Stranger Things' Set Environment Helped Cary Elwes Nail His Lines
Now more than four decades into his storied screen career, there's little that Cary Elwes hasn't seen, done, or played. And over that span, he's helped create some of the most beloved characters to have ever graced the screen. For most movie lovers, the actor is undoubtedly still best known for his unforgettable work in the 1987 fantasy classic, "The Princess Bride." But for the current generation of sci-fi-loving streamers, he'll always be Hawkins, Indiana's smarmy, cigar-chomping Mayor Larry Kline.
Elwes, of course, played that memorable role during the third season of Netflix's "Stranger Things." And Mayor Kline's arrival into the series' harrowing, Mind-Flayer-haunted world was indeed met with substantial fanfare — even if the self-serving politician's time was largely marked by vile misdeeds and a proper walloping at the hands of Jim Hopper (David Harbour). Despite playing such a foul character, it seems that stepping on the set of "Stranger Things" in Season 3 was a pretty momentous occasion for Elwes, who'd become as big a fan as anyone after the show's first two seasons.
Thankfully, Elwes was able to keep his fandom in check and nail his lines once the cameras were rolling. And according to the actor, the atmosphere on the set of "Stranger Things" allowed him to settle in and do the work right.
Elwes was impressed by the intense focus the entire Stranger Things team had on set
In discussing his Season 3 stint on "Stranger Things" with BUILD Series, Cary Elwes spoke at length about what it was like working on the smash hit series. While he threw some serious love in the direction of co-stars David Harbour and his old "Dracula" scene-partner, Winona Ryder, Elwes admitted he was a bit nervous when he first stepped on set, as he'd already become such a big fan of "Stranger Things." "I was kind of a fanboy," he said, adding, "I'd binge-watched Seasons 1 and 2, so I kind of had to take a deep breath and go, 'Oh my gosh.'"
Elwes went on to laud the cast and crew of the show, claiming they were beyond welcoming. But even as impressed as he was with their kindness, Elwes was clearly even more bowled over by the intense focus the "Stranger Things" team brought to the set. And he claims that focus made his job as an actor all the easier. "We all rehearse, and so we kind of play with it a bit, and so when everybody's happy and ready to do it, we just lay it down," Elwes said.
It likely helped that Elwes worked mostly with the older cast members during his time on "Stranger Things." But it's still nice to hear an actor of his esteem had such a glowing experience with the Netflix juggernaut.