David Harbour Talks About Struggles With Poverty, Mental Illness Before Stranger Things

Stranger Things is one of the most popular shows in the world right now with its fourth season underway as of 27 may, and no one is more grateful for it, than David Hopper, who plays the role of Jim Hopper in the show.

In a recent interview, David Harbour talks about his struggles with poverty and mental illness prior to finding fame and success from his role as Jim Hopper.

David Harbour disclosed that he was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder at the age of 26 after suffering a particularly strong episode. The actor mentioned that he struggled a lot due to the condition however he also remarked that he was fortunate enough to have a family who helped him through the tough times.

However, despite lots of supportive people around him, Harbour still struggled. One of his primary struggles as Harbour pointed out himself, was poverty. Harbour pointed out that in society, poverty and mental illness tend to go hand in hand with one feeding on the other.

“When you can’t participate in society by going out buying lunch and go into a store and stuff, it’ll make you crazy. It’s chicken and egg. They go hand in hand,” said Harbour. The actor had landed many roles in different projects but none that brought him fame and success.

Harbour said that by the age of 35, he had pretty much given up on his dream and was happy if he could just afford a living like paying for rent and food and the basic necessities. When the actor got the part of Jim Hopper in Stranger Things at the age of around 40, he did not have high hopes from it. He loved the script but doubted that people would share his appreciation for it.

However, once Stranger Things went out into the world, Harbour immediately began to receive applause and congratulations from all directions on the show. As of right now, the show has won multiple Emmys and has also received several nominations for Golden Globes. Harbour is 47 years old and has starred in several major projects following the success of Stranger Things including a role in Marvel’s Black Widow as Red Guardian.