method acting,” Harbour told GQ. The actor, who plays beloved dad-figure Jim Hopper in Netflix’s major hit series Stranger Things, majored in drama when he attended Dartmouth College, but experience has made him rethink some of those teachings.
“When I was younger — it’s so embarrassing — but I remember playing that famous Scottish King, and being like, ‘I’m gonna kill a cat’ or something: ‘I’m gonna go murder something to know what it feels like to murder.’ I didn’t actually do it, obviously.”
Method acting doesn’t have to be that hardcore, but it can be a dangerous endeavor when actors try to relate either physically, by going through extreme weight gain or loss, or even psychologically, which can be even worse. Harbour considers method acting “silly,” “dangerous,” and believes “it actually doesn’t produce good work.”
Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis is largely considered to be one of the all-time-greats, and he also happens to be a famous method actor, but the one-time Hellboy isn’t sold on such extreme preparation. “He’s an extraordinary actor who I’m captivated and fascinated by, [but] when he explains his process it sounds like nonsense to me,” Harbour succinctly stated.
Audiences can judge Harbour’s non-method talents for themselves by watching season four of Stranger Things, now streaming on Netflix.
