Matthew Modine

Matthew Modine
Modine at a New York Knicks vs Miami Heat game in May 2012
Born	Matthew Avery Modine (1959-03-22) March 22, 1959 (age 57) Loma Linda, California, United States
Residence	New York City, New York, United States
Occupation	Actor, director, writer
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Caridad Rivera (m. 1980)
Children	2

Matthew Avery Modine (born March 22, 1959) is an American film actor. His best-known roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the title character in Alan Parker's Birdy, high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, oversexed Sullivan Groff on Weeds, and Dr. Martin Brenner on Stranger Things.

Modine, the youngest of seven 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 a nephew of a stage actress Nola Modine Fairbanks, and the great-grandson of the prospector and pioneer Ralph Jacobus Fairbanks. 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 Modines moved to Imperial Beach, California where Matthew attended secondary school. After graduation, Matthew moved to New York City to pursue his interests in art and theatre.

Modine's first film role was in John Sayles' film Baby It's You. His performance caught the eye of director Harold Becker, who cast him in Vision Quest, based on Terry Davis' novel. Modine appeared in the sex comedy Private School, co-starring Phoebe Cates and Betsy Russell.