Jamie Campbell Bower, the villain of Stranger Things: the bad decision that left him out of Harry Potter and what he learned from Tim Burton and Johnny Depp

The last season of stranger things it was one of the biggest television events of 2022. The fiction created by Matt Y ross duffer is a hit that combines adventure and horror with a sensibility that pays homage to the eighties and has garnered millions of fans around the world.

Over the course of the episodes released this year, one of the biggest additions was Vecna, the great villain of the season. That monster -which hides an origin linked to Once (Millie Bobby Brown)- was played by Jamie Campbell Bowerwho is visiting our country to participate in the Argentina Comic Con, the event dedicated to the world of popular culture that is being held this weekend in La Rural. Minutes before appearing at said event, Campbell Bower spoke with THE NATION about his career, his work in stranger things and his love for music.

-At Comic Con there are many fans waiting to see you and it seems that you have a good relationship with them, right?

– Of course, I love them. They are the ones that allow us to work making movies and all this kind of art.

Jamie Campbell Bower, at Comic Con Argentina
Jamie Campbell Bower, at Comic Con ArgentinaDIEGO SPIVACOW / AFV

-How was your relationship with the cast of stranger things? Was there anyone in particular that you got along with better?

-With Millie we had to work very closely, we had many scenes together, and we ended up being friends. She is English like me, and I remember that the first day I went to the set I was able to meet her mother. And over time we became very close.

-How was the moment when they told you for the first time about Vecna, the creature you played?

-It was something that happened in many steps. First I got to see some early designs, and already at that moment I knew that this character was something different. Then I saw some prototypes and my mind started working. Finally, I had the opportunity to travel to the United States to meet with Matt and Ross, and we talked about the visual representation of this character, who he was, how he saw the world and things along those lines. Based on that, I began to develop my look.

-Which were your influences?

-I resorted to influences from hellraiserof ITEM, of the style that Guillermo del Toro has, and even Voldemort. I then met with Matt and Ross again, and they showed me the final design for Vecna. They told me that it was a challenge that would require a seven-hour job of makeup and prosthetics, they asked me if I was going to feel comfortable with that process and of course I said yes, that for me being part of it was my pleasure.

-I read that you worked hard until you found a voice for Vecna, how was that process?

-It was something overwhelming, a very crazy search but also very fun. There were days where I wanted to smash my head against the wall, days where she would scream, “Why can’t I pull this off?!” But when I finally found the record I was looking for, I felt very safe, very comfortable. I remember the first step was to come up with the classic growls of any monster, but that didn’t feel right, so I had to think about what Vecna ​​should sound like, where his identity came from, and why he chose to do what he did. So symbolically I had an idea to relax, to make everything come out of my diaphragm, and when I found his voice it was a relief and I was grateful.

Jamie Campbell Bower revealed how he built Vecna, the villain of the fourth season of Stranger Things
Jamie Campbell Bower revealed how he built Vecna, the villain of the fourth season of Stranger ThingsDIEGO SPIVACOW / AFV

-During your first years as an actor you worked with very important names, like Johnny Depp or Ian McKellan, what did those experiences leave you?

-I think I was very lucky with the projects in which I had to participate, and the places to which I was led spiritually and artistically, and not thinking only about money or things like that. When you work in this way, you achieve a greater level of freedom, exploration, gratitude and joy. And even in the darkest moments, you can feel a certain joy. For me, watching Johnny and Tim work on a set [Burton, en Sweeney Todd: El barbero demoníaco de la calle Fleet] It was something very impressive, because they seemed very close, they always had fun, and that was inspiring and prompted me to seek my freedom. When I met Ian, he was incredibly generous. I was starting to act, I was 18 years old, and suddenly I found myself next to this cinema legend, who taught me values, transmitted his knowledge to me and, above all, that making a film is not a task that one does alone, but rather that it is a team work.

"I think I was very lucky with the projects in which I had to participate"
“I think I was very lucky with the projects in which I had to participate”DIEGO SPIVACOW / AFV

-Is it true that you did the casting to be Harry Potter?

-Yes, it was a long time ago. I was at school, and a production team came to look for candidates to become Harry Potter. They interviewed several of us and asked me if I would be interested in meeting the director of the film. I remember that all the boys had a joke prepared, and I told a really rude one. Of course things did not go well, I was very young and innocent.

-You are a musician and you dedicate a lot of time to that aspect of your career… What do you feel that music gives you that you may not find in acting?

-Right now, In music I seek to find the reason that has us here, I am looking for something that goes beyond myself, I am interested in finding a certain spirituality, a balance between good and evil.

– Is there anything you can anticipate about the new episodes of stranger things?

-I met with Matt and Ross about three or four weeks ago, in Los Angeles and I know that they are totally devoted to the task of writing the new season. The only thing I can tell you is that they are very happy, very enthusiastic, and they don’t stop working.

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Jamie Campbell Bower, the villain of Stranger Things: the bad decision that left him out of Harry Potter and what he learned from Tim Burton and Johnny Depp