David Harbour doesn’t have the traditional good looks of big movie stars like Tom Cruise or Denzel Washington. He doesn’t usually take the headlining role in any of his projects, preferring to steal scenes as a supporting actor. Harbour has an everyman approach and appeal that makes him easily injectable into any genre or category of story. Much like Pedro Pascal, Harbour is having a later-in-life launch into his prime.
Most people will know David Harbour for his excellent performance as Jim Hopper in the Netflix megahit Stranger Things, but there are plenty of other great films that he’s appeared in before and after the science fiction show we’ve all come to love (and get impatient with for season 5). These are the David Harbour movies and TV shows you need to binge-watch immediately.
Stranger Things (2016)
Stranger Things is more known for its wacky release schedule than its great storytelling now, but it would be a shame if that is the show’s defining legacy. So many actors have turned in career performances in this series, with David Harbour earning an Emmy nomination as one of the best on the show. The kids of fictional Hawkins, Indiana, are the main appeal of the show, as the coming-of-age themes are what shine through the most, but every series with teen actors needs an adult to carry the load sometimes. Harbour’s masculine, heroic, and often touching portrayal of the town’s police chief, who goes above and beyond for the citizens of his area, grounds the series and gives it a traditional protagonist. The climax is finally expected to arrive in 2025, and we hope Hopper can make it to the finish line.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Brokeback Mountain destroyed LGBTQ+ movie barriers in the 2000s. The story of two queer cowboys who live a forbidden love in hiding across many years still brings a tear to even the most narcissistic set of eyeballs. Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger are the superstars at the center, but the supporting actors like Michelle Williams and David Harbour round out the cast perfectly. Harbour plays Randall Malone. Ang Lee won Best Director at the Oscars for this film but many people feel it should have also won Best Picture.
Thunderbolts* (2025)
Harbour has already appeared as the Red Guardian in previous MCU films like Black Widow, but he’ll get an even bigger role in Thunderbolts. This is one of the most anticipated superhero movies of the year that follows the antiheroic, rag-tag team of fighters as they get incorporated into Marvel lore in the lead-up to the next Avengers movie. Thunderbolts should be one of the films that reinvigorates the MCU and introduces fans to characters they either didn’t know about or forgot about.
Revolutionary Road (2008)
Revolutionary Road is a film that never completely lived up to its literary inspiration (the 1961 novel by Richard Yates), but Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet’s chemistry pushes the pace of the story and makes it thoroughly enjoyable all the way to the end. The plot follows a disgruntled couple that tries to balance personal, professional, and other ambitions while figuring out whether their marriage is worth saving. David Harbour plays Shep Campbell, one of the neighbors of the Wheelers (the couple at the center of the story). If you want a love story with a bit of a thematic twist, this might be the one that serves that purpose.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Quantum of Solace is a mixed bag in terms of reputation in the pantheon of recent 007 films, but it’s still a really fun watch for diehard fans. Daniel Craig is at his best as James Bond when he must get revenge on those who killed his girlfriend, Vesper Lynd. Harbour plays a small part as a CIA agent. This is a good choice to watch if you want to catch up on James Bond’s adventures before the casting of the next British secret agent.
Gran Turismo (2023)
Violent Night (2022)
As if Santa couldn’t get any cooler, imagine jolly Saint Nick turning into a crime-fighting action star! David Harbour plays the yuletide hero in this Christmas flick that inverts genre expectations and gives a whole new perspective on the most wonderful time of the year. Violent Night is truly a non-traditional Christmas movie that fans who want something different will enjoy.
War of the Worlds (2005)
The classic alien invasion story War of the Worlds is brought to life here by Tom Cruise in front of the camera and Steven Spielberg behind it. If you watch this movie and can’t seem to find David Harbour, take a look at the deleted scenes. He appears as a dock worker alongside Cruise’s main character.
