The final season of Stranger Things is finally upon us, bringing with it the expected array of terrifying monsters, 80s nostalgia, and new faces in Hawkins. While fans are busy dissecting every frame for clues about the fate of their favorite characters, co-creator Ross Duffer just revealed that one of the new cast members shares a deeply personal connection to the show’s origins. It turns out that Miss Harris, the concerned teacher we see in the new episodes, isn’t just an actor playing a part—she is played by Hope Hynes Love, the Duffer Brothers’ actual high school drama teacher.
Ross Duffer took to Instagram to share the heartwarming backstory, posting a photo of Love in character on set alongside a moving tribute. He explained that she was much more than just an instructor to him and his brother, Matt, during their formative years. According to Ross, high school was a particularly rough time for the pair, but Love provided a safe harbor and the encouragement they desperately needed.
In his post, Ross wrote that Love “saw something in us we didn’t see in ourselves,” crediting her with giving them the confidence to not only survive high school but to eventually take the massive leap of moving to Los Angeles to chase their filmmaking dreams. It is a full-circle moment for the creators to have the woman who inspired their artistic journey now starring inside the massive universe they built.
The casting serves as a beautiful reminder of the impact educators have on their students’ lives. Ross used the announcement to give a shoutout to teachers everywhere who are making a difference and included a plea to prioritize the arts in schools. Seeing Hope Hynes Love on screen as Miss Harris is a testament to that sentiment—without her guidance in a high school drama classroom years ago, we might never have gotten Stranger Things at all.