!['Stranger Things' Star Reveals How 'The First Shadow' Changed His Performance in Season 5 [Exclusive]](https://i.headtopics.com/images/2026/3/16/collider/stranger-things-star-reveals-how-the-first-shadow-stranger-things-star-reveals-how-the-first-shadow-21B25FBA24644020B549A700A3D9C08D.webp)
Will and Vecna in Stranger Things Season 5
One of the reasons Jamie Campbell Bower’s performance as Henry Creel hit as hard as it did on Stranger Things is that he never played Henry like a flat monster. Even at his most terrifying, there was always the sense that Bower was working from somewhere deeper — somewhere rooted in pain, shame, resentment, and a very specific kind of emotional isolation.
Now, it sounds like Stranger Things: The First Shadow gave him even more of that foundation to work with. Speaking at Awesome Con during a panel moderated by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt, Bower explained that the stage play fundamentally expanded how he viewed Henry. And the way he described it made it clear this was not just a fun piece of franchise lore for him, but something genuinely moving as an actor. He told the audience: “When you’re building a character, you have to fall in love with them, and you have to know them. You have to empathize with them. So The First Shadow definitely deepened a lot of the empathy that I had for Henry, because this was all the stuff that I had just put on my own, just for me, before, but then to see it presented to me… it moved me to tears. So it was a very emotional experience, and I’m so grateful for it.” Related Yes, Chef! An All-You-Can-Eat Buffet About The Bear — The Collider TV Quiz Pi Day was Saturday , but instead of testing your pie knowledge, we're going to go a different culinary route. How much of a Bear Buff are you? Posts By Macklen Makhloghi What Is 'The First Shadow' About? The play is a canon prequel to Stranger Things, following a younger Henry Creel in 1959 Hawkins and digging into the family dynamics, emotional wounds, and manipulations that shaped who he would eventually become. It was written by Kate Trefry from an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne, and Trefry, and directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin. The Broadway production began previews at the Marquis Theatre on March 28, 2025, and officially opened on April 22, 2025, after a successful run in the UK in 2023. The Broadway cast is led by Louis McCartney as Henry Creel, alongside Burke Swanson as James Hopper Jr., Alison Jaye as Joyce Maldonado, Juan Carlos as Bob Newby, Alex Breaux as Dr. Brenner, Gabrielle Nevaeh as Patty Newby, T.R. Knight as Victor Creel, and Rosie Benton as Virginia Creel. In December 2025, while Stranger Things was still streaming on Netflix and fans were still deep in the show’s orbit, Bower made a surprise one-night-only cameo in the Broadway production’s final scene in New York, reprising Henry Creel live onstage. Subscribe to our newsletter for theater & TV insights Dive deeper into character and stage-to-screen perspectives by subscribing to our newsletter. Get thoughtful analysis of performances, prequel adaptations, and actor motivations—ideal for fans who love theater and TV craft. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Stranger Things is streaming now on Netflix. Stranger Things Like TV-14 Drama Mystery Horror Science Fiction Release Date 2016 - 2025-00-00 Network Netflix Showrunner Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer Directors Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz Writers Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock 7 Images Close Cast See All
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