David Harbour Has Regrets Over His Staggering Stranger Things Weight Loss

David Harbour isn't like other action heroes working today. In an entertainment landscape where most on-screen butt-kickers are known for their ripped physiques and larger-than-life personas, the "Stranger Things" star has emerged as an everyman icon who wants to shake up the system. According to People, the actor has been widely praised for proudly rocking a dad bod while playing Hopper on the Netflix sci-fi series, and this has helped him build a thirsty fan base of dad bod enthusiasts.

In addition to becoming a sex symbol, Harbour has been a vocal advocate for cinema and television casting more performers with dad bods — and other physiques, for that matter. As the aforementioned People article noted, he told CNET Magazine that he's tired of mostly seeing "thin" actors on the screen. The "Hellboy" star wants every single body type to feel represented and loved.

That said, while Harbour is fed up with seeing only thin actors on hit shows, he did drop a fair amount of pounds for the fourth season of "Stranger Things." The actor was more than happy to lose weight for the sake of his character, but he does have some regrets over the decision.

David Harbour recently spoke to GQ about his experience working on the fourth chapter of Netflix's "Stranger Things," revealing that he lost 80 pounds for the season in order to reflect the harsh conditions of Hopper's imprisonment at the hands of the Russians.

According to the actor, his staggering weight loss was the result of an intense eight-month regime that required him to fast and do lots of Pilates. There's no denying that Harbour dropping pounds enhanced his performance, but fans shouldn't expect the actor to put himself through similar ordeals moving forward. "I don't think I'll ever do that again," he revealed.

Furthermore, Harbour is staying true to his dad bod convictions as he looks toward the future. During the interview, he noted that he's since regained the weight for another project, which fans can look forward to seeing later this year. "I have this Santa Claus movie coming out for Universal in December ["Violent Night"], and I gained [it all back]. But now, yeah, never again. The prosthetics are too good."