---
name: "Matthew Modine"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/matthew-modine"
fi1m_id: "matthew-modine"
imdb_id: "nm0000546"
tmdb_id: 8654
wikidata_id: "Q318249"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "22 March 1959"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-10-13T04:03:16.709645+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Matthew Modine

## Identity

Matthew Modine

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/matthew-modine
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** matthew-modine
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000546
- **TMDB ID:** 8654
- **Wikidata ID:** Q318249
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Modine, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q318249, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000546/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8654

Actor. Born 22 March 1959 in Loma Linda, California, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 22 March 1959, Loma Linda, California, USA
- **Active:** 1985–present
- **Also known as:** Matthew Avery Modine
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 8: 7 acting, 1 other
- **SAG Awards:** 1 SAG Award (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 77, as actor, over 7 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 81 (1), 1990s 74 (3), 2000s 76 (1), 2010s 76 (2), 2020s 84 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 76 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 2 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 6, Action 2, Comedy 2, Crime 2, Action & Adventure 1, History 1
- **Screen time:** 13 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $2,091m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Modine, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q318249, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000546/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8654

## Coming up

- *Godzilla x Kong: Supernova* (2027-03-25)

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Full Metal Jacket*](https://film.one/film/full-metal-jacket.md) (81), [*The Dark Knight Rises*](https://film.one/film/the-dark-knight-rises.md) (74)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Wind*](https://film.one/film/wind.md) (60)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Matthew Modine

> Matthew Modine is at his most persuasive when he lets us wonder what a man is thinking. His watchful Joker in *Full Metal Jacket* gives us good reason to value an actor who can hold our attention without demanding it.

In *Full Metal Jacket* (1987), Matthew Modine's Private Joker is watchful without announcing what he makes of the men around him. R. Lee Ermey dominates the camp, and D'Onofrio makes Pyle's vulnerability painfully clear. Modine is less exposed, but he holds our attention without spelling out a response to everything around him. We rate him for that: he can make a character worth following without making him easy to read. Stanley Kubrick gets good work from an actor prepared to let the louder performance happen beside him.

Before Joker, there were the inward struggles of Alan Parker's *Birdy* (1984), opposite Nicolas Cage, and the physical demands of *Vision Quest* (1985). Those early leading parts are useful correctives to the idea that he is simply a restrained actor. Military men and authority figures recur in his work, but these films give us other ways into it. By *Short Cuts* (1993), he was playing Dr Ralph Wyman in Robert Altman's ensemble, a setting that suits his willingness to share our attention.

We were unsettled by *Full Metal Jacket* because its training camp makes military cruelty entertaining. Modine helps by not continually telling us what to think, even while D'Onofrio ensures we can see the cost to a recruit. The performances keep those men from becoming mere examples of Kubrick's point. There is a limit to what that can do: the move to Vietnam loosens the film's grip, and the acting does not remove the unevenness. We still recommend it, with that reservation, as the clearest demonstration of Modine's value.

Christopher Nolan's *The Dark Knight Rises* (2012) casts him in the supporting role of Foley. Its forceful action and strong performances earn the evening, though its crowded cast and surplus explanations make it a less useful starting point for Modine. The recurring role of Dr Martin Brenner in *Stranger Things* (2016) subsequently brought him to a new generation of viewers. For a closer look at his acting, start with Joker, then try *Birdy*.

## Biography

Matthew Modine is an American actor and filmmaker. He played Pvt. Joker in Stanley Kubrick's *Full Metal Jacket* (1987) and Foley in Christopher Nolan's *The Dark Knight Rises* (2012). He shared the Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his ensemble role in Robert Altman's *Streamers* (1983).

Modine trained with Stella Adler and appeared in lead roles in 1980s films including *Birdy* (1984), *Vision Quest* (1985) and *Married to the Mob* (1988). Later credits include *Short Cuts* (1993), *Oppenheimer* (2023) as Vannevar Bush, and the role of Dr. Martin Brenner in the Netflix series *Stranger Things* (2016–2022).

He received Golden Globe nominations for *And the Band Played On* (1993) and *What the Deaf Man Heard* (1997), and a Primetime Emmy nomination for *And the Band Played On*. He shared a special Golden Globe for the ensemble of *Short Cuts*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (8)

### Performed in (7) — the average rests on these

- *Oppenheimer* (2023), Fi1m 84, as Vannevar Bush — [page](https://film.one/film/oppenheimer.md)
- *Stranger Things* (2016), Fi1m 77, as Dr. Martin Brenner — [page](https://film.one/tv/stranger-things.md)
- *The Dark Knight Rises* (2012), Fi1m 74, as Foley — [page](https://film.one/film/the-dark-knight-rises.md)
- *Weeds* (2005), Fi1m 76, as Sullivan Groff — [page](https://film.one/tv/weeds.md)
- *Short Cuts* (1993), Fi1m 84, as Dr. Ralph Wyman — [page](https://film.one/film/short-cuts.md)
- *Wind* (1992), Fi1m 60, as Will Parker — [page](https://film.one/film/wind.md)
- *Full Metal Jacket* (1987), Fi1m 81, as Pvt. Joker — [page](https://film.one/film/full-metal-jacket.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Notting Hill* (1999), Fi1m 78, as Actor (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/notting-hill.md)

## Complete filmography (127)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Godzilla x Kong: Supernova* (2027), Actor
- *Protector* (2026), as Colonel Joseph Lavelle · Producer
- *The Better Sister* (2025), series, as Bill Braddock
- *Zero Day* (2025), series, as Richard Dreyer
- *I Hope This Helps!* (2024), Executive Producer
- *Hard Miles* (2024), as Greg Townsend
- *Retribution* (2023), as Anders Muller
- *I Am What You Imagine* (2023), Director, Writer
- *Oppenheimer* (2023), as Vannevar Bush — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/oppenheimer.md)
- *The Martini Shot* (2023), as Steve
- *My Love Affair with Marriage* (2023), as Bo (voice) · Executive Producer
- *Accidental Truth: UFO Revelations* (2023), as Narrator (voice)
- *Downwind* (2023), Producer
- *The Fuse* (2022), Executive Producer
- *Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal* (2021), as Rick Singer
- *Against the Current* (2021), Narrator, Writer
- *Breaking News in Yuba County* (2021), as Karl Buttons
- *Wrong Turn* (2021), as Scott Shaw
- *Chance* (2020), as Coach Mike
- *Guardians of Life* (2020), Actor
- *Miss Virginia* (2019), as Congressman Cliff Williams
- *Foster Boy* (2019), as Michael Trainer
- *Red Ink* (2019), Thanks
- *Backtrace* (2018), as MacDonald
- *Speed Kills* (2018), as George Bush
- *Sicario: Day of the Soldado* (2018), as Secretary of Defense James Riley
- *The Green Fog* (2018), Actor
- *47 Meters Down* (2017), as Taylor
- *The Hippopotamus* (2017), as Michael Logan
- *How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents* (2016), as Bob Riley
- *Army of One* (2016), as Dr. Ross
- *Revengeance* (2016), as Sid · Executive Producer
- *Stranger Things* (2016), series, as Dr. Martin Brenner, Dr. Martin Brenner (archive footage) — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/stranger-things.md)
- *Super Sex* (2016), Director, Producer, Writer
- *The Confirmation* (2016), as Kyle
- *Last Days of Coney Island* (2015), Executive Producer
- *Unity* (2015), as Narrator (voice)
- *The Brainwashing of My Dad* (2015), Producer
- *Proof* (2015), series, as Ivan Turing
- *Merry Xmas* (2015), as Abe · Writer
- *The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards* (2015), as Theodore Foster
- *Altar* (2014), as Alec
- *Guests* (2014), as Theodore Foster
- *Jobs* (2013), as John Sculley
- *CAT. 8* (2013), as Dr. Michael Ranger
- *Family Weekend* (2013), as Duncan Dungy
- *CAT. 8* (2013), series, as Dr. Michael Ranger
- *The Dark Knight Rises* (2012), as Foley — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/the-dark-knight-rises.md)
- *Girl in Progress* (2012), as Dr. Harford
- *Too Big to Fail* (2011), as John Thain
- *The Winsor McCay Resurrection Project* (2011), Director, Writer
- *Jesus Was a Commie* (2011), Director, Writer, Executive Producer
- *The Trial* (2010), as Mac · Producer
- *Little Fish, Strange Pond* (2009), as Mr. Jack · Executive Producer
- *Sex and Lies in Sin City* (2009), as Ted Binion
- *Santa: The Fascist Years* (2008), as Narrator (voice)
- *Garden of Eden* (2008), as David's Father
- *Go Go Tales* (2008), as Johnie Ruby
- *Cowboy* (2008), as Cowboy · Director, Writer
- *I Think I Thought* (2008), as Joe · Director, Writer, Producer
- *The Neighbor* (2007), as Jeff
- *Have Dreams, Will Travel* (2007), as Ben's Father
- *Kettle of Fish* (2006), as Mel · Executive Producer
- *The Bedford Diaries* (2006), series, as Jake Macklin
- *Mary* (2005), as Tony Childress / Jesus
- *Opa!* (2005), as Eric
- *Odyssey in Rome* (2005), Actor
- *Weeds* (2005), series, as Sullivan Groff — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/weeds.md)
- *Transporter 2* (2005), as Jefferson Billings
- *Into the West* (2005), series, as Samson Wheeler
- *Funky Monkey* (2004), as Alec McCall
- *The Winning Season* (2004), as Honus Wagner
- *Hollywood North* (2004), as Bobby Myers
- *Le Divorce* (2003), as Tellman
- *Hitler: The Rise of Evil* (2003), series, as Fritz Gerlich
- *Redeemer* (2002), as Paul Freeman
- *Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story* (2001), series, as Jack Robinson
- *The Shipment* (2001), as Mitch Garrett
- *In the Shadows* (2001), as Eric
- *Nobody's Baby* (2001), as Sonny
- *Very Mean Men* (2000), as Bartender
- *Flowers for Algernon* (2000), as Charlie Gordon
- *Any Given Sunday* (1999), as Dr. Ollie Powers
- *If... Dog... Rabbit* (1999), as Johnnie Cooper · Director, Writer
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, as Marco Arlens — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as Gordon Rickett
- *Notting Hill* (1999), as Actor (uncredited) — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/notting-hill.md)
- *The American* (1998), as Christopher Newman
- *Surviving the Dust Bowl* (1998), as Lawrence Svobida (voice)
- *The Real Blonde* (1998), as Joe
- *What the Deaf Man Heard* (1997), as Sammy Ayers
- *The Maker* (1997), as Walter Schmeiss
- *The Blackout* (1997), as Matty
- *Ecce Pirate* (1997), Narrator, Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematography, Casting, Set Decoration, Supervising Sound Editor, Camera Operator, Costume Supervisor, Post Production Coordinator, Music Supervisor
- *Cutthroat Island* (1995), as William Shaw
- *Fluke* (1995), as Thomas P. Johnson / Voice of Fluke
- *Bye Bye Love* (1995), as Dave Goldman
- *Jacob* (1994), as Jakob
- *The Browning Version* (1994), as Frank Hunter
- *Short Cuts* (1993), as Dr. Ralph Wyman — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/short-cuts.md)
- *And the Band Played On* (1993), as Dr. Don Francis
- *The Tree* (1993), as Boy as Middle-Aged Man / Boy as Old Man
- *When I Was a Boy* (1993), Director, Writer, Producer, Editor, Casting, Art Direction, Music Supervisor
- *Equinox* (1992), as Henry Petosa / Freddy Ace
- *Wind* (1992), as Will Parker — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/wind.md)
- *Pacific Heights* (1990), as Drake Goodman
- *Memphis Belle* (1990), as Dennis Dearborn
- *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as Dr. Stern (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)
- *The Lemon Sisters* (1989), as Wild Bill Hamer
- *Gross Anatomy* (1989), as Joe Slovak
- *The Gamble* (1988), as Francesco Sacredo
- *Married to the Mob* (1988), as Mike Downey
- *Orphans* (1987), as Treat
- *Full Metal Jacket* (1987), as Pvt. Joker — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/full-metal-jacket.md)
- *Vision Quest* (1985), as Louden Swain
- *Mrs. Soffel* (1984), as Jack Biddle
- *Birdy* (1984), as Birdy
- *The Hotel New Hampshire* (1984), as Chip Dove / Ernst
- *Streamers* (1983), as Billy
- *Private School* (1983), as Jim Green
- *Baby It's You* (1983), as Steve
- *Amy and the Angel* (1982), as Randy
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Eugene O'Neill
- *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Sammy Ayers
- *Keepers of the Wild*, Executive Producer
- *A Modern Art Masterpiece: The Untold Story of Full Metal Jacket*, Producer
- *The Splendid Thing*, as Declan King · Director, Screenplay

## Gallery

- ![Matthew Modine](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-75d9fbd3c329.jpg) Matthew Modine — Lance Cpl. Pranav Ramakrishna, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Matthew_Modine_Welcome_to_the_Barracks_%285%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Matt Modine (2006)](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-c62906754145.jpg) Matt Modine (2006) — GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Matt_Modine_%287271610570%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Matthew Modine speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Stranger Things", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Pleas](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-a7743fd7dd42.jpg) Matthew Modine speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Stranger Things", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Pleas — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Matthew_Modine_%2835377963654%29.jpg/1280px-Matthew_Modine_%2835377963654%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Matthew Modine speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Stranger Things", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Pleas](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-95e4167a12db.jpg) Matthew Modine speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Stranger Things", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Pleas — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Matthew_Modine_%2835820685600%29.jpg/1280px-Matthew_Modine_%2835820685600%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Matthew Modine](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-fe0b19a07dce.jpg) Matthew Modine — Image via TMDB
- ![Matthew Modine](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-1e2f17f27a8e.jpg) Matthew Modine — Image via TMDB
- ![Matthew Modine](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-da4daaf7e8e4.jpg) Matthew Modine — Image via TMDB
- ![Matthew Modine speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Stranger Things", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Pleas](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-bf72bd135bef.jpg) Matthew Modine speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Stranger Things", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Pleas — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Matthew_Modine_%2835820695700%29.jpg/1280px-Matthew_Modine_%2835820695700%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Matthew Modine speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Stranger Things", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Pleas](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-d4efe2ae50e2.jpg) Matthew Modine speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Stranger Things", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Pleas — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Matthew_Modine_%2836172545456%29.jpg/1280px-Matthew_Modine_%2836172545456%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Matthew Modine](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-ab10453e42a7.jpg) Matthew Modine — Image via TMDB
- ![Matthew Modine](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-2b90310524b9.jpg) Matthew Modine — Image via TMDB
- ![Matthew Modine](https://film.one/media/person/102566/gallery-0015d47f37ca.jpg) Matthew Modine — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### SAG Awards — 1 won

- 2017: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (won), for *Stranger Things*

### Other awards — 1 won

- Volpi Cup for Best Actor 1983: Volpi Cup for Best Actor (won), for *Streamers*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/matthew-modine