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\n\tDavid Harbour<\/a>\u2018s Chief Jim Hopper is a key figure in Stranger Things<\/a><\/em>\u2018 fictitious town of Hawkins, Indiana, eventually coming to serve as surrogate father to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and helping to unravel the central sci-fi mystery of the Upside Down. However, the twice Emmy-nominated actor was not the original choice to play the role, creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer revealed.<\/p>\n \n\tThe Duffer Brothers<\/a> opened up about the tidbit in a new interview<\/a> from Josh Horowitz\u2019s Happy Sad Confused<\/em>. The podcast host presented the writer-producers with a question from Harbour, who was curious to know the casting process.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019m pretty sure I was second choice, and I don\u2019t know who I was second choice to,\u201d the actor said in a video question. \u201cMaybe I was third choice? But would you please answer the question of how I came to be cast as Chief Hopper, and who had to say no to allow me to do that wonderful, incredible role.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAfter shooting down Horowitz\u2019s guess that it was Josh Brolin \u2014 based on the fact that the original actor is one of Harbour\u2019s friends \u2014 Matt Duffer said, \u201cNo, it was\u00a0Billy Crudup<\/a>, which is a very different \u2014 like, everything happens for a reason, right? So it\u2019s like, once it kind of clicks into place \u2026 But yeah, Billy Crudup passed. I don\u2019t think he was doing much TV at the time.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\t(As mentioned in the interview, Crudup is now a series regular on Apple TV\u2019s The Morning Show<\/em>, for which he earned two Emmy wins. A year after Stranger Things<\/em> first premiered, he also featured alongside Naomi Watts in Netflix<\/a>\u2018s short-lived psychological thriller series Gypsy.<\/em>)<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAnd then David just \u2014 honestly \u2014 he just came in and one of our casting directors thought he could be great for the role,\u201d Ross Duffer added. \u201cBut he came and read and he just did one take. We weren\u2019t even there, we just saw the tape, and it was just so clear, instantly: This is Hopper. And we just cast him right then and there.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tStranger Things<\/em> debuted to instantaneous success on Netflix in 2016, concluding its five-season run in 2025. It has won a dozen Emmys and will once again be eligible as a contender this year. The series has additionally spawned an animated spinoff, Stranger Things: Tales from \u201885<\/em>, recently renewed for a Season 2<\/a>, as well as a Broadway prequel show that was taped for future feature release<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n