Vecna is your chance to be one. Jamie Campbell BowerHe has been open about his feelings Stranger Things journey — including the challenges that came with turning into the season 4 villain.
Bower spoke out about the knowledge he had during the audition process after the first half of Season 1 was released on Netflix. “I first got two sets of [script]side, one from Primal FearOne from and one from Hellraiser,” he told VarietyIn May 2022. “I had no idea what this character was. I wasn’t sent any material from the show.”
According to the actor watching the series helped him see the mystery character in a different light.
“I went crazy for, like, two days. In my apartment, I placed a picture of Will Byers [Noah Schnapp]The middle was followed by all the other characters. This created a Claire Danes-esque scene. Homeland mind-map of who I thought this person was,” he continued. “I stepped back from it after two days, was like, ‘That feels kind of good.’ So I took a picture, and then I printed out all the pictures and put them in this little folder — and then I got a phone call saying Matt and Ross [Duffer] wanted to meet.”
Bower then showed the creators his vision for the role. “They were like, ‘This is literally perfect. Everything that you’ve gotten here is perfect. Your references are perfect. The inspiration is perfect. Do you mind if we show you some more visual references that we have and what we’re thinking, and tell you a little bit more about the character?’” he recalled. “I think, by that point, they knew I wasn’t completely insane.”
Two months later, viewers watched Vecna’s reign of terror reach its peak when he opened several gates into the Upside Down throughout Hawkins, Indiana. The shocking Volume 2 finale hinted that Vecna wasn’t finished attempting to take over the world. Bower stated that he felt empathy for the character after playing him all season.
“Am I able to view him as a villain? I’m certainly able to view him as as a point of conflict. But, in terms of, like is he evil? I mean, I understand him and I love him. And I relate to him,” he detailed to VarietyIn July 2022. “I just got a pain in my eyes as I was saying that — maybe I should shut up! Like, I understand him, and so I’m always gonna be on his side.”
Scroll down to read everything Bower said about Vecna coming to life.
