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Matthew Modine

Actor

Matthew Modine

Born March 22, 1959 in Loma Linda, California, USA92 films

Matthew Avery Modine (born March 22, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He shared the Venice Film Festival's Volpi Cup for Best Actor as part of the ensemble cast of Robert Altman's film Streamers (1983). He went on to play lead roles in several high-profile films throughout the 1980s, including Birdy (1984), Vision Quest (1985), and Married to the Mob (1988). He gained further prominence for playing U.S. Marine James T. "Joker" Davis in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987).

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Other notable films include Pacific Heights (1990), Short Cuts (1993), Cutthroat Island (1995), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and Oppenheimer (2023). On television, he portrayed Dr. Don Francis in the HBO film And the Band Played On (1993), Sullivan Groff on Weeds (2007), Ivan Turing in Proof (2015), and Dr. Martin Brenner on Netflix's Stranger Things (2016–2022).

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. 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.

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The best way into Matthew Modine's work
Full Metal Jacket posterFirst watchFull Metal Jacket19878.1as Pvt. JokerA pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the U.S.-Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
The Dark Knight Rises poster7.8The Dark Knight Rises2012Oppenheimer poster8.0Oppenheimer2023Notting Hill poster7.3Notting Hill1999Sicario: Day of the Soldado poster6.9Sicario: Day of the Soldado2018Protector poster8.4Protector2026Transporter 2 poster6.3Transporter 22005Any Given Sunday poster6.8Any Given Sunday1999Jobs poster6.1Jobs2013

Filmography

92 films as actor
  1. TBAThe Splendid ThingDeclan King
  2. 2027Godzilla x Kong: Supernova
  3. 2026ProtectorColonel Joseph Lavelle
  4. 2024Hard MilesGreg Townsend
  5. 2023RetributionAnders Muller
  6. 2023OppenheimerVannevar Bush
  7. 2023The Martini ShotSteve
  8. 2023My Love Affair with MarriageBo (voice)
  9. 2021Breaking News in Yuba CountyKarl Buttons
  10. 2021Wrong TurnScott Shaw
  11. 2020ChanceCoach Mike
  12. 2020Guardians of Life
  13. 2019Miss VirginiaCongressman Cliff Williams
  14. 2019Foster BoyMichael Trainer
  15. 2018BacktraceMacDonald
  16. 2018Speed KillsGeorge Bush
  17. 2018Sicario: Day of the SoldadoSecretary of Defense James Riley
  18. 201747 Meters DownTaylor
  19. 2017The HippopotamusMichael Logan
  20. 2016How to Grow Up Despite Your ParentsBob Riley
  21. 2016Army of OneDr. Ross
  22. 2016RevengeanceSid
  23. 2016The ConfirmationKyle
  24. 2015Merry XmasAbe
  25. 2015The Heyday of the Insensitive BastardsTheodore Foster
  26. 2014AltarAlec
  27. 2014GuestsTheodore Foster
  28. 2013JobsJohn Sculley
  29. 2013CAT. 8Dr. Michael Ranger
  30. 2013Family WeekendDuncan Dungy
  31. 2012The Dark Knight RisesFoley
  32. 2012Girl in ProgressDr. Harford
  33. 2011Too Big to FailJohn Thain
  34. 2010The TrialMac
  35. 2009Little Fish, Strange PondMr. Jack
  36. 2009Sex and Lies in Sin CityTed Binion
  37. 2008Santa: The Fascist YearsNarrator (voice)
  38. 2008Garden of EdenDavid's Father
  39. 2008Go Go TalesJohnie Ruby
  40. 2008CowboyCowboy
  41. 2008I Think I ThoughtJoe
  42. 2007The NeighborJeff
  43. 2007Have Dreams, Will TravelBen's Father
  44. 2006Kettle of FishMel
  45. 2005MaryTony Childress / Jesus
  46. 2005Opa!Eric
  47. 2005Transporter 2Jefferson Billings
  48. 2004Funky MonkeyAlec McCall
  49. 2004The Winning SeasonHonus Wagner
  50. 2004Hollywood NorthBobby Myers
  51. 2003Le DivorceTellman
  52. 2002RedeemerPaul Freeman
  53. 2001The ShipmentMitch Garrett
  54. 2001In the ShadowsEric
  55. 2001Nobody's BabySonny
  56. 2000Very Mean MenBartender
  57. 2000Flowers for AlgernonCharlie Gordon
  58. 1999Any Given SundayDr. Ollie Powers
  59. 1999If... Dog... RabbitJohnnie Cooper
  60. 1999Notting HillActor (uncredited)
  61. 1998The AmericanChristopher Newman
  62. 1998The Real BlondeJoe
  63. 1997What the Deaf Man HeardSammy Ayers
  64. 1997The MakerWalter Schmeiss
  65. 1997The BlackoutMatty
  66. 1997Ecce PirateNarrator
  67. 1995Cutthroat IslandWilliam Shaw
  68. 1995FlukeThomas P. Johnson / Voice of Fluke
  69. 1995Bye Bye LoveDave Goldman
  70. 1994JacobJakob
  71. 1994The Browning VersionFrank Hunter
  72. 1993Short CutsDr. Ralph Wyman
  73. 1993And the Band Played OnDr. Don Francis
  74. 1993The TreeBoy as Middle-Aged Man / Boy as Old Man
  75. 1992EquinoxHenry Petosa / Freddy Ace
  76. 1992WindWill Parker
  77. 1990Pacific HeightsDrake Goodman
  78. 1990Memphis BelleDennis Dearborn
  79. 1989The Lemon SistersWild Bill Hamer
  80. 1989Gross AnatomyJoe Slovak
  81. 1988The GambleFrancesco Sacredo
  82. 1988Married to the MobMike Downey
  83. 1987OrphansTreat
  84. 1987Full Metal JacketPvt. Joker
  85. 1985Vision QuestLouden Swain
  86. 1984Mrs. SoffelJack Biddle
  87. 1984BirdyBirdy
  88. 1984The Hotel New HampshireChip Dove / Ernst
  89. 1983StreamersBilly
  90. 1983Private SchoolJim Green
  91. 1983Baby It's YouSteve
  92. 1982Amy and the AngelRandy