Between seasons three and four of Stranger Things, Hopper went from dad bod to…. Marvel actor bod. Being a prisoner in Russia (and as a result, a prisoner of a boring storyline) turned out pretty well for him physically. Many fans noticed this change, and actor David Harbour, who plays Hopper on the beloved Netflix series, explained his transformation in a lengthy Instagram caption.
“Many of you have asked about Hopper’s physical transformation from season 3 to season 4,” Harbour wrote, adding that he worked with a trainer for eight months who he continued to work with throughout the pandemic to maintain the physique (Stranger Things season four started shooting but pauses production for several months due to the coronavirus pandemic).
“All told it was a difficult and exciting ride, changing diet and exercise plans (or lack thereof),” Harbour wrote. “All told I lost over 75lbs. 265-270 in season 3 and all the way down to 190 when we shot. Recently ballooned up again to play jolly ole st. Nick in a flick I can’t wait for you to see this holiday season, so I am struggling to fight back down towards a good weight for wherever hopper ends up in season 5. All this up and down is not good for the body, and I’ll have to give it up soon, but it is such a fun part of the job to live in a different version of your skin for a while,” he said.
While you wait for Stranger Things season five, you can catch David Harbour as Santa Claus in the action/comedy film Violent Night from Universal Pictures. The film, which follows a group of mercenaries who attack a wealthy family on Christmas Eve, is expected to come out on December 2.