Stranger Things’ Jamie Campbell Bower Talked to His Therapist About Wanting to Pause Playing Villains: ‘It F---s Me Up’

Mar. 15, 2025

Jamie Campbell Bower.Photo:Nacho Lopez/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

Nacho Lopez/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

Jamie Campbell Boweris very ready to wish Vecna “a slippery farewell” after thefifth and final season ofStranger Thingscomes out.

Bower, 36 — who joinedStranger Thingsin season 4 as Vecna (a.k.a. Henry Creel a.k.a. Subject 001) — opened up atMegaCon Orlandoin Florida on Feb. 9 about taking a break from portraying villains.

The actor explained during a panel that although he’s not worried about being typecast as a villain, he would prefer to step back from the archetype. “It’s funny. I was talking to my therapist the other day,” he said, before assuring the MegaCon crowd that he was “dead serious” about reflecting on the recent therapy session. “I’m not lying.”

“We were going through some stuff, and he was like, ‘We really need to make sure that you carve out time for you whenever you’re working next.’ ” he said. “I turned around to him, and I was like, ‘Yeah, to be honest with you, man, I just don’t think I’ll be doing another bad guy for a minute.’ ”

“Like it f—s me up,” he admitted. “I’m dead serious.”

Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in “Stranger Things” season 4.Netflix

Bower added, “It’s been amazing, and it’s been an incredible journey, to join the show from season 4, to be part of something that so many people love and something that I loved as well and still love. But I definitely am ready to hang up the foam latex and wish him a slippery farewell."

Stranger Thingsalso starsWinona Ryder,David Harbour,Finn Wolfhard,Gaten Matarazzo,Caleb McLaughlin,Natalia Dyer,Charlie Heaton,Noah Schnapp,Sadie Sink,Joe KeeryandMaya Hawke.

Season 5 is expected to see the residents of Hawkins, caught up in the mysteries surrounding the Upside Down — facing Vecna once and for all and providing answers to all theremaining questionssurrounding the series.

From left: Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson, Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley, Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair, Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield and Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair in a ‘Stranger Things’ scene.Courtesy of Netflix

Courtesy of Netflix

While Netflix has yet to release an official trailer or synopsis for the final installment, the creators and cast have opened up about how grand and emotional the remaining episodes will be. Co-creator Matt DufferdescribedStranger Thingsseason 5as “big and epic,” while brother Ross said, “This season is the biggest it’s ever been in scale.”

In an interview withVariety, Harbour said that the ending is “quite moving and quite beautiful,” while teasing on theHappy Sad Confusedpodcast thatthe series finaleis the “best episode they’ve ever done.”

Wolfhard, meanwhile,compared filming season 5to Pixar’s hit animated film franchise,Toy Story. “It was sort of theToy Story 3moment of leaving your toys behind. It was really special,” he said of the experience coming to an end after 10 years.

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source: people.com