David Harbour describes some of his favourite interactions with fans

Stephen Porzio

Between Stranger Things, the MCU and now Gran Turismo – the star is involved in several projects with hugely devoted fanbases.

David Harbour has opened up to JOE about some of the best interactions he has had with fans of his work.

The Black Widow and Stranger Things star made the comments while promoting his new movie Gran Turismo, a big screen adaptation of the popular racing video game series of the same name.

However, what makes the film different than most video game adaptations is that it is actually inspired by true events, recounting the story of Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), a teenager whose gaming skills gave him a chance to become a professional race car driver.

Harbour plays Mardenborough’s grumpy trainer, Jack Salter, in the movie – which also stars Orlando Bloom and is directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9).

In an interview conducted before the current SAG-AFTRA strike, JOE’s entertainment editor Rory Cashin highlighted to Harbour how he has become involved in numerous franchises with devoted fanbases, citing Stranger Things, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and now Gran Turismo as examples.

You can watch that interview with Harbour right here:

As such, he asked the actor if there has ever been one particular fan interaction that stuck with him. In response, he said:

“They’re usually the more subtle fan interactions. There can be a lot of hoopla, a lot of screaming, a lot of selfies with me but that stuff kind of fades away.

“It’s more, I’ve had people give me things based on my performances like a poem of theirs that they really relate to or a picture or something that they themselves felt creatively based on something I was doing.

“That’s always very gratifying, to feel like you’ve sparked something in someone that makes them commit to their own artistry. That’s really a beautiful thing.”

Harbour also told JOE that sometimes people come up to him to let him how much they identify with some of the characters he has played.

“Sometimes people tell me that my work makes them feel understood or not alone,” he explained.

“I think that I play sometimes characters that are difficult or that are hard to maybe initially empathise with or aren’t the most nice or likeable.

“I feel like there’s a lot of people in the world who have difficulties living in the world. I think my characters do as well.

“People say that it helps them in the world to see characters like that. I find that extremely gratifying too.”

Gran Turismo races into Irish cinemas on Wednesday, 9 August.