Jamie Campbell Bower reveals Vecna in 'Stranger Things' is based on an '80s horror icon: 'I was given...'
The fifth and final season of 'Stranger Things' on Netflix is finally here, and Vecna continues to be as strong as ever. First introduced in the fourth season of the Netflix show, Vecna has wreaked enough havoc on the citizens of Hawkins. As the fifth season continues to march on, Vecna's powers seem to be quite formidable and are poised to pose a significant threat to Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven. In a recent report by ScreenRant, the origins of Vecna's characterization and the influences that went on to add to his appearance and voice modulation were revealed and explained by actor Jamie Campbell Bower.
While speaking with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan, Bower reflected on the preparation he took to play the Venca. Apart from his significant prowess, what makes Vecna even more terrible is his dual self of Henry Creel, one that he deploys to lure unsuspecting children to follow him into the devious world of the Upside Down. During the conversation, Bower remarked that he has to be "cautious" not to drop any important plot details for the upcoming second part of 'Stranger Things' Season 5.
Nevertheless, Bower did go into details regarding what aided him in preparing for his role. Before filming, Bower was handed two dummy script sides to help him understand the show's most powerful villain. While one of these scripts was that of the film 'Primal Fear', featuring Edward Norton and Richard Gere, the other script was Clive Barker's adaptation of 'Hellraiser'. "And then I was given some dummy sides for the show, and I was asked if I wanted to meet Matt and Ross. When I was asked if I wanted to meet Matt and Ross, I started making this folder, which started with Will Byers in the middle and then kind of spread out from there. A bit of Stranger Things here and there, and then it started to go into other horror icons that we know and that we love," Bower said.
Bower, whose role as the main 'Stranger Things' Season 5 antagonist continues to impress fans, further explained that he undertook significant preparation even before he was let in on all of the characters' attributes by the Duffer brothers. He said that he even took his own concept book with him when he went to meet the show's directors for the first time. Reflecting on Vecna's iconic voice, Bower revealed that he drew inspiration from Doug Bradley's portrayal of Pinhead in 'Hellraiser'.
Speaking about 'Stranger Things 5', which will conclude the fan-favourite horror sci-fi series, Bower said, "That's where I was like, 'I'm going to start there, and then make sure that I can put all my emotions, feelings, and resentments into that.' As a fan of the show, I felt like (the finale) was a very fitting end to a story that I know and love." All episodes of 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 1 are currently streaming on Netflix, with Volume 2 episodes set to release on December 25. The 'Stranger Things' Season 5 final episode will be released on December 31.
