David Harbour is an American actor born on April 10, 1975, in White Plains, New York. He studied Italian and drama at Dartmouth College and began his professional acting career on Broadway in 1999 with a role in *The Rainmaker*. Harbour earned a Tony Award nomination in 2005 for his performance as Nick in the revival of *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?* His early career included supporting roles in theater, television, and film, with appearances in *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, *Kinsey* (2004), *Quantum of Solace* (2008), and *Revolutionary Road* (2008)[1][2][3][4]. Harbour's breakthrough came with his role as Chief Jim Hopper in the Netflix science fiction-horror series *Stranger Things* (2016–present). This role earned him critical acclaim, including two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2017 and 2018) and a Golden Globe nomination in 2018. He also won a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2017 as part of the ensemble cast[2][4]. In film, Harbour has portrayed the title character in *Hellboy* (2019) and played Red Guardian (Alexei Shostakov) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in *Black Widow* (2021) and *Thunderbolts* (2025). Additionally, he starred as Santa Claus in *Violent Night* (2022) and appeared in *Gran Turismo* (2023). Harbour has also lent his voice to animated projects like *Creature Commandos* (2024–present)[2][4]. His career spans theater, television, and film, marked by versatility across genres and consistent critical recognition. Harbour remains a prominent figure in contemporary entertainment largely due to his role in *Stranger Things* and his involvement in major film franchises[2][3][4].