David Harbour
Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC BY-SA 4.0

David Harbour has made an unexpected departure from Tony Gilroy's upcoming drama Behemoth!, citing exhaustion following the conclusion of his decade-long run on Stranger Things.

The 50-year-old actor's exit from the Searchlight Pictures production, which also stars Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde and Matthew Lillard, was confirmed this week and marks a rare instance of a major star abandoning a high-profile project mid-development.

Insiders familiar with the production told Variety that Harbour was overwhelmed by the end of Stranger Things, which aired its series finale on 31 December. The actor has stepped away from the film to rest, though his role has reportedly been recast with an unnamed replacement.

Actor Steps Away From Gilroy's Musical Drama After Netflix Series Wraps

Behemoth! follows a musician from a family of musicians who returns to Los Angeles. Described as a love letter to the music of the movies and the people who make it, the film is written and directed by Gilroy, best known for his work on the Bourne Identity franchise and the Star Wars series Andor. He's also producing alongside Sanne Wohlenberg and his brother, John Gilroy.

Harbour's withdrawal comes after he completed his five-season, 10-year tenure as Jim Hopper on Stranger Things. The actor, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 26 years old, has been at the centre of multiple controversies throughout the show's final season press tour.

Harbour Missed Paley Center Event Amid Series Of Bizarre Incidents

On 18 December, Harbour dropped out of the 'Stranger Things: The Final Season Celebration' event at the Paley Center in New York City. A Paley Center spokesperson said Harbour would 'not be present due to a scheduling conflict', though he was scheduled to appear on the red carpet with his co-stars and participate in a screening and conversation.

A day earlier, TMZ reported that the Thunderbolts* actor was accused of stealing a fan's hat during a bizarre incident at an Encinitas, California, bar. Video surveillance reportedly showed that Harbour entered the venue and then ran back outside a few moments later with a white hat in his hand.

He then looked over his shoulder and yelled, 'C'mon, dude! F–king get me!' The customer reportedly got his hat back from Harbour, and no physical altercation occurred between the two.

Bullying Allegations And Divorce Fallout Add To Actor's Tumultuous Year

In November, a report surfaced that Harbour was accused of bullying and harassing his Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown. But a few days later, the actors put on a united front at the Netflix show's Season 5 premiere.

Harbour has also been dealing with the fallout of his divorce from singer Lily Allen, who implied the actor cheated on her in her latest album, West End Girl, released in October. The Daily Mail reported that Natalie Tippett was Harbour's alleged mistress, which Tippett has denied.

Harbour played coy about his and Allen's split during an April interview with GQ Hype. 'I'm protective of the people and the reality of my life. There's no use in that form of engaging [with rumours] because it's all based on hysterical hyperbole,' he said.

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