Matthew Modine
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).
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.
Known For
Not in library
The Dark Knight Rises
2012
Not in library
Stranger Things
2016
Not in library
Stranger Things
2016
Not in library
Oppenheimer
2023
Not in library
Full Metal Jacket
1987
Not in library
The Simpsons
1989
Not in library
Notting Hill
1999
Not in library
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
Not in library
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
2018
Not in library
Transporter 2
2005
Acting
2027
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova
2025
Zero Day
as Richard Dreyer
(6 episodes)
2025
The Better Sister
as Bill Braddock
(8 episodes)
2024
Hard Miles
as Greg Townsend
2023
Accidental Truth: UFO Revelations
as Narrator (voice)
2023
Retribution
as Anders Muller
2023
The Martini Shot
as Steve
2023
Oppenheimer
as Vannevar Bush
2023
My Love Affair with Marriage
as Bo (voice)
2023
100 Years of Warner Bros.
as Self
(2 episodes)
2021
Against the Current
as Narrator
2021
Wrong Turn
as Scott Shaw
2021
Breaking News in Yuba County
as Karl Buttons
2021
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal
as Rick Singer
2020
Guardians of Life
2020
Chance
as Coach Mike
2019
Miss Virginia
as Congressman Cliff Williams
2019
Foster Boy
as Michael Trainer
2019
Alan Pakula: Going for Truth
as Self
2018
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
as Secretary of Defense James Riley
2018
Backtrace
as MacDonald
2018
Speed Kills
as George Bush
2018
Filmworker
as Self
2017
47 Meters Down
as Taylor
2017
The Hippopotamus
as Michael Logan
2016
The Confirmation
as Kyle
2016
How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents
as Bob Riley
2016
Army of One
as Dr. Ross
2016
Revengeance
as Sid
2016
Stranger Things
as Dr. Martin Brenner
(19 episodes)
2016
Stranger Things
as Dr. Martin Brenner (archive footage)
(1 episode)
2015
Unity
as Narrator (voice)
2015
The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards
as Theodore Foster
2015
The Brainwashing of My Dad
as Himself - Narrator
2015
Merry Xmas
as Abe
2015
Proof
as Ivan Turing
(10 episodes)
2014
How Bizarre: The Story of an Otara Millionaire
as Self
2014
Altar
as Alec
2014
Guests
as Theodore Foster
2014
Kubrick Remembered
as Self
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
as Self
(1 episode)
2013
Jobs
as John Sculley
2013
Family Weekend
as Duncan Dungy
2013
CAT. 8
as Dr. Michael Ranger
(2 episodes)
2012
The Dark Knight Rises
as Foley
2012
Girl in Progress
as Dr. Harford
2011
Too Big to Fail
as John Thain
2011
Adventures in Plymptoons!
as Self
2011
Jesus Was a Commie
as Himself
2010
The Trial
as Mac
2010
Mulberry St.
as Self
2009
Sex and Lies in Sin City
as Ted Binion
2009
Little Fish, Strange Pond
as Mr. Jack
2009
PoliWood
as Self
2008
Garden of Eden
as David's Father
2008
Go Go Tales
as Johnie Ruby
2008
Cowboy
as Cowboy
2008
I Think I Thought
as Joe
2008
Santa: The Fascist Years
as Narrator (voice)
2007
Have Dreams, Will Travel
as Ben's Father
2007
The Neighbor
as Jeff
2006
Kettle of Fish
as Mel
2006
The Bedford Diaries
as Jake Macklin
(8 episodes)
2005
Transporter 2
as Jefferson Billings
2005
Mary
as Tony Childress / Jesus
2005
Opa!
as Eric
2005
Odyssey in Rome
2005
Into the West
as Samson Wheeler
(6 episodes)
2005
Weeds
as Sullivan Groff
(15 episodes)
2004
Funky Monkey
as Alec McCall
2004
Hollywood North
as Bobby Myers
2004
The Winning Season
as Honus Wagner
2004
The Tony Danza Show
as Self - Guest
(1 episode)
2003
Overnight
as Self
2003
Le Divorce
as Tellman
2003
Hitler: The Rise of Evil
as Fritz Gerlich
(2 episodes)
2002
Redeemer
as Paul Freeman
2002
World Birth Day
as Self - Narrator(voice)
2001
In the Shadows
as Eric
2001
Nobody's Baby
as Sonny
2001
The Shipment
as Mitch Garrett
2001
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
as Self
2001
Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story
as Jack Robinson
(2 episodes)
2000
Flowers for Algernon
as Charlie Gordon
2000
Bamboozled
as Himself
2000
Very Mean Men
as Bartender
1999
Any Given Sunday
as Dr. Ollie Powers
1999
If... Dog... Rabbit
as Johnnie Cooper
1999
Notting Hill
as Actor (uncredited)
1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Gordon Rickett
(1 episode)
1999
The West Wing
as Marco Arlens
(1 episode)
1998
The Real Blonde
as Joe
1998
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil Hartman
as Self
1998
The American
as Christopher Newman
1998
Surviving the Dust Bowl
as Lawrence Svobida (voice)
1998
So Graham Norton
as Self - Guest
(1 episode)
1997
The Blackout
as Matty
1997
The Maker
as Walter Schmeiss
1997
What the Deaf Man Heard
as Sammy Ayers
1997
Ecce Pirate
as Narrator
1995
Cutthroat Island
as William Shaw
1995
Fluke
as Thomas P. Johnson / Voice of Fluke
1995
Bye Bye Love
as Dave Goldman
1995
Lo + plus
as Self - Guest
(1 episode)
1994
Jacob
as Jakob
1994
The Browning Version
as Frank Hunter
1994
American Cinema
as Self
(1 episode)
1993
Short Cuts
as Dr. Ralph Wyman
1993
And the Band Played On
as Dr. Don Francis
1993
Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country
as Self
1993
The Tree
as Boy as Middle-Aged Man / Boy as Old Man
1992
Wind
as Will Parker
1992
Equinox
as Henry Petosa / Freddy Ace
1990
Pacific Heights
as Drake Goodman
1990
Memphis Belle
as Dennis Dearborn
1990
The Lemon Sisters
as Wild Bill Hamer
1989
Gross Anatomy
as Joe Slovak
1989
The Simpsons
as Dr. Stern (voice)
(1 episode)
1988
Married to the Mob
as Mike Downey
1988
The Gamble
as Francesco Sacredo
1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self - Guest
(3 episodes)
1987
Full Metal Jacket
as Pvt. Joker
1987
Orphans
as Treat
1985
Vision Quest
as Louden Swain
1984
Birdy
as Birdy
1984
Mrs. Soffel
as Jack Biddle
1984
The Hotel New Hampshire
as Chip Dove / Ernst
1983
Streamers
as Billy
1983
Private School
as Jim Green
1983
Baby It's You
as Steve
1982
Amy and the Angel
as Randy
1975
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Host
(1 episode)
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Sammy Ayers
(1 episode)
—
Michael Caton-Jones: This Broxburn Boy's Life
as Self
—
A Modern Art Masterpiece: The Untold Story of Full Metal Jacket
as Self
Directing
2023
I Am What You Imagine
Director
2016
Super Sex
Director
2011
Jesus Was a Commie
Director
2011
The Winsor McCay Resurrection Project
Director
2008
Cowboy
Director
2008
I Think I Thought
Director
1999
If... Dog... Rabbit
Director
1997
Ecce Pirate
Director
1993
When I Was a Boy
Director
Writing
2023
I Am What You Imagine
Writer
2021
Against the Current
Writer
2016
Super Sex
Writer
2015
Merry Xmas
Writer
2011
Jesus Was a Commie
Writer
2011
The Winsor McCay Resurrection Project
Writer
2008
Cowboy
Writer
2008
I Think I Thought
Writer
1999
If... Dog... Rabbit
Writer
1997
Ecce Pirate
Writer
1993
When I Was a Boy
Writer
Production
2024
I Hope This Helps!
Executive Producer
2023
Downwind
Producer
2023
My Love Affair with Marriage
Executive Producer
2022
The Fuse
Executive Producer
2016
Super Sex
Producer
2016
Revengeance
Executive Producer
2015
The Brainwashing of My Dad
Producer
2015
Last Days of Coney Island
Executive Producer
2011
Jesus Was a Commie
Executive Producer
2010
The Trial
Producer
2009
Little Fish, Strange Pond
Executive Producer
2008
I Think I Thought
Producer
2006
Kettle of Fish
Executive Producer
1997
Ecce Pirate
Post Production Coordinator
1997
Ecce Pirate
Producer
1997
Ecce Pirate
Casting
1993
When I Was a Boy
Casting
1993
When I Was a Boy
Producer
—
Keepers of the Wild
Executive Producer
—
A Modern Art Masterpiece: The Untold Story of Full Metal Jacket
Producer
Sound
1997
Ecce Pirate
Music Supervisor
1997
Ecce Pirate
Supervising Sound Editor
1993
When I Was a Boy
Music Supervisor
Camera
1997
Ecce Pirate
Camera Operator
Editing
1993
When I Was a Boy
Editor
Art
1997
Ecce Pirate
Set Decoration
1993
When I Was a Boy
Art Direction
Costume & Make-Up
1997
Ecce Pirate
Costume Supervisor
Crew
2019
Red Ink
Thanks
1997
Ecce Pirate
Cinematography