In a July 3 interview with The Guardian, “Black Widow” star David Harbour reveals that he shares some of the ideology of the Soviet superhero he plays in the film. Red Guardian, Captain America’s one-time nemesis, sports the words “Karl” and “Marx” tattooed across his knuckles and makes several disparaging remarks about the United States throughout the movie.
“I don’t know that there’s anyone who could disagree with socialist ideology,” said Harbour when the outlet asked him about how his personal political views dovetail with Red Guardian’s. “If you work at Starbucks and you make the coffee, then you should own it. You’re the one making the coffee!”
Having said that, Harbour then admitted that the application of political theory in the real world has led to some of history’s greatest atrocities. “But the fact is that the implementation of these things has led to some of the deepest fascism in our society, so people assume that ‘communism’ means ‘fascism’ to a certain degree,” he said. “That’s a terrible thing.”
The 46-year-old actor, who also plays Police Chief Jim Hopper on the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things,” then clarified his idea of socialism. “The idea of a kindergarten-type society where we share things is my ideal society,” he said, adding, “as opposed to this world where we’re hunting and killing and destroying for our own personal hoarding, our own personal greed.”
Harbour’s comments condemning hoarding and greed would seem somewhat ironic given that his personal net worth is estimated at $6 million, and he earned a reported $350,000 per episode for the third season of “Stranger Things.” His wife, singer Lily Allen’s net worth has been estimated at about $20 million.
Harbour’s remarks come as citizens of communist Cuba are taking to the streets to demand freedom and democracy in the midst of severe food and medicine shortages. “Our people are dying of hunger. We are dying of hunger,” one protestor cried. As The Daily Wire reported, some of the marchers chanted “Liberty” while waving American flags.
Like many celebrities, Harbour has sounded off on politics from awards podiums. In 2017, while accepting a trophy for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series” at the Screen Actors Guild awards, he gave a speech that many took as a reference to the Trump Administration:
“[This speech] is a call to arms from our fellow craftsmen and women to go deeper, and through our art to battle against fear, self-centeredness, and exclusivity of our predominantly narcissistic culture, and through our craft to cultivate a more empathetic and understanding society by revealing intimate truths that serve as a forceful reminder to folks that when they feel broken and afraid and tired, they are not alone … We will get past the lies. We will hunt monsters, and when we are at a loss amidst the hypocrisy and casual violence of certain individuals and institutions, we will — per chief Jim Hopper — punch some people in the face when they seek to destroy the weak, the disenfranchised and the marginalized. We will do it all with soul, heart, and joy. We thank you for this responsibility.”