‘Stranger Things’ Star David Harbour On Chief Hopper’s Political Stance, Season 2 Episodes

“Stranger Things” is set in the 1980s but it isn’t out of this world to assume the current political climate could influence David Harbour’s work on Season 2 of the Netflix series.

At the 69th Annual Writers Guild Awards in New York City Sunday night, Harbour dished to International Business Times about his character Chief Hopper’s political stance, how current events play into his acting and his opinion on celebrity involvement in U.S. politics.

Fresh off his show-stopping speech at the SAG Awards last month, which Harbour has deemed a cultural and not a political comment, he spoke to IBT about why its important for stars to speak up about the changes they want to see in the world.

“We are so loud right now with politics because it is so loud in our heads and I think that our voice is powerful but it’s powerful really on a cultural level. I don’t know what that anyone can argue with an artist expressing that,” Harbour said.

Harbour explained he hoped his speech would bring to light to his desire to see more inclusiveness onscreen, which in turn, would bring the world closer together.

I was expressing to my peers that I felt there was too much narcissism and that people do feel excluded and I want more inclusiveness and I want more recognition of the other in people so that we can come together as human beings... I want our stories to reflect that so that people maybe can open their hearts a little bit more and we can have little more empathy for people in this culture.

While Harbour, 41, insists his SAG speech was not political, he did admit the current climate could have some effect on his work as he reprises his role of Chief Hopper in the second season of “Stranger Things.”

“... As artists we are sensitive to the vibrations of what’s going on and so in a way I’m affected by everything that happens to me,” he said. Chief Hopper, however, probably wouldn’t be affected. Harbour noted the reserved and cynical officer would have likely voted Republican in his day.

“I terms of politically, I think he’s got elements of the right and the left in him, which I relish in. I want to understand people that have very different political views from me,” Harbour dished.

“In a way Hopper is a Midwestern guy from Indiana I bet in 1980 he voted Republican and I love those people. Those are my people too. I hope they feel that way when they watch that show, that we’re about representing all of America and, in fact, all of the world when we represent characters. We’re not excluding people.”

As for the return of “Stranger Things,” Harbour couldn’t reveal specific details about what’s to come for the next season, but he did hint it won’t disappoint. When asked to tease the new episodes Harbour called the upcoming installment “exciting, exciting and awesome.” Not exactly detailed, but we’ll take it!

“Stranger Things” Season 2 premieres on Netflix on Oct. 31.