Before ‘Stranger Things,’ David Harbour Had a Role in ‘Brokeback Mountain’

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Before becoming famous as Jim Hopper in the hit show Stranger Things, David Harbour had a small role in the critically acclaimed film Brokeback Mountain. This groundbreaking romantic drama, set in the American West, received 8 Academy Award nominations and won Oscars for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

I still remember when David Harbour wasn’t a household name! It’s amazing to think he was relatively unknown when he landed the role of Randall Malone in Brokeback Mountain, alongside such incredible actors like Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Anne Hathaway. He’d only been in two films before that, but he brought such a quiet intensity and charm to the character, even with limited screen time. It’s hard to believe Brokeback Mountain is turning 20 this December – it feels like yesterday when it first came out!

‘Brokeback Mountain’ Is a Landmark Film in Queer Cinema


Focus Features

Despite being made with a relatively small $14 million budget, the film became a major commercial hit, earning over $178 million. Critics widely praised it and it’s now considered a landmark achievement in bringing LGBTQ+ stories to a wider audience. Directed by Ang Lee, the movie tells the story of Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, two cowboys who develop a complicated romantic connection in the American West from 1963 to 1983. It realistically portrays the challenges and dangers faced by LGBTQ+ people in mid-20th century rural America, a subject rarely explored by Hollywood at the time.

Breaking from typical portrayals of the time, the film focuses on a gay relationship with sensitivity and realism, avoiding sensationalism. It’s widely recognized for paving the way for LGBTQ+ representation in later films and TV shows like Milk, I Love You Philip Morris, Transamerica, and Ugly Betty. The performances by Heath Ledger, who played Ennis with quiet intensity, and Jake Gyllenhaal, who brought vulnerability to the role of Twist, were especially acclaimed, helping audiences connect with a queer love story in a way that was uncommon in Hollywood at the time. While popular, the film also faced criticism, primarily from conservative commentators. It controversially lost the Best Picture Oscar to Crash, leading some to suggest the Academy made a deliberately cautious, and potentially homophobic, decision.

Harbour’s Character Has Been the Source of Much Speculation


Focus Features

Greg Harbour portrays Randall Malone, a charming cowboy from Texas who knows Jack. Though he’s only in the story briefly, fans have spent years debating and theorizing about his character. Randall appears to be a straight man happily married to his wife, LaShawn (played by Anna Faris). However, some of his scenes with Jack have led viewers to wonder if there’s a hidden side to him.

Around the cowboy, Jack becomes noticeably more at ease – he’s open and makes sustained eye contact, creating a feeling of real connection. When the cowboy invites Jack on a weekend fishing trip, suggesting they drink whiskey and escape for a while, many people assumed this was a romantic advance or hinted at a hidden relationship. This idea gained more weight when Jack later confessed to Ennis that he was also involved with another rancher.

Although it’s never explicitly stated, the possibility of an affair with Randall fits the film’s focus on hidden truths and secret relationships common during that era. Considering Randall was secretly gay, he would have been terrified of being exposed, and this uncertainty adds dramatic tension and makes the story feel more realistic. It encourages viewers to interpret events and form their own opinions, mirroring how people likely experienced things at the time.

Harbour Currently Has Several Movies in Production


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

David Harbour’s career has taken off since his breakout role in Stranger Things. He’s since starred in major films like Hellboy, Grand Turismo, Black Widow, Thunderbolts, and Violent Night. And he’s showing no signs of slowing down, with five more movies currently being made and scheduled for release in the next few years.

Even with recent personal challenges – including his breakup with Lily Allen and reports of an alleged issue involving Millie Bobby Brown – he’s likely thrilled by the massive success of Stranger Things Season 5. The season premiered last month and quickly broke Netflix’s viewership records, and fans are eagerly awaiting Part 2 on Christmas Day and the final episodes on New Year’s Eve.

David Harbour’s next film after Stranger Things is Goat, a funny animated movie about sports. It features a goat who dreams of being the best “roarball” player ever – a game where the biggest and fastest animals compete. Harbour will voice Archie Everhardt, a rhinoceros who also plays roarball. The movie boasts an all-star voice cast, including Gabrielle Union, Stephen Curry, Nick Kroll, Jenifer Lewis, Aaron Pierre, Patton Oswalt, Andrew Santino, and Bobby Lee. Goat is set to hit theaters on February 13, 2026.

David Harbour has two big movies coming out in December 2026. He’ll be back as the tough, sarcastic Santa Claus in the sequel to Violent Night, a Christmas action-comedy from 2022. He’ll also appear in Avengers: Doomsday, reprising his role as Red Guardian from Thunderbolts. This is expected to be one of the year’s biggest movie releases, featuring the founding member of The New Avengers.

He’s also currently working on two films: a drama called Behemoth with Pedro Pascal, and Evil Genius, a thriller inspired by the Netflix documentary about the “Pizza Bomber” Brian Wells. Release dates for both movies haven’t been announced yet.

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2025-12-06 23:05