“All I say is that if you HAVE to act, then you HAVE to make it happen.” – David Harbour
Stranger Things star David Harbour recently participated in an “AskAMogulAnything” chat for OnMogul.com and went into detail about his seemingly under-the-radar career before his big break in the hit Netflix series. Here are some of the highlights as they pertain to Harbour’s views on acting:
When asked what’s the best piece of advice he’s ever been given or can give, Harbour’s advice is a bit counter-intuitive: don’t follow anyone’s advice. He says, “Best advice: never take advice, including this. You gotta do things your own way. You have to find your own path. You have to take what appeals to you and leave all the rest. And as Lauren Hill says, ‘dreams come slow.'”
Another user asked Harbour if he struggled earlier in his career and what he would tell people who are currently struggling at becoming a professional an actor. He answered, “Of course, I struggled for many many years. All I say is that if you HAVE to act, then you HAVE to make it happen. Tenacity, tenacity, tenacity.”
While many look at Harbour as something of an overnight success because of what Stranger Things has done to his profile, Harbour points out that “success” has a different definition for everyone. He explains, “Success is a relative term. Even if I wasn’t being paid to act I would still be acting in community theater or somewhere. And you can make a living in acting and don’t have to be a widely known name. A lot of actors work in regional houses across this country and make a living and I consider that a success. I was sort of fed up with the parts I was playing in movies right before Stranger Things though and was considering stopping those and focusing much more on just working in theater. Luckily Stranger Things renewed my passion for film and TV – though I still love theater.”
