.jpeg "Jamie Campbell Bower Reflects on the Mental Toll of Playing Vecna in Stranger Things")
Bower revealed that playing the arch-nemesis wasn’t just exhausting in terms of the lengthy eight-hour makeup sessions — it also took a serious emotional toll. During a conversation with his therapist, Bower admitted that he had to confront the psychological weight of Vecna’s darkness. “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.’ 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,’” he shared. “Like it f—s me up. I’m dead serious.”
While the actor is grateful for the role and proud of the journey, he’s ready for a break from the villainous persona. “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,” he said, signaling an end to his time as Vecna.
As fans eagerly await the release of Stranger Things’ fifth and final season, there’s no official release date yet. However, creators Matt and Ross Duffer have teased that it will be their most ambitious season yet. According to the Duffer Brothers, filming felt like making “eight blockbuster movies.” They also shared that the experience was deeply personal for the cast and crew, with plenty of emotional moments. “There was a lot of crying. There was so much crying,” Matt Duffer admitted. “The show means so much to all of us, and everyone put their hearts and souls into it. And we hope — and believe — that passion will translate to the screen.”
With the final season shaping up to be a wild ride, fans can only imagine what’s next for Stranger Things and its beloved characters.