Hellter Interviews Matthew Modine (Stranger Things, Full Metal Jacket)!!
Hello Grue-Lings,
Today we have a legend in the entertainment world. This guy has been entertaining fans for years from Full Metal Jacket to Stranger Things. We have the one and only Matthew Modine. Matt has won numerous awards including: Golden Globe Award and was in Emmy nominations. He was actually offered the role that Tom Cruise played in Top Gun but Matthew turned it down and Tom got it. He’s also good friends and neighbors with Liam Neeson.
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He got a big break in the film Birdy playing Birdy. He was in Madonna’s music video Crazy For You. Then came the role he got famous for, Pvt. Joker in Full Metal Jacket. He’s been in numerous films and tv series since then. Everyone loved to hate his villain in Stranger Things Dr. Martin Brenner(PaPa). He is so good in this role. If you haven’t seen season 1 of Stranger Things, you need to see it just for Dr. Martin Brenner. Please welcome Matthew Modine:
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HELLTER: One of your first roles was in a the amazing film Full Metal Jacket about the Vietnam war. You played Private JT “Joker” Davis. The film has alot of good quotes. What is your favorite quote from the film and why?
MATTHEW: “You’re the kind of guy that would fuck a guy in the ass and not even have the goddamn common courtesy to give him a reach around!”
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HELLTER: (laughs). I love that line (laughs). Can you tell us about the Full Metal Jacket Diary, what is it?
MATTHEW: It is, a diary with behind the scenes images I capture while making FMJ. I was playing a combat correspondence, so I thought it would be a good practice to keep notes, as a journalist might, while making the film. A dear friend gave me a medium format, 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 Rolliflex camera and suggested that I might impress Kubrick if I knew about photography and owned this beautiful camera. Remarkably, Kubrick allowed me to take photographs, which was rather unprecedented on his film sets. So the Full Metal Jacket Diary (book, iPad app and audiobook) is a deeply immersive, exclusive vision of the process of working with Kubrick and the making of his remarkable film.
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HELLTER: I have to listen to that, sounds very interesting. I love Full Metal Jacket. How did you get the role of of Dr. Martin Brenner on Stranger Things?
MATTHEW: The Duffer brothers, Matt and Ross, asked me to participate. It was difficult to say yes because they didn’t have scripts for the first season. I said yes purely because of their passion.
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HELLTER: I’m glad and millions of other fans of Stranger Things are glad you said yes to. What are your thoughts and feelings on playing such a eerie and terrifying character that so many fans hated? I’m sure alot of fans express their feelings to your character in Stranger Things.
MATTHEW: If you consider the history of human beings and the struggle to be civilized, humans have been deplorable for most of that history. Civilization has a very long way to becoming civilized. We wouldn’t need a guns, military or police officers if we’d fucking evolve. We’re still paranoid cave people. My point is, it’s easy to tap into dark characters. It’s much more difficult to portray hopeful, loving, and forgiving characters.
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HELLTER: Very true. What inspired you to play Dr. Brenner?
MATTHEW: The character was written and looked very different from how I chose to play him. I won’t go into the detail about how. I’ll only say that the Duffer brothers agreed and the character you see is what we created.
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HELLTER: I’m glad you stood your ground because the character you gave us was amazing. Why do you think Dr. Brenner has such a fasination with the creatures in the other dimension and turning young kids into science experiments like he did to L?
MATTHEW: That’s your opinion about the character and the show. Dr. Brenner is just very private and mysterious, he has his own method on how he deals with things. I think in his own way, he cared for L.
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HELLTER: You did alot of films in the 80’s including your hit film Full Metal Jacket. Stranger Things is set in the 80’s. What was your best memory of being around in the 80’s and why, and did you teach any of the Young stars on Stranger Things about the 80’s life?
MATTHEW: I began my career in the 1980’s. So, first and foremost, I was happy to be working in my chosen profession. I didn’t impose lessons upon the kids on the show. If they asked me questions, or for advice, I tried to keep it simple and to the point. The most important thing to teach a young actor is to listen. Usually they’re too eager to say their lines. Thinking saying lines of dialogue is acting. So they only act when they speak. Noah and Millie listen. I didn’t work in scenes with the other kids but I’m proud of all of them.
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HELLTER: Happy to hear you had a good working relationship with Millie and Noah. How was it like working with the young Millie Bobby Brown as her Papa?
MATTHEW: Lovely. Very talented young lady.
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HELLTER: She really is amazing. She has such a bright future. What is your favorite scene in Stranger Things?
MATTHEW: I don’t have just one. I’m thrilled with the show. I think of season one as a 8 part feature film. Very well done.
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HELLTER: Do you think the Duffer Brothers did a good job at making Stranger Things look like you were back in the 80’s again?
MATTHEW: Are you kidding? And credit must be shared with the entire creative team. Costumes, set design, props, and camera department.
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HELLTER: I love the 80’s. I miss it. This show brings me back to that era. Did you get a chance to work or hangout at all with another big 80’s star Winona Ryder?
MATTHEW: Not much. We only had one brief scene together.
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HELLTER: Your thoughts on interacting with the talented Young Stars of Stranger Things: Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matazarro, Caleb McLaughlin, and Noah Schnapp?
MATTHEW: I’m happy for them all. I don’t have much interaction with them on the show, but I’m thrilled they’re on such a high.
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HELLTER: We find out in Stranger Things Season 2 that your character didn’t die. What do you think is in store for your character in season 3 and do you think L will get revenge on him?
MATTHEW: He didn’t? A flashback and a premonition… I don’t see how either of those make Brenner among the living. I guess we will all find out in Season 3 if he is indeed alive or dead.
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HELLTER: I think he’s still alive. (laughs). Why do you thing Stranger Things became such a huge hit that connected with alot of people?
MATTHEW: Because the 80s by comparison to today, in 2018, appear to be incredibly innocent. For instance, today, if Winona Ryder‘s character didn’t know her son was missing until breakfast the next morning, she would be arrested. The show is pre cellphones, pre social media, pre internet, pre Columbine shooting, pre 9/11, pre Gulf War, pre Trump. People that were living in the 80’s know it wasn’t a angelic, perfect era, but compared to today, the 80’s look magical.
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HELLTER: Yeah that’s so true. 80’s were a magical time. What are your thoughts on working on 47 Meters Down and your feelings towards Sharks?
MATTHEW: I love sharks. You have a chance I’ve been killed by a hippopotamus or a falling refrigerator then being attacked by a shark. It’s estimated that 100 million sharks are killed every year for sport and for shark fin soup. That’s deplorable. Sharks have a tremendous importance in the ecology and balance of our world’s oceans. They’re crucial to the web of life. 47 Meters Down is more ignorant humans doing stupid things.
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HELLTER: Thank you for joining us today on Gruemonkey.
MATTHEW: Your welcome. Take care.
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CHECK OUT MATTHEW’S SOCIAL MEDIA:
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WEBSITE
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