Actor Jamie Campbell Bower has been playing the role of Stranger Things' main villain for two seasons now, and in a recent interview with Deadline, he opens up about what it's like to play someone so evil and inhuman. But also someone who carries such deep-rooted trauma, as Henry clearly does.
Campbell says:
"So, getting to play those scenes out, I felt at times like a huge release, and it was also really important for me to go into those scenes understanding the trauma and the experience to bring that level of humanity forward...because there are times where I feel wildly inhuman, monstrous, and I know that sounds obvious, but like truly monstrous. So I took great pleasure in those moments for sure."
He continues talking and specifically mentions a scene where Holly and Max try to escape, and Henry transforms into Vecna in real time.
"That particular moment, the physicality of that was something that we worked on with, actually, with somebody who works in the video game space...So the shift between Whatsit and Henry was something that we worked on off set prior to shooting it."
Campbell also talks about how he views Henry and Vecna, as well as the transition between the two.
"I think Henry was so close, was much closer to innocence... and then when he was sent to that slippery, veiny demise at the end of Season 4, it became about resentment, and at that point, it felt like humanity had gone. It felt like the possibility of love was so far away."
Finally, he also mentions what he hopes people will remember about Henry and Vecna when it's all over.
"What do I hope people take away from this character? Wow, I'm still in process on that... So much of this character is based on the idea of loneliness. So much of this character is based on the idea of salvation."