Biography

Matthew Modine probably developed his love of performing through multiple viewings of films exhibited in the many Utah drive-in theatres managed by his father. It's also likely that the versatile Modine's willingness to adapt to his material rather than the other way around stemmed from the fact that his family moved around a great deal. After a variety of meat-and-potatoes jobs, Modine studied acting with Stella Adler in New York, then began popping up in TV commercials and soap operas. He made his screen debut in 1983 in the film comedy Baby It's You, and that same year won the Venice Film Festival "Best Actor" Award for his work in Robert Altman's Streamers. Refusing to trade on his freshly scrubbed, All-American good looks, Modine has made a point of treating each film role as a challenge and a chance to grow: how many other pretty-boy brat packers would have been willing to play a disturbed Vietnam vet who's thinks he's a bird in 1984's Birdy? His other film assignments include a dual role in Hotel New Hampshire (1984), Private Joker in Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987), lovestruck FBI agent Mike Downey in Married to the Mob (1988), swashbuckler William Shaw in Cutthroat Island (1995), and the title role in the made-for-cable Biblical spectacle Joseph (1994). Modine was nominated for an Emmy for his performance as aloof AIDS researcher Don Francis in the 1993 TV movie And the Band Played On. Even with all this going for him, Matthew Modine continues accepting stage roles whenever his schedule allows; and in 1994, he made his screen directorial bow with a short subject titled Smoking. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmography

Divorce, Le (2003)
Hollywood North (2003) .... Bobby Meyers
Hairy Tale (2003) .... Jack McCall
Redeemer (2002) (TV) .... Paul Freeman
British Comedy Awards 2001, The (2001) (TV) .... Himself (award presenter)
Shipment, The (2001) .... Mitch Garrett
"Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story" (2001) (mini) TV Series .... Jack Robinson (Johnathan William Duncan Robinson)
In the Shadows (2001) .... Eric O'byrne
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001) .... Himself
Nobody's Baby (2001) .... Sonny
Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2000 (2000) (TV) (archive footage) .... Lloyd Bentsen
Bamboozled (2000) .... Himself
Very Mean Men (2000) .... Bartender
Flowers for Algernon (2000) (TV) .... Charlie Gordon
If... Dog... Rabbit... (1999) .... Johnnie Cooper
... aka One Last Score (2002) (USA: DVD title)
Any Given Sunday (1999) .... Dr. Ollie Powers
Notting Hill (1999) (uncredited) .... Movie-Within-Movie Actor
American, The (1998) .... Christopher Newman
What the Deaf Man Heard (1997) (TV) .... Sammy Ayers
Real Blonde, The (1997) .... Joe
Maker, The (1997) .... Walter Schmeiss
Blackout, The (1997) .... Matty
Cutthroat Island (1995) .... William Shaw
... aka Île aux pirates, L' (1996) (France)
... aka Corsari (1995) (Italy)
... aka Piratenbraut, Die (1996) (Germany)
Fluke (1995) .... Thomas Johnson/Voice of Fluke
Way West, The (1995) (TV) .... Voice
Bye Bye, Love (1995) .... Dave Goldman
Jacob (1994) (TV) .... Jacob
... aka Jacob: A TNT Bible Story (1994) (TV) (USA: promotional title)
Browning Version, The (1994) .... Frank Hunter
Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman In Carver Country (1993) .... Himself
... aka Luck, Trust and Ketchup (1993) (USA: short title)
Short Cuts (1993) .... Dr. Ralph Wyman
And the Band Played On (1993) (TV) .... Dr. Don Francis
Equinox (1992) .... Henry Petosa/Freddy Ace
... aka Isimeria (1992)
Wind (1992) .... Will Parker
Partita, La (1991) .... Francesco Sacredo
... aka Gamble, The (1991) (USA)
Pacific Heights (1990) .... Drake Goodman
Memphis Belle (1990) .... Capt. Dennis Dearborn
Gross Anatomy (1989) .... Joe Slovak
... aka Cut Above, A (1989)
Journey Into Genius (1988) (TV) .... Eugene O'Neill
... aka Eugene O'Neill: Journey Into Genius (1988) (TV)
Married to the Mob (1988) .... Mike Downey
Orphans (1987) .... Treat
Full Metal Jacket (1987) .... Pvt. J.T. 'Joker' Davis
... aka Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987) (USA: poster title)
Vision Quest (1985) .... Louden Swain
... aka Crazy for You (1985)
Mrs. Soffel (1984) .... Jack Biddle
Birdy (1984) .... Birdy
Hotel New Hampshire, The (1984) .... Chip Dove/Ernst
Making of 'Mrs. Soffel', The (1984) (TV) .... Himself
Streamers (1983) .... Billy
Private School (1983) .... Jim Green
Baby, It's You (1983) .... Steve
Amy and the Angel (1981) (TV) .... Ralph