The bestDavid Harbourmovies and TV shows tell a story of patience paying off, as years of commitment to delivering strong performances eventually led to the fame the actor currently enjoys over three decades after his debut. Born in New York in 1975, David Harbour became a household name thanks to his performance as Hopper inStranger Things,which debuted in 2016. However, this was far from Harbour’s first role, as he began his career as an actor in 1994, spending years on stage in theatrical productions before his TV debut.
1999 marked David Harbour’s first on-screen appearance, playing aone-off character onLaw & Order.It was in 2004 that he landed his first role in a feature film, director Bill Condon’s biographical dramaKinsey.However, from there, Harbour’s career started to gain momentum, with each new appearance on the big and small screen drawing evermore attention to his name. The best David Harbour movies and TV shows highlight just how important patience is for many actors, as the majority come from later in his career - however, even his earliest appearances are strong, and many are just as noteworthy as the likes ofStranger ThingsandBlack Widow.
Brokeback Mountain
Cast
Brokeback Mountain is a film set in 1960s Wyoming where two men, portrayed by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, navigate a complex emotional and sexual relationship. As they marry and start families, their enduring bond challenges societal norms and profoundly impacts their lives.
While it’s arguably a stronger film all round than many others in the actor’s filmography, his relative lack of screen time means it would be disingenuous to rankBrokeback Mountainthat highly among the best David Harbour movies and TV shows. His character, Randall Malone, is outwardly a family man. However, in private, he’s struggling with having to hide his sexuality - a side of himself he only gets to express during a brief affair with Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal).
David Harbour has very little screentime inBrokeback Mountain,and the 2005 filmfromLife of Pidirector Ang Leemarks his third ever appearance in a feature film. However, Harbour managed to shine in every scene in which Randall Malone appeared.It was a strong early indicator of just how talented the futureStranger ThingsandBlack Widowstar truly is, and his performance makesBrokeback Mountainmore than deserving of its place among the best David Harbour movie appearances.
Hellboy
Hellboy (2019) is a reboot of the cinematic series based on Mike Mignola’s graphic novels. Directed by Neil Marshall, the film stars David Harbour as Hellboy, a half-demon raised by humans, who must thwart an ancient sorceress threatening humanity. Milla Jovovich portrays the villainous sorceress, while Ian McShane and Daniel Dae Kim round out the supporting cast. The film strives to blend dark folklore with action elements.
The2019Hellboyreboot is a divisiveand incredibly intriguing entry among the best David Harbour movies and TV shows. On the one hand, there are many fans of both the movie and its star who believe it’s among Harbour’s best work. On the other, there are undoubtedly those who believe it’s a project best forgotten for the best of both the franchise and Harbour’s career. However, given his prominence and the fact he’s in the lead role, it’s only fitting that it’s counted when it comes to his most notable movies and TV shows.
Based on the Dark Horse Comics franchise of the same name,Hellboysees Harbour take on the role of Hellboy, a child of the Devil himself who, once he arrives on Earth as a baby, is raised to become its greatest protector from the forces of darkness. Despite the reviews, David Harbour did the character of Hellboy justice. The awkward-seeming performance that put off many critics was true to the character, because Hellboy himself is incredibly awkward.The movie may have been panned on release, but it still serves as an example of how David Harbour can step into the shoes of even the most difficult-to-portray characters.
Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos follows the exploits of a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for perilous missions unsuitable for humans. Released in December 2024, the film explores themes of redemption and collaboration as the monstrous squad is tasked with handling threats that present dire challenges beyond human capability.
David Harbour has taken on several voice acting roles across his career, including the part of Tajin inStar Wars: Visions,and his MCU character, Red Guardian, inWhat If…?However, there’s only one example of his voice acting talents worthy of being counted among the best David Harbour movies and TV shows - Eric Frankenstein in the 2024 DCU animated seriesCreature Commandos.
Based on the DC comics series of the same name,Creature Commandosfocuses on a team of unlikely heroes, many of whom are loosely based on classic horror-movie monsters. David Harbours Eric Frankenstein is a reanimated corpse heavily inspired by the monster in Mary Shelley’s 1818Frankensteinnovel. He is intelligent, yet still driven by rage and anger.It’s a nuanced character that David Harbour plays incredibly well, and he manages to stand out even in a cast that includes voice-actinglegends like Alan Tudyk.
Gran Turismo
Based on the video game franchise and the true story surrounding it, Gran Turismo is a film adaptation arriving in 2023 from PlayStation Productions. The story will center around a teenage Gran Turismo player whose consistent winning streak in the games put him through a series of Nissan competitions, where he eventually became a real-life professional driver.
The 2023 video game adaptationGran Turismo -based on a true story which saw top players of the racing game franchise have the chance to become real-life drivers on the professional circuit - wasn’t as well received as Sony Pictures perhaps expected. However, it did feature some incredible performances from the cast, among them David Harbour as theGT Academy instructor Jack Salter.
While not the most acclaimed project theStranger Thingsstar has appeared in, his performance ensures thatGran Turismois inarguably worthy of being counted among the best David Harbour movies. Of particular note is his chemistry with co-star Archie Madekwe, who plays GT Academy graduate Jann Mardenborough.While the movie itself was considered underwhelming by many critics, the performances of Harbour and Madekwe in their scenes together were undeniable highlights.What’s more, his role inGran Turismodisplayed a side of David Harbour’s range as an actor that few other entries among his best movies and TV shows allowed.
End of Watch
Written and directed by David Ayer, End of Watch is a 2012 Thriller and Action film starring Michael Pena, Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Martinez, and Anna Kendrick. The premise follows two Los Angeles police officers as they attempt to deal with a large gang presence in their area.
While David Harbour doesn’t lead the cast of director David Ayer’s 2012 action thrillerEnd of Watch,he does give one of the strongest performances among the cast. This was no easy feat either, since he was sharing a screen withthe likes of Jake Gyllenhaaland Michale Pena. David Harbour plays LAPD Office Van Hauser inEnd of Watch,a tireless veteran cop who finds himself murdered by one of the criminals he and his rookie partner, Officer Sook (Kristy Wu) are pursuing.
David Harbour’s performance stands out due to the fact that the script ofEnd of Watchassigned Van Hauser some incredibly meaningful monologues. These include a moment when he has to give a speech to his fellow officers, and in doing so manages to perfectly capture the emotional toll the job takes on them all.While his screen time may have been limited inEnd of Watch,David Harbour ensured every minute he appeared counted, easily securing it as one of the best movie performances of his career.
The Equalizer
The Equalizer is an action thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua starring Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a former intelligence operative who lives a quiet life in Boston. When he encounters a young girl named Teri, played by Chloë Grace Moretz, threatened by violent Russian gangsters, McCall comes out of retirement to use his skills to restore justice. The film reimagines the 1980s TV series of the same name.
The Equalizeris regarded by manyas being one of the best action movies of the 2010s, and one of the highlights of the career of both leading man Denzel Washington and co-star Chloë Grace Moretz. However, it was also one of the best pre-Stranger Thingsperformances for David Harbour, who appears as antagonist and corrupt cop Frank Masters.
However, whileThe Equalizeris one of the best David Harbour movies, it’s also something of a double-edged sword when it comes to his career. He delivered an amazing performance as Frank Masters. Yet, when it comes to the movie’s legacy, he was somewhat overshadowed by Denzel Washington, Chloe Grace Moretz, and the action sequences conceived by director Antoine Fuqua. Still,fans of his work after discovering David Harbour in the likes ofStranger ThingsandBlack Widowwill find his appearance inThe Equalizerincredibly satisfying on a re-watch.
No Sudden Move
2021’s No Sudden Move is an HBO Max original film starring Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, and Brendan Fraser. The neo-noir crime thriller centers on a group of criminals who work together to figure out why their simple job failed and why they were brought together.
In 2021, David Harbour appeared as one member of the phenomenal ensemble cast of director Steven Soderbergh’s crime thrillerNo Sudden Move.Harbour co-stars alongside the likes of Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, Jon Hamm, Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta, and Kieran Culkin, to name a few. It’s a true testament to his skills as an actor that Harbour wasn’t overshadowed by any of them, and his performance as Matt Wertz is one of the most memorable in the entirety ofNo Sudden Move’s115-minute runtime.
InNo Sudden Move,David Harbour’s character, Matt Wertz, is an accountant and family man who finds himself suddenly caught in a nightmare scenario. He and his family are taken hostage as part of a blackmailing scheme. Don Cheadle’s chilling antagonist, Curt Goynes, makes it painfully clear that if Wertz doesn’t comply, his family will be executed.The terror in David Harbour’s performance is palpable, and he commits to the role with an incredible level of authenticity that elevates the tension of the entire movie.
Violent Night
David Harbor dons the silk red coat and hat of Santa Claus in Violent Night, a black comedy Christmas action film by director Tommy Wirkola. A group of mercenaries lays siege on the property of a wealthy family on Christmas Eve in hopes of scoring a self-bestowed gift of $300 million, leaving Santa Claus as the unlikely but capable last line of defense. Though the family themselves may not be perfect, the youngest daughter remains a kind-hearted child. With her help, and a unique repertoire of magical skills and tools at his disposal, Santa will double-check his naughty and nice list as he dispenses his own brand of justice to the assailants.
Directed by Tommy Wirkola,Violent Lightrepresents one of the strangest films among the best David Harbour movies, though it’s also inarguably one of the funniest. The Christmas action comedy stars David Harbour as one of the best cinematic versions of Santa Claus in recent memory - and one of the most unique. Instead of being portrayed as a jolly and benevolent figure,Santa Claus inViolent Nightis a certified action hero who’s completely unafraid to spill blood, cause mayhem, and directly punish a group of adult criminals who find their way to his naughty list.
Despite the premise sounding somewhat gimmicky,Violent Nightis an incredibly solid action movie that surpassed the expectations of critics and viewers alike.While this was in part down to the incredible action sequence involving manyHome Alone-style traps, it was also directly due to the performance of David Harbour as the unique interpretation of Santa (as the film reveals, he was previously a Viking warrior).
Black Widow
Black Widow: Released in 2021, Black Widow follows Natasha Romanoff as she faces a conspiracy linked to her past. Pursued relentlessly, Natasha must confront her history as a spy and navigate fractured relationships from her previous life before becoming part of the Avengers.
By the timeBlack Widowwas released, dozens of actors and actresses had portrayed characters in the wide roster of heroes and villains in the MCU - with mixed results. However, David Harbour’s debut asRussian hero Red Guardianin 2021 can be counted among the success stories of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Set directly after the events ofCaptain America: Civil War, Black Widowfocuses on Scarlet Johansson’s titular super-spy, Natasha Romanoff (AKA Black Widow) finally reconciling her pre-Avengers past.
This involves her meeting several Russian superheroes and Red Room agents, and among them is David Harbour’s Red Guardian, also known as Alexei Shostakov. The product of Soviet attempts to recreate the super-soldier science that created Captain America, Red Guardian is just as much comic relief as he is a source of fatherly support for Black Widow.This balance and nuance ensured that he’d become an instant fan-favourite character, and the positive response to his introduction to the MCU wouldn’t have been possible with anyone else but David Harbour in the role.
Stranger Things
Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces. A significant focus is on a peculiar girl who may hold the key to the unfolding mystery.
Of all the best David Harbour movies and TV shows, none feature a performance as strong as his portrayal of Hawkins’ police chief David Hopper inStranger Things.While it came relatively late in his career, the Netflix mystery showStranger Thingsis inarguably Harbour’s defining role, and alongside Millie Bobby-Brown he’s considered one of the breakout stars of the show.
What’s more,it’s playingHopper inStranger Thingsthat landed the majority of the accolades and awards David Harbour has received in his career so far.These include winning a Critics Choice award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama series in 2018, alongside a Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild nomination in the same or similar categories the same year. While it may seem like the obvious choice for the best David Harbour movie or TV show given that it’s his most widely-known performance, it’s still undisputed thatStranger Thingsis the only logical choice for the top spot.
