Jamie Campbell Bower has opened up about the mental toll of playing Vecna in Stranger Things, revealing that the role was so intense that it led him to therapy and made him reconsider taking on villainous characters in the future.
Speaking at MegaCon Orlando, Bower, who is also known for The Mortal Instruments, shared that the experience wasn’t just physically grueling—due to the eight-hour special effects makeup process—but also psychologically draining.
“We were going through some stuff, and [my therapist] 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,’” Bower admitted, per People.
He added bluntly, “Like it f—s me up. I’m dead serious.”
Despite the challenges, Bower expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be part of such a beloved series, having joined Stranger Things in its fourth season. However, he made it clear that he is ready to leave Vecna behind.
“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.
Meanwhile, Netflix has yet to confirm a release date for the highly anticipated fifth and final season. However, show creators Matt and Ross Duffer recently told Deadline that the upcoming season will be their most ambitious yet, comparing it to making “eight blockbuster movies.”
Matt Duffer added, “It was super intense and emotional to film—for us and for our actors. We’ve been making this show together for almost 10 years. There was a lot of crying. There was so much crying. 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.”