Stranger Things actor David Harbor has described having a mental illness as “a natural condition of poverty” as he reflected on fame as the popular series returns to Netflix.
Harbor, 47, rose to fame for his portrayal of Jim Hopper in the sci-fi drama series Stranger Things and also made headlines when he married British pop star Lily Allen.
However, he has reflected on how succeeding later in life affected his mental health over the years due to “the worry of not having enough money to live on.”
Speaking to Big Issue magazine about her experience living with bipolar disorder, she said: “My big particular problem is what society would call mental illness.
“At the age of 26 I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after an episode that took me to an institution.
“I’ve definitely been in and out of the system. And there were times in my life where I could very easily have ended up on the street, but luckily I had a family that was able to support me in those difficult and difficult times.”
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While assessing the possible triggers for mental illness, Harbor added that poverty played a role.
He said: “It’s not like a broken leg. What defines madness is social inadequacy. But it’s very socially inadequate, in a sense, not having enough money to live on.
“Being mentally ill is a natural condition of poverty. When you can’t participate in society by going out to buy food and going into a store and stuff, it will drive you crazy.
“It’s chicken and egg. They go hand in hand.”
Before getting the role of Hopper in Stranger Things, Harbor had many acting roles, but none that made him famous.
He said: “I was 35 years old and in my mind I was quite successful. I could afford to rent a flat, have food at the table and I was very happy with it.
“The dream of being in a social gathering program has always been the marker for me and I left it at 35 years old.
Image: The cast of Stranger Things at the premiere of the fourth season in New York
“And then it hit really hard a month after I got to 40. I remember I came in and I was really upset because I was still in this place where I didn’t have money, I was worried about how I was going to pay my rent.
“I thought it was one of those situations, which is very accomplished when you’re an official actor where they’ve offered the role to a star.
“They’re just looking for a backup. I loved the script, but I didn’t really invest much in it.”
Reflecting on the success of Stranger Things, which has won several Emmys and received four Golden Globe nominations, Harbor said: “Even when we were shooting it, I thought this was a show I would love but that no one will see it.
“It was different from anything I’ve ever experienced in my career. One by one I started receiving tons of text messages saying, ‘Stranger Things is amazing, I love this show.’
“I had never experienced it before or after. It was really a magical moment. The reviews and numbers hadn’t arrived, but I knew in that moment that it was something special that really touched people.”