Netflix and David Harbour Treat Emmy Voters to an 80s Themed BBQ at the Hollywod Forever Cemetery

Set up as an 80s themed BBQ fans lined up for  the themed menu including hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, chicken strips, nachos, gourmet pizza pockets, as well as an elaborate waffle station. Fans were also invited to walk around the themed area to take part in multiple photo installations including a set-up of the iconic neon theme, a fog filled pumpkin patch, and a fully equipped Hawkins Junkyard photo station and DJ booth run by models dressed as ghostbusters. 

Fans then settled into the Hollywood Forever cemetery’s screening lawn famous for its Cinespia summer movie series for the fourth episode of the season “Will the Wise” – an episode featuring an infamous fight between Emmy nominees Harbour and Brown as well as an overlooked performance from breakout Noah Schnapp. Heading into the screening fans were greeted with a grief Q&A between David Harbour and Variety’s Jenelle Riley. 

Jumping right into his character Jim Hopper’s second season friendship with Eleven, Harbour credits the success of that relationship to the writing of the Duffer Brothers and his extraordinary costar and fellow Emmy nominee Millie Bobby Brown. “The Duffer brothers are so willing to play and have fun. They love all the characters  but they really like this idea of Eleven, this bad ass fireball little girl, with this grumpy older dude and from there created this interesting dynamic between the two. Those seeds are planted towards the end of the first season. Once the scripts started coming in and I could see this beautiful dynamic and what he missed out on as a father as well as his inadequacies as a father. I thought it was so moving and it was such a stretch for me. I’m not a father myself so the storyline was new territory for me. I didn’t think anything would top season one in terms of that arc and that character but season two exceeded my expectations.”

Harbour couldn’t sing enough praises for his 14-year-old costar who he considers the best of the best. Bringing up the major fight between the two characters that the audience got to witness later on in the episode Harbour considers it one of the most memorable experiences of the second season. “At her core Millie is a very sensitive talented a 14-year-old girl but she was willing to get very personal with me and we were both willing to bleed a little bit. She didn’t shy away from going to some really difficult places.”

Harbour pointed out the close-knit eclectic relationship of the breakout cast that won the SAG ensemble award for its first season. “We don’t really hang out much offset. But when we get to set there is such an intimacy In our work and I think all of us are very personal with each other. Like any sort of family we sort of lay it all out on the line.”

It took a while for Harbour to warm up to cast of pre-teen citing their persistent celebrations after every scene. “Millie and the kids do this ridiculous hug after every scene that I was initially very grumpy about. Finn Wolfhard would be like ‘Oh man that scene was so good, bring it in for a hug!’ and my immediate reaction was five like ‘Oh god get away from me!’ But then it started to melt my ice cold heart. They’ve been the most surprising scene partners I’ve ever had.”  Taking it even further Harbour compared the ensemble of teens to his past costars. “Denzel Washington doesn’t want a hug after every scene, well usually.”

The Q&A portion of the evening ended with a brief hint at what to look forward to in the third season. In previous interviews executive producer Shawn Levy described the season as darker, scarier, and more action-packed but Harbour had a different take on the upcoming season. “It’s the summer of love in Hawkins Indiana. I think it’s a really fun season where you will see these characters experience new relationships. In a way it’s a celebration of love. Even Hopper will be confronting some of his issues with love.”