Matthew Modine Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Matthew Modine
Modine at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
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 has starred in many popular movies and TV shows. He won an award at the Venice Film Festival for his role in the film Streamers (1983).

Matthew Modine played important roles in films like Birdy (1984), Vision Quest (1985), and Married to the Mob (1988). He is also well-known for playing James T. "Joker" Davis in Stanley Kubrick's movie Full Metal Jacket (1987). More recently, he appeared in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Oppenheimer (2023).

On television, he played Dr. Don Francis in the HBO film And the Band Played On (1993). He also played Dr. Martin Brenner on Netflix's hit show Stranger Things from 2016 to 2022. Matthew Modine has been nominated for several awards, including the Golden Globe Award and the Primetime Emmy Award.

Early Life and School
Matthew Modine's Acting Career
Personal Life
- Activism and Interests
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and School

Matthew Modine was born on March 22, 1959, in Loma Linda, California. He was the youngest of seven children. His mother, Dolores, was a bookkeeper, and his father, Mark, managed drive-in theaters.

His family moved often when he was young, living in Utah for several years. They returned to Imperial Beach, California, where Matthew went to Mar Vista High School. He graduated from high school in 1977.

Matthew Modine's Acting Career

Early Film Roles

Matthew Modine's first movie role was in John Sayles' film Baby It's You (1983). That same year, he also appeared in Private School. His acting caught the attention of director Harold Becker, who cast him in Vision Quest (1985).

Director Robert Altman helped Modine become famous around the world with his 1983 film Streamers. Modine also starred with Nicolas Cage in Alan Parker's Birdy (1984). This film won a major award at the Cannes Film Festival. Modine chose not to take the role of Maverick in Top Gun because he felt the movie's message about the military did not match his own views.

Modine in April 2006

Matthew Modine is widely recognized for his role as Private J.T. "Joker" Davis in Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam War film Full Metal Jacket (1987). After this, he played the character Treat in the 1987 film Orphans. He also played an FBI agent named Mike Downey in the comedy Married to the Mob (1988).

In 1990, Modine led the cast of Memphis Belle, a movie about a B-17 Flying Fortress plane. He then appeared in the thriller Pacific Heights (1990). He played Dr. Don Francis in the HBO film And the Band Played On (1993). For this role, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Later Film and TV Work

In 1995, Modine acted alongside Geena Davis in the adventure film Cutthroat Island. He was nominated for another Golden Globe Award for his work in the 1997 TV film What the Deaf Man Heard.

Matthew Modine directed his first full-length movie, If... Dog... Rabbit... (1999). He had previously directed several short films that were shown at the Sundance Film Festival. In 1999, he also appeared in Oliver Stone's football movie Any Given Sunday.

In 2003, he was a guest star in an episode of The West Wing called "The Long Goodbye". He played Marco, a friend of C.J. Cregg, who helped her with her father's Alzheimer's disease. Modine took the role because he was a long-time friend of actress Allison Janney. That same year, he played Fritz Gerlich in the miniseries Hitler: The Rise of Evil.

In 2004, Modine appeared in Funky Monkey. In 2005, he starred in Abel Ferrara's film Mary, which won an award at the Venice Film Festival. The next year, he guest-starred in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

In 2010, Modine appeared in The Trial, a drama that received an award for its positive message. He also played Sullivan Groff in Season 3 of the TV show Weeds. In 2010, Modine was in HBO's Too Big to Fail, a movie about the 2008 financial crisis.

Modine has directed several short films, including I Think I Thought (2008). In 2012, he played Peter Foley in Christopher Nolan's movie The Dark Knight Rises. In 2015, he played Ivan Turing in the TV drama Proof.

In 2016, Modine began playing Dr. Martin Brenner in the Netflix series Stranger Things. In 2017, he and his Stranger Things castmates won an award for their acting as a group. In 2017, Matthew Modine was also in the music video for the song "1-800-273-8255" by the artist Logic. In 2023, he played Vannevar Bush in Christopher Nolan's movie Oppenheimer.

Theater Performances

Matthew Modine has also performed in many plays. He was in Arthur Miller's Finishing the Picture in Chicago. He also played Atticus Finch in a stage version of To Kill a Mockingbird. This play became very successful. In 2010, he starred with Abigail Breslin in the Broadway show The Miracle Worker.

In 2013, Modine starred in a comedy play called Matthew Modine Saves the Alpacas in Los Angeles.

Personal Life

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

Activism and Interests

Matthew Modine loves cycling and has used a bike as his main way to get around New York City since 1980. He leads a group that supports biking called "Bicycle for a Day." He was recognized for his environmental work in 2009.

Modine 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.