‘Stranger Things’: David Harbour Says He and Winona Ryder Are ‘Like an Old Married Couple’
It turns out David Harbour and Winona Ryder are just like Joyce and Hopper on Stranger Things. The characters are known for being just like an old married couple, despite the fact that both are too frightened to admit their feelings for one another. And in real life, Harbour frequently compares his relationship with Ryder to that of a marriage.
Keep reading to find out more details about their adorable bond.
David Harbour thinks Joyce and Hopper are ‘soul mates’ on ‘Stranger Things’
In an interview with The LA Times, Harbour says that he thinks Joyce and Hopper are “twin flames” and “soul mates.”
He says, “It’s the idea that the two of us have this flame. I’m not too much of an astrology kind of guy, but they describe this thing as twin flames, which are like soul mates who burn off karma together.” Harbour continues, saying of Joyce and Hopper, “I just like the idea of two people who can’t be together because of their pride, because they were burned. But if there’s the potential for vulnerability and growing up, it’s the person that they need most. They’re the only family they could ever have, both of them.”
In fact, Harbour is such a shipper of Joyce and Hopper (also known as “Jopper”,) that he enjoys reading Stranger Things fanfiction about the couple.
And in an interview with Variety, he discussed just how much he loves reading Stranger Things fanfiction (especially when it involves Joyce and Hopper.)
He said,
“There’s something about the imagination of the fans…I don’t think you would write fanfiction about All in the family,” he jokes. “You know, they paint pictures and come up with these sceneries. I read some of the fanfiction that people write, and it’s so interesting that the world becomes so rich for them. That the characters in their minds go off and do other things and have their own relationships. That’s a kind of passion that I’ve never seen before.”
David Harbour and Winona Ryder are just like Hopper and Joyce
As Harbour reveals during a Stranger Things panel, he and Ryder are a lot like an old married couple. When asked what it is like to work with her, he went on about how he couldn’t possibly do justice as Hopper without Ryder by his side.
“Winona gets very personal very quick,” said Harbour, “So we were almost like an old married couple right after I’d met her.”
He continues, saying, “We would bicker like an old married couple, but we’d also share these really lovely moments. I certainly know for myself that my performance doesn’t work without her. Without her and her performance, my performance doesn’t make sense if that was another actress. I’m so grateful for what she brings, and all the heart and passion that she brings to her work.”
The ‘Stranger Things’ actors love working together
According to Harbour, there are moments when he falls in love with Ryder while filming.
“I do feel like there are moments where you fall in love with Winona,” he professes. “It feels like a marriage, where we’re willing to go the distance in that way that gets really uncomfortable. I want to do a scene with Winona where I get so messed up that I have to go back to my trailer and cry…”
