‘Stranger Things 4’ Star David Harbour Lost 80 Pounds and Vows He’ll Never “Do That Again”
David Harbor lost 80 pounds to play the role of Jim Hopper in Stranger Things 4. He told GQ magazine that he wanted to properly reflect Hopper’s imprisonment in Russia. The character is in jail for most of Stranger Things 4 and is not eating well.
“I lost about 80 pounds from Season 3 — I was about 270 [then], and when we shot [Season 4] I was around 190,” Harbour said, adding that he relied on intermittent fasting and Pilates to shed the weight. “I don’t think I’ll ever do that again.”
Harbour said that he immediately worked to pack back on the pounds, adding, “I have this Santa Claus movie coming out for Universal in December [called ‘Violent Night’], and I gained [it all back]. But now, yeah, never again. The prosthetics are too good.”
Over the course of the first three seasons of Stranger Things, Harbour grew to appreciate his dad bod look. This is a look that became popular after Merriam Webster tweeted an article about the phrase “dad bod” and included a clip of Harbour dancing in Stranger Things.
photo credit: Netflix
“I have a funny relationship with this dad bod thing,” Harbour told CNET soon after. “I sort of love it and the reason why I love it is actually very serious. I do think that in a certain way, I’ve become a bit of a sex symbol of our time.”
Harbour added, “There are articles about people digging Hopper. But I’m also like a little big and a little chubby. I love the idea of real bodies on television. And I love the idea of making real people feel beautiful and loved.”
Stranger Things 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
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