After high school, he moved to New York and while pursuing an acting career, he worked as a chef at a Manhattan restaurant and studied acting with Stella Adler. In the '80s, his film career took off after he made his debut in the John Sayles's
Baby, It's You. Next, he played a high school wrestler in
Vision Quest and turned more serious to potray a soldier in Robert Altman's drama about young men going to Vietnam in
Streamers. His breakthrough movie role came in 1984's
Birdy as an emotionally disturbed Vietnam veteran, and another top-notch performance quickly followed in Stanley Kubrick's brutal war-is-hell film
Full Metal Jacket (1987). Into the '90s, his film career continued as he appeared in both modest hits (the comedy
Married to the Mob) and flops (the medical drama
Gross Anatomy, the sailing movie
Wind). He ventured into theater, making his professional stage debut opposite Allison Janney in the American Stage Company production of
Breaking Up. He also found success on the small screen, earning Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for his lead performance as a doctor fighting AIDS in HBO's acclaimed
And the Band Played On (1993). He again grabbed praise from audiences for his title role in the biblical made-for-TV movie
Jacob and for the CBS charmer
What the Deaf Man Heard. Modine aged gracefully as the '90s wore on and he became a busy character actor. In the '00s, he appeared in both indie and mainstream films (
Mary,
Le Divorce,
Transporter 2), and on made-for-TV movies (
Flowers for Algernon,
The Winning Season). After an impactful guest appearance on the NBC political drama
The West Wing, he headlined the short-lived drama
Bedford Diaries and then joined the third season of the Showtime series
Weeds for a brief arc as a scheming real estate developer. In 2009, he took to the stage in diverse productions, first playing Atticus Finch in
To Kill a Mockingbird and then playing himself in the satirical
Matthew Modine Saves the Alpacas. A year later, he made his Broadway debut in
The Miracle Worker. In his downtime, he enjoys a quiet domestic life with his wife and kids, and supports causes that are deeply important to him including pancreatic cancer research and environmentalism.
Matthew Modine Fast Facts:
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Grew up in Utah, the youngest of seven children in a Mormon family.
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Decided on an acting career after seeing a documentary about the making of the 1968 Oscar winner Oliver!
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Dropped out of college and moved to New York at 18; worked as a chef at a Manhattan restaurant; took another employee's advice and studied acting with Stella Adler.
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Movie debut was in Baby, It's You (1983); breakthrough role was in 1984's Birdy.
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Turned down the Tom Cruise role in Top Gun (1986).
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In 2004, he was cast in Arthur Miller's autobiographical play Finishing the Picture; two years later, he appeared in a London production of Arthur Miller's last play, Resurrection Blues.
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In 2005, published Full Metal Jacket Diary, based on his experiences making the 1987 Stanley Kubrick film.
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Made his Broadway debut in 2010's The Miracle Worker.
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Founded the non-profit green initiative Bicycle for a Day.
- Matthew Modine Relationships:
- Michael Modine - Brother
- Dolores Modine - Mother
- Marcia Modine - Sister
- Mark Alexander Modine - Father
- Boman Modine - Son
- Ruby Modine - Daughter
- Caridad 'Cari' Rivera Modine - Wife
- Elizabeth Modine - Sister
- Russell Modine - Brother
- Mark Modine - Brother
- Maury Modine - Brother
- Matthew Modine Awards:
- 1994 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special - Nominee
- 1994 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
- 1998 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
- College:
- Attended Brigham Young University, Provo, UT