Stranger Things' Jamie Campbell Bower Reveals His Favorite Things To Do As Vecna
This Independence Day weekend saw the release of the last two episodes of the fourth season of "Stranger Things," setting the stage for an epic final stand between our heroes from Hawkins and the dangers from the Upside Down. While the flagship Netflix sci-fi horror series has always had a knack for getting under our skin since its debut in 2016, its newest season is easily the darkest it has dished up yet. From Chief Hopper's (David Harbour) gritty escape from the Russian prison to Eleven's (Millie Bobby Brown) time back with Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine), this season did not hold back in terms of giving us some of the show's most intense moments.
Easily the most skin-crawling addition to this season was the introduction of easily the show's most terrifying villain yet, Vecna. Brought to life through Jamie Campbell Bower's unsettling performance and some fantastic practical prosthetic makeup, Vecna was once a boy named Henry Creel who abused his psychokinetic powers. He then became the first of Brenner's experiments and was revealed to have been a key part in the creation of the Upside Down the entire time. While there are plenty of reasons to hate Vecna for all the peril he's caused over the years, Bower has one particular favorite part of him that he can't help but love.
Bower loves Vecna's voice
While it may not be the most fun for Jamie Campbell Bower to sit in the makeup chair for between six and eight hours a day (via NME), there's a clear level of dedication he brings to the performance that makes it hard to envision anyone else in the role (even under all the makeup). In an interview with ScreenRant, Bower revealed his favorite part of playing the villainous Vecna. "I loved talking in the voice," he says. "That was always my favorite thing, talking in the voice. So, at the end of a long day, the things that were coming out of my mouth in the Vecna voice were always very interesting and very funny. But, I really like just skulking around and being grim."
That grumbly tone of his voice combined with his unsettling appearance helped Vecna take on his menacing persona, both on- and off-screen. Reportedly, an interaction between Campbell's Vecna and Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven brought the actress to tears while shooting one of the season's most gut-wrenching scenes (via Variety). And with Vecna being hinted at to appear in the show's 5th and reportedly final season (via Deadline), it's only a matter of time before his gnarly vocals send shivers down our spines yet again.