David Harbour | |
|---|---|
 Harbour in 2019 | |
| Born | David Kenneth Harbour[1] (1975-04-10)April 10, 1975 (age 50) |
| Education | Dartmouth College (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouse | |
David Kenneth Harbour (born April 10, 1975) is an American actor. He gainedglobal recognition for his portrayal ofJim Hopper in theNetflix science fiction seriesStranger Things (2016–2025), for which he received two nominations for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. His starring film roles include thetitle character inHellboy (2019),Santa Claus inViolent Night (2022), and a former racer in the sports filmGran Turismo (2023). Harbour has playedRed Guardian in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, including the filmsBlack Widow (2021) andThunderbolts* (2025). Harbour also voicedEric Frankenstein in the animated television seriesCreature Commandos (2024–present).
Harbour was born inWhite Plains, New York, to Kenneth and Nancy (née Riley) Harbour, both of whom work in real estate—his mother in residential and his father in commercial.[2] He attendedByram Hills High School inArmonk, New York, along with actorsSean Maher andEyal Podell. He graduated fromDartmouth College inHanover, New Hampshire, in 1997,[3] where he majored in drama and Italian and was a member of theSigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.[4]
As a young man in New York City, Harbour participated in gambling atunderground poker clubs and attests that he personally knew the gangster who was the basis forJohn Malkovich's character "Teddy KGB" in the 1998 filmRounders.[5]
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From 1994 to 1997, Harbour performed with The Theater at Monmouth atCumston Hall inMonmouth, Maine, where he acted inShakespearian productions such asThe Tempest,Much Ado About Nothing,The Winter's Tale, andHamlet. Harbour began acting professionally on Broadway in 1999, in the revival ofThe Rainmaker.[6] He made his television debut that year on the television showLaw & Order, playing a waiter. He appeared again in 2002 in an episode ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit, playing a child murderer. He had the recurring role ofMI6 agent Roger Anderson in theABC seriesPan Am. In 2005, he was nominated for aTony Award for his performance as Nick in the revival ofWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
Harbour is also known for his role as CIA AgentGregg Beam inQuantum of Solace, as Shep Campbell inRevolutionary Road, and asRussell Crowe's source inState of Play. He also received praise for his role asspree killer Paul Devildis in a 2009 episode ofLaw & Order: Criminal Intent.[7] His other film credits includeBrokeback Mountain,The Green Hornet,End of Watch, andBetween Us. In 2013, he had a small role of a head doctor in the television seriesElementary. From 2012 to 2014, he also had the recurring role of Elliot Hirsch inThe Newsroom.[8]
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In 2014, Harbour played the recurring character of Dr. Reed Akley in the first season of the historical drama seriesManhattan.[9] In 2015, he was cast as ChiefJim Hopper in theNetflix science fiction horror seriesStranger Things.[10] For that role, he has received nominations for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2017 and 2018) and theGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2018). He won aScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2017) along with the rest of the cast.
Harbour starred as thetitle character in the superhero reboot filmHellboy (2019).[11] He most recently portrayedAlexei Shostakov / Red Guardian in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmBlack Widow (2021),[12][13] and reprised the role inThunderbolts* (2025). He also had starring roles in Christmas action comedy filmViolent Night (2022), and in theNeill Blomkamp sports filmGran Turismo (2023) based on thePlayStationvideo game series of the same name.[14] In October 2025, Harbour was cast in theTony Gilroy filmBehemoth!.[15] However, he departed the film in January 2026 due to being overwhelmed by his work in thefinal season ofStranger Things.[16] He was replaced byWill Arnett.[17]
Harbour had relationships withAlison Sudol andJulia Stiles.[18][19] Starting in 2019, he was in a relationship with English singer-songwriterLily Allen. They made their red carpet debut during the26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. They married on September 7, 2020, inLas Vegas in a wedding officiated by anElvis impersonator.[20] The couple shared a Brownstone house in Brooklyn[21] and worked with the architect Ben Bischoff.[22] In December 2024,The Telegraph alleged that Allen and Harbour had separated, after Allen's dating profile was reportedly spotted on the exclusive dating appRaya.[23] Other reports state that the couple had separated in early 2025.[24][25] After the release of Allen's fifth studio albumWest End Girl, she stated that it was partially based on the "demise" of their relationship and Harbour's alleged infidelity.[26]
In an interview withThe Guardian on his role inBlack Widow in July 2021, Harbour said he was asocialist: "I don't know that there's anyone who could disagree with socialist ideology". He elaborated: "The idea of a kindergarten-type society where we share things is my ideal society—as opposed to this world where we're hunting and killing and destroying for our own personal hoarding, our own personal greed."[27]
Harbour struggled withalcoholism in his past[28] and has been sober since he was 24, after hitting "rock bottom" as he faced homelessness, loneliness andthoughts of suicide.[29] He began drinking as a teenager and the habit worsened during college. He decided to stop drinking after feeling "very lonely and needing a different direction in my life", and has said, "I enjoy consciousness too much now" to drink again.[4] At age 26, Harbour was diagnosed withbipolar disorder.[30][28][31][32] Harbour enjoys watchingLet's Plays andspeedruns of old video games.[33] Harbour is a fan of theNHL'sNew York Rangers.[34] He is a former believer in the paranormal.[35][36]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999, 2008 | Law & Order | Mike | Episode: "Patsy" | |
| Jay Carlin | Episode: "Submission" | |||
| 2002 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Terry Jessup | Episode: "Dolls" | |
| 2003 | Hack | Christopher Clark | Episode: "Presumed Guilty" | |
| 2004, 2009 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Wesley John Kenderson | Episode: "Silver Lining" | |
| Paul Devildis | Episode: "Family Values" | |||
| 2007 | The Unit | Gary Weber | Episode: "Five Brothers" | |
| 2009 | Lie to Me | Frank Ambrose | Episode: "The Better Half" | |
| Royal Pains | Dan Samuels | Episode: "It's Like Jamais Vu All Over Again" | ||
| 2011–2012 | Pan Am | Roger Anderson | 6 episodes | |
| 2012 | Midnight Sun | Ethan Davies | Unsold NBC TV pilot | |
| Blue | Cooper | 3 episodes[39] | ||
| 2012–2014 | The Newsroom | Elliot Hirsch | 10 episodes | |
| 2013 | Elementary | Dr. Mason Baldwin | Episode: "Lesser Evils" | |
| 2014 | Rake | David Potter | 11 episodes | |
| Manhattan | Dr. Reed Akley | 10 episodes | ||
| 2014–2015 | State of Affairs | David Patrick | Main role; 13 episodes | |
| 2015–2016 | Banshee | Robert Dalton | 2 episodes | |
| 2016 | Crisis in Six Scenes | Vic | Episode: "#1.2" | |
| 2016–2025 | Stranger Things | Jim Hopper | Main role; 41 episodes | |
| 2018 | Drunk History | Vietnam Memorial Head | Episode: "Underdogs" | |
| Animals | Hawk | Voice, episode: "Roachella" | ||
| 2019 | El Hormiguero 3.0 | Himself (guest) | Episode: "David Harbour" | |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself (host) | Episode: "David Harbour/Camila Cabello" | ||
| 2020 | The Simpsons | Fred Kranepool | Voice, episode: "Undercover Burns" | |
| 2021 | Big City Greens | Rick | Voice, episode: "The Van" | |
| Q-Force | Agent Rick Buck | Voice | ||
| Star Wars: Visions | Tajin | Voice, episode: "The Elder"; english dub | ||
| Marvel Studios: Assembled | Himself | Episode: "The Making ofBlack Widow " | ||
| 2024–present | Creature Commandos | Eric Frankenstein | Voice; main role[40] | |
| 2024 | What If...? | Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian | Voice; 2 episodes[41] | |
| 2025 | The Rookie | Security Guard | Uncredited, episode: "Out of Pocket" | |
| Marvel Zombies | Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian | Voice; 3 episodes[42] | ||
| 2026 | DTF St. Louis | TBA | Upcoming series |
| Year | Title | Role | Note | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Alone in the Dark | Edward Carnby | Voice and likeness | |
| TBA | Total War: Warhammer 40,000 | TBA | In production |
Allen and Harbour, who wed in Las Vegas on September 7, 2020, separated early this year [...] So far, there do not appear to be any public court filings indicating that either Allen or Harbour have officially filed for divorce
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Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
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