Matthew Modine
Matthew Avery Modine (born March 22, 1959)[1] is an American actor and filmmaker, who rose to prominence through his role as U.S. Marine Private/Sergeant J.T. "Joker" Davis in Full Metal Jacket. His other film roles include the title character in Birdy, the high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, FBI agent Mike Downey in Married to the Mob, Joe Slovak in Gross Anatomy, William Shaw in Cutthroat Island, Drake Goodman in Pacific Heights, Peter Foley in The Dark Knight Rises, and Dr. Ralph Wyman in Short Cuts. On television, Modine portrays the villainous Dr. Martin Brenner in Netflix's Stranger Things, the oversexed Sullivan Groff on Weeds, Dr. Don Francis in And the Band Played On and Ivan Turing in Proof.
Matthew Modine | |
|---|---|
Modine in 2017 | |
| Born | Matthew Avery Modine March 22, 1959 Loma Linda, California, U.S. |
| Education | Mar Vista High School |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse | Caridad Rivera (m. 1980) |
| Children | 2, including Ruby |
| Website | matthewmodine |
Modine has been nominated twice for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television for his work in And the Band Played On and What the Deaf Man Heard and received a special Golden Globe for him and the rest of the ensemble in Short Cuts.[2] He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for And the Band Played On.
Early life
Modine, the youngest of seven[3] children, was born in Loma Linda, California, the son of Dolores (née Warner), a bookkeeper, and Mark Alexander Modine, who managed drive-in theaters. He is the nephew of the stage actress Nola Modine Fairbanks, and the great-grandson of the prospector and pioneer Ralph Jacobus Fairbanks.[4][5] One of his paternal great-grandfathers was a Swedish immigrant.[6] Modine lived in Utah for several years, moving every year or two. The drive-in theaters his father managed were being torn down because the land beneath them exceeded the value of the theaters. The Modine family returned to Imperial Beach, California where Matthew attended and graduated from Mar Vista High School in 1977.[7]
Career
Modine's first film role was in John Sayles' film Baby It's You (1983). Also that year, he co-starred in the sex comedy Private School, with Phoebe Cates and Betsy Russell. His performances caught the eye of director Harold Becker, who cast him in Vision Quest (1985), based on Terry Davis's novel.
The director Robert Altman propelled Modine to international stardom with his film adaptation of David Rabe's play Streamers. Modine played Mel Gibson's brother in Mrs. Soffel and starred with Nicolas Cage in Alan Parker's Birdy; the film was awarded Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. The actor also famously turned down the role of LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun (the role that Tom Cruise made famous), because he felt the film's pro-military stance went against his politics.[8]
Modine may be best known for his role as Private/Sergeant J.T. "Joker" Davis, the central character of Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam War movie Full Metal Jacket (1987). Subsequently, Modine played the dangerous young criminal Treat in Alan Pakula's film adaptation of Lyle Kessler's stageplay Orphans. Modine played the goofy, earnest FBI agent Mike Downey in Jonathan Demme's screwball comedy Married to the Mob opposite Michelle Pfeiffer. In 1990, he led the cast of Memphis Belle, a fictionalized account of the famous B-17 Flying Fortress.
In 1995, he appeared opposite Geena Davis in the romantic action-adventure film Cutthroat Island. Modine made his feature directorial debut with If... Dog... Rabbit..., which came after the success of three short films debuting at the Sundance Film Festival: When I Was a Boy (co-directed with Todd Field), Smoking written by David Sedaris, and Ecce Pirate written by Modine.
His dark comedy, I Think I Thought, debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film tells the story of a Thinker (Modine) who ends up in Thinkers Anonymous.
Other short films include To Kill an American, Cowboy, and The Love Film. In 2011, he completed Jesus Was a Commie, an avant-garde-dialectical conversation about the world and the prominent issues of modern society. Modine co-directed the short film with Terence Ziegler, the editor of I Think I Thought. Modine's short films have played internationally.[9]
In 2003, he guest-starred in The West Wing episode "The Long Goodbye." He portrayed the character Marco, who went to high school with C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney) and who helped her deal with her father's steady mental decline due to Alzheimer's disease. Modine agreed to take the role because he is a longtime friend of Janney. (The two appeared together in a theatrical production of the play Breaking Up directed by Stuart Ross). That same year, he played Fritz Gerlich in the CBS miniseries Hitler: The Rise of Evil.
In 2004, Modine appeared in Funky Monkey as ex-football star turned spy Alec McCall, who teams up with super-chimp Clemens and his friend Michael Dean (Seth Adkins) to take down the villainous Flick (Taylor Negron). The film was critically panned, yet has gained a cult status.[10]
In 2005, Abel Ferrara's Mary won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. In the film, Modine portrays a director recounting the story of Mary Magdalene (Juliette Binoche). The following year, he guest-starred in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Rage" as a serial killer of young girls.
In 2010, Modine appeared in The Trial, which was awarded the Parents Television Council's Seal of Approval™. The PTC said: "'The Trial' combines the best features of courtroom drama, murder mystery, and character story. 'The Trial' is a powerful drama which shows the power of healing and hope." Modine played a corrupt Majestic City developer named "Sullivan Groff" throughout Season 3 on Weeds. Groff has affairs with Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) and Celia Hodes (Elizabeth Perkins). Also in 2010, Modine appeared in HBO's Too Big to Fail, a film about the Wall Street financial crisis. Modine stars as John Thain, former Chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch.
In 2011, Modine completed two independent films, Family Weekend and Girl in Progress, opposite Eva Mendes.[11] In 2012, he appeared in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises as Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley, a Gotham City police officer and peer to Gary Oldman's Commissioner James Gordon.
In February 2013, Modine was cast in Ralph Bakshi's animated film Last Days of Coney Island after coming across the film's Kickstarter campaign online.[12][13] In 2014, he co-starred with Olivia Williams, Richard Dillane, and Steve Oram in the horror mystery film Altar.[14]
In 2016, Modine played Dr. Martin Brenner in the Netflix original series Stranger Things. In 2017, he and his Stranger Things castmates won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. In 2017, Matthew Modine was featured in the music video for "1-800-273-8255", a song by American hip hop artist Logic.[15] Modine was part of Speed Kills released in November 2018[16] as well as several upcoming films such as Foster Boy, Miss Virginia, and The Martini Shot.[17]
Theater
Modine appeared in Arthur Miller's Finishing the Picture at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, in Miller's Resurrection Blues at London's Old Vic, and in a stage adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (as Atticus Finch) at Connecticut's Hartford Stage. This production of To Kill a Mockingbird became the most successful play in the theatre's 45-year history.[18] In 2010, he starred with Abigail Breslin in the 50th Anniversary Broadway revival of The Miracle Worker[19] at the Circle in the Square theatre.
In fall 2013, Modine starred in a self-parodying comedy, Matthew Modine Saves the Alpacas at Los Angeles' Geffen Theatre.[8]
Activism
Cycling has been Modine's main mode of transportation since he moved to New York City from Utah in 1980. He heads a pro-bike organization called "Bicycle for a Day" and was honored for his work on June 2, 2009, by the environmental arts and education center on the East River, Solar 1.[8]
In 2019, he ran for SAG-AFTRA national presidential election, challenging incumbent Gabrielle Carteris who ran a campaign marred by controversy and alleged corruption resulting in numerous unsuccessful protests filed by more than 15 union members who alleged dozens of violations against Carteris with the U.S Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor's subsequent investigation into Carteris turned it into one of the most contentious campaigns in both Screen Actors Guild and SAG-AFTRA elections.[20] The complaints were unsuccessful, and the investigation found no reason to set aside Cateris’s election. Modine ran again in 2021 and was defeated by Fran Drescher by a margin of 52.5% to 47.5%.[21][22]
Personal life
Modine married Caridad Rivera, a makeup and wardrobe stylist, in 1980. They have two children, Boman, an assistant director for films, and actress, singer and ballet dancer Ruby Modine.[23][24][25]
Tributes
Modine is the subject of the 2005 song "Matthew Modine" by Pony Up.[26][27]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Baby It's You | Steve | |
| Private School | Jim Green | ||
| Streamers | Billy | ||
| 1984 | The Hotel New Hampshire | Chip Dove / Ernst | |
| Birdy | 'Birdy' | ||
| Mrs. Soffel | Jack Biddle | ||
| 1985 | Vision Quest | Louden Swain | |
| 1987 | Full Metal Jacket | Private/Sergeant J.T. "Joker" Davis | |
| Orphans | Treat | ||
| 1988 | Married to the Mob | FBI Agent Mike Downey | |
| The Gamble | Francesco Sacredo | ||
| 1989 | Gross Anatomy | Joe Slovak | |
| 1990 | Memphis Belle | Captain Dennis Dearborn | |
| Pacific Heights | Drake Goodman | ||
| 1992 | Equinox | Henry Petosa / Freddy 'Ace' | |
| Wind | Will Parker | ||
| 1993 | When I Was a Boy | None | Short film Co-writer, co-director and co-producer |
| The Tree | Boy as Middle-Aged Man / Boy as Old Man | Short film | |
| Short Cuts | Dr. Ralph Wyman | ||
| 1994 | The Browning Version | Frank Hunter | |
| Smoking | None | Short film Director and producer | |
| 1995 | Bye Bye Love | Dave Goldman | |
| Fluke | Thomas P. Johnson / Voice of Fluke | ||
| Cutthroat Island | William Shaw | ||
| 1997 | Ecce Pirate | None | Short film Writer, director and producer |
| The Blackout | Matty | ||
| The Maker | Walter Schmeiss | ||
| The Real Blonde | Joe | ||
| 1999 | Notting Hill | Movie-Within-Movie Actor | Uncredited |
| If... Dog... Rabbit... | Johnnie Cooper | Also writer and director | |
| Any Given Sunday | Dr. Ollie Powers | ||
| 2000 | Very Mean Men | Bartender | |
| Bamboozled | Himself | ||
| 2001 | Nobody's Baby | 'Sonny' | |
| In the Shadows | Eric O'Byrne | ||
| The Shipment | Mitch Garrett | ||
| 2003 | Overnight | Himself | |
| Le Divorce | Tellman | ||
| Hollywood North | Bobby Myers | ||
| 2004 | Funky Monkey | Alec McCall | |
| 2005 | Transporter 2 | Senator Jeff Billings | |
| Mary | Tony Childress / Jesus | ||
| Opa! | Eric | ||
| 2006 | Kettle of Fish | Mel | Also executive producer |
| 2007 | Go Go Tales | Johnie Ruby | |
| Have Dreams, Will Travel | Ben's Father | ||
| The Neighbor | Jeff | ||
| 2008 | I Think I Thought | Joe | Short film Also writer, director and producer |
| To Kill an American | None | Writer, director and producer | |
| Cowboy | Cowboy | Short film Also writer and director | |
| Mia and the Migoo | Mr. Houston / Godfrey | Voice in English version | |
| The Garden of Eden | David's Father | ||
| Santa, the Fascist Years | Narrator | Short film Voice | |
| 2009 | Little Fish, Strange Pond | Mr. Jack | Also executive producer |
| 2010 | The Trial | Mac | Also producer |
| A Cat in Paris | Lucas | Voice in English version | |
| 2011 | Jesus Was a Commie | John Doe | Short film[28] Also writer, director and producer |
| Sunchasers | None | Producer | |
| Wrinkles | Juan | Voice in English version | |
| The Flying House | 'Bertie' | Short film Also executive producer | |
| 2012 | Somebody | None | Short film Writer, director and producer |
| Plastic Jesus | |||
| Girl in Progress | Dr. Harford | ||
| The Dark Knight Rises | Peter Foley | ||
| 2013 | Jobs | John Sculley | |
| Family Weekend | Duncan Dungy | ||
| Cheatin' | None | Executive producer | |
| 2014 | Hyperion | Short film Associate producer | |
| Altar | Alec Hamilton | ||
| Guests | Theodore Foster | Short film | |
| 2015 | The Brainwashing of My Dad | Narrator | Documentary film Also producer |
| The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards | Theodore Foster | ||
| Last Days of Coney Island | None | Short film Executive producer | |
| Merry Xmas | Abe | Also writer and producer | |
| Unity | Narrator | ||
| 2016 | The Confirmation | Kyle | |
| Alex & Co: How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents | Bob Riley | ||
| Revengeance | Sid | Uncredited Also executive producer | |
| Super Sex | None | Short film Writer, director and producer | |
| Army of One | Dr. Ross | ||
| Stars in Shorts: No Ordinary Love | Abe | Also co-writer, co-director and co-producer | |
| 2017 | The Hippopotamus | Michael Logan | |
| 47 Meters Down | Captain Taylor | ||
| 2018 | Sicario: Day of the Soldado | James Riley | |
| Speed Kills | George H. W. Bush | ||
| An Actor Prepares | Charlie | ||
| Backtrace | MacDonald | ||
| 2019 | Keepers of the Wild | None | Short documentary film Executive producer |
| Foster Boy | Michael Trainer | ||
| Miss Virginia | Congressman Cliff Williams | ||
| 2020 | Guardians of Life | Senior Physician[29] | Short film |
| Chance | Mike | ||
| 2021 | The Martini Shot | Steve | |
| Breaking News in Yuba County | Carl Buttons | ||
| Wrong Turn | Scott | ||
| Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal | Rick Singer | ||
| 2022 | My Love Affair With Marriage | Bo | Voice role and executive producer |
| 2023 | Oppenheimer | Vannevar Bush | Post-production |
| Retribution | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | ABC Afterschool Special | Randy | Episode: "Amy & the Angel" |
| 1988 | American Playhouse | Eugene O'Neill | Episode: "Journey Into Genius" |
| Saturday Night Live | Host | Episode: "Matthew Modine/Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians" | |
| 1993 | And the Band Played On | Dr. Don Francis | Television film |
| 1994 | Jacob | Jacob | |
| 1995–1998 | The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes | Voice 78 episodes |
| 1997 | What the Deaf Man Heard | Sammy Ayers | Television movie |
| 1998 | American Experience | Lawrence Svobida | Episode: "Surviving the Dust Bowl" |
| The American | Christopher Newman | Television film | |
| 2000 | Flowers for Algernon | Charlie Gordon | |
| 2001 | Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story | Jack Robinson | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Redeemer | Paul Freeman | Television film |
| 2003 | The West Wing | Marco Arlens | Episode: "The Long Goodbye" |
| Hitler: The Rise of Evil | Fritz Gerlich | 2 episodes | |
| Expert Witness | Television film | ||
| 2004 | The Winning Season | Honus Wagner | |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Gordon Rickett | Episode: "Rage" |
| Into the West | Samson Wheeler | Episode: "Dreams and Schemes" | |
| 2006 | The Bedford Diaries | Professor Jake Macklin | 8 episodes |
| 2007 | Weeds | Sullivan Groff | 12 episodes |
| Good Morning Agrestic | Short television series Episode: "Majestic: Gates of Hell" | ||
| 2008 | Sex and Lies in Sin City | Ted Binion | Television film |
| 2011 | Too Big to Fail | John Thain | |
| 2013 | CAT. 8 | Dr. Michael Ranger | 2 episodes |
| Anatomy of Violence | Convict #3 | Television film | |
| 2015 | Proof | Ivan Turing | 10 episodes |
| 2016–2017, 2022 | Stranger Things | Dr. Martin Brenner | 21 episodes |
| 2017 | Idiotsitter | Dr. J. Lowe | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Sanctuary | Dr. Fisher | 8 episodes |
| Surveillance | The Man in the Red Tie | Television film |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "Crazy for You" | Madonna | From the film Vision Quest | |
| "Gambler" | ||||
| 2017 | "1-800-273-8255" | Logic | [30] | |
| 2020 | "What a Man Gotta Do" | Jonas Brothers | [31] |
Theater
| Year | Play | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Finishing the Picture | Paul | Goodman Theatre, Chicago | [32] |
| 2006 | Resurrection Blues | Skip | The Old Vic, London | [33] |
| 2009 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Atticus Finch | Hartford Stage, Hartford | [34] |
| 2010 | The Miracle Worker | Captain Keller | Broadway, New York | [19] |
| 2013 | Matthew Modine Saves the Alpacas | Himself | Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles | [35] |
| 2022 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Atticus Finch | Gielgud Theatre, London | [36] |
Awards and nominations
References
- ^ "Matthew Modine - Actor - Biography.com". Retrieved October 31, 2017.
- ^ "Golden Globes 1994 "Shortcuts" Special Award". Retrieved October 31, 2017.
- ^ The Hollywood Interview.com (October 31, 2009). "The Hollywood Interview (2009)". Thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "Matthew Modine Biography (1959–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "Matthew Modine Biography – Yahoo! Movies". Movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "Matthew Modine Net Worth: Who is Matthew Modine's Wife?". investrecords.com. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "Dark Knight Rises Features Former IB Actor Matthew Modine". patch.com/california/imperialbeach (Imperial Beach Patch). May 31, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c Murphy, Tim (June 15–22, 2009). "154 Minutes With Matthew Modine". New York.
- ^ Jeff Labrecque (June 3, 2013). "Matthew Modine on his short-films collection and how making 'Cutthroat Island' felt like being kidnapped". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ "An Essay on the Brilliance of "Funky Monkey" |". Indiebum.wordpress.com. May 18, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ Gingold, Michael (February 19, 2015). "Q&A: Matthew Modine Talks His First Horror Experience in "ALTAR"". Fangoria.
- ^ Yamato, Jen (February 16, 2013). "Matthew Modine Joins Ralph Bakshi's Crowdsourced 'Last Days Of Coney Island'". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Labrecque, Jeff (February 28, 2013). "Ralph Bakshi's Kickstarter movie needs your help". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ Gingold, Michael (February 19, 2015). "ALTAR". Fangoria.
- ^ "Video: Logic feat. Alessia Cara & Khalid – '1-800-273-8255'". Rap-Up. August 17, 2017. from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis (November 17, 2018). "Film Review: 'Speed Kills'". Variety. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 9, 2018). "Matthew Modine To Co-Star In CBS' NSA Spy Drama Pilot 'Surveillance'". Deadline. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
- ^ Rizzo, Frank (January 11, 2009). "Modine flies to 'Mockingbird'". Variety. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ a b The Miracle Worker on Broadway Official Web Site
- ^ Robb, David (October 23, 2019). "Matthew Modine's Campaign Manager Files SAG-AFTRA Election Complaint With U.S. Labor Department – Update". Deadline.
- ^ "SAG-AFTRA Members Elect Fran Drescher President of Union and Joely Fisher as Secretary-Treasurer". www.sagaftra.org. September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Maddaus, Gene (September 2, 2021). "Fran Drescher Elected President of SAG-AFTRA, Rival Joely Fisher Wins Secretary-Treasurer". Variety. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Murphy, Desiree (October 12, 2017). "'Shameless' Star Ruby Modine Explains Why She's Proud of Her Puerto Rican Roots, Teases Season 8 (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ Pena, Xochitl (June 19, 2017). "Matthew Modine talks 'Super Sex' and his daughter playing a prostitute". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ "Ruby Wylder Rivera Modine". www.rubywyldermodine.com.
- ^ Grose, Jessica (April 12, 2005). "Songs About Going Down on Celebrities Not So Simple". the Village Voice. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ Macia, Peter (March 21, 2005). "Pony Up!". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ "Jesus Was A Commie". Official Site.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (February 6, 2020). "Guardians of Life review – Joaquin Phoenix's climate call goes down in flames". The Guardian. London. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Inside Logic's Grammy-nominated suicide prevention video, with Don Cheadle, Matthew Modine and a mission". Los Angeles Times. January 26, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ Singh, Olivia. "The Jonas Brothers' 'What a Man Gotta Do' music video is packed with hidden references. Here's every detail you may have missed". Insider. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Finishing the Picture". Goodman Theatre. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ Nathan, John (January 3, 2006). "Modine Joins Cast of London's Resurrection Blues". Playbill. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ BWW News Desk. "Matthew Modine Stars as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird at Hartford Stage". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ Verini, Bob (September 17, 2009). "Matthew Modine Saves the Alpacas". Variety. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ London Theatre. "Matthew Modine to play Atticus Finch in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'". londontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
External links
- Official website
- Matthew Modine at IMDb
- Matthew Modine at the Internet Broadway Database
- Bicycle for a Day
- Full Metal Jacket Diary