Matthew Modine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matthew Modine
Modine in 2017
Born	Matthew Avery Modine (1959-03-22) March 22, 1959 (age 66) Loma Linda, California, U.S.
Education	Mar Vista High School
Occupation	Actor director producer screenwriter
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Caridad Rivera ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	2, including Ruby

Matthew Avery Modine (born March 22, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for playing many different characters in movies and TV shows. Some of his most famous roles include Private "Joker" Davis in the war movie Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Dr. Martin Brenner in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things (2016–2022).

Matthew Modine has won awards for his acting, including a special award at the Venice Film Festival for his role in Streamers (1983). He has also been nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Primetime Emmy Award for his work in TV movies like And the Band Played On.

Early Life and School Days

Matthew Modine was born on March 22, 1959, in Loma Linda, California. He was the youngest of seven children. His mom, Dolores, was a bookkeeper, and his dad, Mark, managed drive-in movie theaters. Because of his dad's job, Matthew's family moved around a lot when he was young, living in Utah for several years.

Eventually, his family moved back to Imperial Beach, California. Matthew went to Mar Vista High School there and graduated in 1977. He also has some famous relatives, including his aunt, stage actress Nola Modine Fairbanks, and a great-grandfather who was a pioneer.

Acting Career Highlights

Matthew Modine started his acting career in the early 1980s. His first movie role was in Baby It's You (1983). That same year, he became well-known for his role in the movie Streamers, which earned him an award at the Venice Film Festival.

Big Movie Roles

Modine in April 2006

In the 1980s, Matthew Modine starred in several important films. He played a unique character in Birdy (1984) alongside Nicolas Cage. This movie won a big award at the Cannes Film Festival. He also starred in Vision Quest (1985), a movie about wrestling.

One of his most famous roles was Private "Joker" Davis in Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam War movie Full Metal Jacket (1987). He also played an FBI agent in the comedy Married to the Mob (1988) with Michelle Pfeiffer. In 1990, he was in Memphis Belle, a movie about a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber during World War II.

Later, he appeared in thrillers like Pacific Heights (1990) and dramas such as Short Cuts (1993). For Short Cuts, he and the other actors won a special Golden Globe Award. He was also in the action-adventure film Cutthroat Island (1995).

More recently, Matthew Modine appeared in the superhero movie The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and the historical thriller Oppenheimer (2023).

TV Shows and Directing

On television, Matthew Modine played Dr. Don Francis in the HBO film And the Band Played On (1993), which was about the early days of the AIDS epidemic. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy for this role.

He also had roles in TV series like Weeds (2007) and Proof (2015). From 2016 to 2022, he became very popular for playing Dr. Martin Brenner, a mysterious scientist, in the Netflix hit series Stranger Things. In 2017, he and his Stranger Things castmates won a Screen Actors Guild Award for their great acting as a team.

Besides acting, Matthew Modine has also directed and produced his own short films, including I Think I Thought (2008) and Jesus Was a Commie (2011).

Stage Performances

Matthew Modine has also performed in many plays. He acted in Arthur Miller's Finishing the Picture and Resurrection Blues. He played the famous character Atticus Finch in a stage version of To Kill a Mockingbird, which was very successful. In 2010, he starred with Abigail Breslin in the Broadway play The Miracle Worker.

Personal Life and Interests

Matthew Modine married Caridad Rivera in 1980. They have two children: a son named Boman, who works as an assistant film director, and a daughter named Ruby Modine, who is an actress, singer, and ballet dancer.

Activism and Cycling

Modine participating in a bike sharing event during the 2008 Democratic National Convention

Matthew Modine is a big fan of cycling. He has used a bicycle as his main way to get around New York City since 1980. He leads a group called "Bicycle for a Day" that promotes biking. He was honored in 2009 for his work to help the environment through cycling.

He has also been involved in the SAG-AFTRA union, which represents actors and other media professionals. He ran for president of the union in 2019 and 2021.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Theater

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Matthew Modine para niños