Every year, the Savannah Film Festival bestows a Virtuoso Award to an actor or actress who exemplifies talent and skill in the entertainment industry. This year, SCAD was happy to present this honor to David Harbour, a multi-talented actor best known for his recent role as Chief Jim Hopper in Netflix’s smash hit, “Stranger Things.”
Sporting neon blue and orange tennis shoes, Harbour received his award and then sat down to a Q and A led by Performing Arts professor, Donald Moffett. Harbour, seemingly a fish out of water in the film industry, claimed not to be “one of those guys” in regards to typical, handsome Hollywood actors. Rejecting, but not negating, typical acting tips and tricks, he explained that he strives to “reveal the life of the character.”
Harbour reiterates the individuality of the actor, explaining how actors should not allow directors to steer them around, but rather be allowed to explore their own mediums and characters. “It’s our responsibility as actors to bring that to the director,” he states, advocating for up-and-coming actors to assert their independence and prove that actors bring much more to a role beyond the delivery of lines.
“I need to speak up for my process, my department,” Harbour implores, giving a call to action to the young performers in the audience to stand up for their craft.
Harbour shows an immense amount of love for his character on “Stranger Things,” Chief Jim Hopper. “I wanted you to not really like him; I wanted you to not really believe in him,” he says, “and then you can start to see how he develops.”
It was easy for Harbour to melt into Jim Hopper’s character by using his school of method acting. “Once you get to a place where your blood can respond, or your skin can respond—that to me authentically and in an imaginary circumstance, that to me is great acting,” he says, “My subconscious begins to respond to the world differently than David Harbour.” He emphasizes the idea that actors must understand themselves before being able to put on another character, because bringing the character and you together creates an authentic portrayal.
Harbour advised young actors to “have a tremendous amount of tenacity. Tenacity will win out over talent.” Harbour reiterates the importance of your own personal hard work, regardless of what others say; to create an independent person, separate from the industry, is key to making it in the industry. He implores actors to “embrace the parts of you that you are embarrassed about” and then show them to the world in order to make yourself as a character much more relatable and lovable.
After a whole hour of riling an individualistic spirit throughout the crowd, Harbour boils down acting to “showing up and kind of letting it happen,” encouraging actors to simply so the work as they believe it should best be done that day.
Congratulations on receiving the Savannah Film Festival’s Virtuoso Award of 2016, Mr. David Harbour.
