Ross Duffer, the co‑creator of Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things, rarely posts on Instagram. That changed when he shared a tribute to his high‑school drama teacher, Hope Hynes Love, and announced that she would appear in the show’s upcoming Season 5 as Miss Harris, a school teacher.
A Long‑Standing Connection
Love has stayed in touch with the Duffer brothers since they met as freshmen at C.E. Jordan High School in Durham, North Carolina. After each season of Stranger Things, she sends them a note about what “delighted” her. When Season 4 finished in 2022, she received a message saying the brothers had wanted her for a small role that season but had cut it. “I showed it to my husband. I said, ‘How lovely are these boys to lie to me like this and make me feel good, right?’” she laughed.
The December 2024 Surprise
In December 2024, Love got a new missive from the brothers. They wrote, “Hey, remember that thing we talked about? We think we can do it now. Are you available? Could you find the time? It’ll probably be summer. We hope you could make it work.” Love replied, “Make it work? I think I’ll make it work!” and the role of Miss Harris was born.
From Classroom to Screen
Love, now in her thirtieth year of teaching, has taught at a high school in Chapel Hill. Ross Duffer credits her with giving him and Matt the confidence to survive four years of high school, move to Los Angeles, and chase their dreams. “High school was rough for me and my brother,” he said. “Hope saw something in us we didn’t see in ourselves — and she helped give us the confidence to not only survive those four years, but to move to L.A. and chase our dreams.”
A Teacher Who Cast Dreams
During their time at C.E. Jordan, the brothers were not musical kids but “artists” who wanted to work on a craft. Love created roles for them as mimes and sidekicks to the Troubadour in the school’s production of Once Upon a Mattress. She also cast young Broadway actors in her productions: Gaten Matarazzo (8, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert), Caleb McLaughlin (Young Simba in The Lion King), and Sadie Sink (multiple roles in the 2012 revival of Annie).
Celebrating the Theater Tribe
Love says theater kids are not just having a moment; they belong to a secret club that is now becoming public. “I think we’ve always had a moment inside of our own tribe. I think everybody else is catching on to how cool we are. It’s been a secret club, and maybe now the secret’s out,” she said.
A Call for Arts in Schools
Ross added a shout‑out to all teachers making a difference and urged that schools prioritize the arts. Love echoed that sentiment, stating, “Having quality arts education and access to quality teachers — period — is such a formative part of our democracy.” She explained that a teacher can either guide a student or “stomp them down a path they were curious about,” and that “one of the fundamental bedrocks of a healthy democratic society is everybody has access.”
Student Praise
Former students left comments on Duffer’s Instagram post praising Love. One wrote, “Hope is still a teacher, and I take her class currently … She is one of the sweetest teachers I have ever met.” Another said, “She is such a ray of light in the community and I know she is still guiding and loving all of her students no matter what.” A third commented, “Impossible to imagine high school without Hope. She made me real. Gave me a place to be totally myself AND get belonging.”
The Afterglow
Love says hearing from former students is “the loveliest thing about this whole surreal afterglow.” She added, “It’s been a lovely residual gift. It’s awesome in the true use of that word.” She plans to likely “graduate” from her three‑decade teaching career when her sophomore son graduates from high school, though she is unsure what comes next or what will happen to Miss Harris. “You have to wait till you turn the page! That’s the fun of it,” she teases. “I don’t know. But even if I did know, I would pretend like I don’t know. Because that’s the way stories work.”
Key Takeaways
- Ross Duffer honored Hope Hynes Love with a Stranger Things role and Instagram tribute.
- Love’s influence helped the Duffer brothers pursue their dreams and return as a teacher in Season 5.
- The story highlights the lasting impact of arts education and the importance of supportive teachers.
The collaboration between the Duffer brothers and Hope Hynes Love underscores how a single teacher can shape the trajectory of future creators and bring their stories to life on the biggest screens.
