The Kiss Between ‘Stranger Things’ Stars Winona Ryder and David Harbour Was Entirely Their Idea

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Published Jul 30, 2022

Screams could be heard around the world (okay, well, at least in our living room) when Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper kissed in Stranger Things 4 Vol. 2. Though the moment was cut short, it definitely took fans by surprise. But, what if we told you that scene was completely unscripted?

Shortly after the second volume of Stranger Things 4 premiered on Netflix, the Twitter account dedicated to the show’s writers posted a snapshot of the two characters. The post revealed a major detail about the kissing scene, saying, “This kiss wasn’t scripted, Winona and David added it on the day of filming.” (Um, what?!)

If you recall, Joyce and Hopper shared a steamy kiss before escaping Russia. The two were talking about their planned dinner date and (*bam*) that’s when they kissed. As it turns out, the smooch was completely the brainchild of Winona Ryder and David Harbour.

In an interview with GQ, Harbour revealed that he and Ryder often talked about their characters’ relationship. And in many ways, they’ve always felt there was this “tension” between them. “It’s always something that Winona and I have talked about—on-set riffing about what their relationship was in high school, and you know, who they are to each other,” the actor said.

He added, “There was always a tension between should this be consummated, or should they just be friends? And I do think it’s a bit of fan service. I think there was a real appetite for mommy and daddy to get back together again. And then once we were on that train, it seemed like an inevitability.”

Any Jopper shippers in the house?

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Karelle Mckay

Assistant Editor, News And Entertainment

Karelle McKay is the Assistant Editor of News and Entertainment at PureWow. Before she started writing about all things pop culture, she was a literal couch potato who loved...

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