David Harbour recently sat down with "Variety" to discuss his preparation for the role of Floyd in the limited series "DTF St. Louis". The 51-year-old actor dedicated four months to daily American Sign Language practice for the character, a commitment that earned him his first Emmy acting nomination since "Stranger Things" in 2017, marking his debut nod in the limited series category.
"Before filming, I spent about four months, every day, practicing with a woman in New York and another person in Atlanta, to the point where I could actually have conversations," Harbour explained. He described how sign language transformed his approach to acting, noting that unlike spoken foreign languages, it becomes "a different part of your brain."
For an actor long known for his physical performances, Floyd's introverted and quiet nature was surprisingly familiar.
"I'm a big guy, and in some ways, I'm kind of masculine, but there are also many times when I just go home by myself, read books, or play video games. I'm very introverted, so there's a lot of that in Floyd," Harbour shared. Regarding the interpretive dance sequence during a concert in the series, he revealed that the full version was shot only once, and despite his anxiety about the sign language movements, he managed to complete it with on-set cues.
Harbour also served as an executive producer on "DTF St. Louis," expressing that the team's 13 Emmy nominations this time felt more significant than his "Stranger Things" nods. " 'Stranger Things' wasn't mine; I was hired for that job. This time, I'm incredibly proud; this is my baby," he stated.
Discussing his upcoming return as Red Guardian in Marvel Studios' "Thunderbolts*," Harbour playfully delivered a line out of context in a Russian accent: "You... are Tony Stark."
Furthermore, he disclosed his current obsession with "Path of Exile 2" and issued a direct plea to Christopher Nolan: "I've always felt the 'World of Warcraft' universe is underrated and underutilized. It's as good as Greek mythology, as good as 'The Odyssey'."
"Please, Nolan—I want to see a Christopher Nolan version of 'World of Warcraft'," he urged.
via： Variety