“Stranger Things” co-creator Ross Duffer shared a heartfelt connection to Miss Harris’ actress in Season 5—his real-life former drama teacher, Hope Hynes Love.
“Miss Harris is played by Hope Hynes Love. She was our high school drama teacher,” Duffer wrote in an Instagram post on Friday.
He went on to detail the positive influence Hynes Love had on him and his brother, Matt Duffer. In the series, Miss Harris is the teacher who is watching over the kids, some of whom Vecna is targeting in Season 5 of “Stranger Things.”
“High school was rough for me and my brother. But Hope saw something in us we didn’t see in ourselves — and she helped give us the confidence to not only survive those four years, but to move to LA and chase our dreams,” Duffer said.
He concluded his message by praising teachers for their impact on students.
“Shoutout to all the teachers out there making a difference,” he said. “And please … let’s prioritize the arts in schools.”
“Stranger Things” Season 5, Volume 1 is now airing on Netflix right now. And on Friday, one its stars, Noah Schnapp, revealed a poster that teased Season 5’s biggest plot twist. Beware: there are spoilers ahead.
“Stranger Things” began with Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) kidnapping young Will Byers (Schnapp) and dragging him to the Upside Down. Will’s kidnapping was all part of Vecna’s plan to open a gate to the Upside Down in the real world, but in the process he accidentally transferred some of his powers to Will. The full extent of that transfer becomes apparent in the final moments of “Sorcerer” when Will connects to the hive mind and kills three Demogorgons before they murder his friends.
Will — like Vecna and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) — is now officially a powerful psychic threat. And that massive revelation was teased in the poster for Season 5, which shows Vecna, Will and Eleven arranged in a vertical line.
“[The poster] is always supposed to kind of feel the vibe of the season and give an essence of where everyone’s characters stand in that era and chapter of our story. So yeah, you can see a strength in him on there,” Schnapp said in an interview with Glamour published Friday. “And obviously, they didn’t want to spoil it with any blood or anything, but as close as you can get. Everything is very intentional that we do.”
Schnapp also revealed that fans will eventually learn how Will got his powers. But it was his conversation with Robin (Maya Hawke) that helped him unlock his potential. Throughout Season 5, Robin becomes a mentor of sorts to Will, encouraging him to believe in himself and embrace his sexuality after he saw Robin making out with her girlfriend.
“I think with the help of Robin’s inspirational words and uplifting support through the first four episodes, it inspires him to believe in himself and unleash this power that’s been there through it all. He just didn’t know how to get there,” Schnapp said.
