After Eleven’s famous line in Stranger Things, "You’re just like Papa," circulated online, the character of Dr. Martin Brenner has gathered enormous attention to anyone who's a fan of the show. Yet, in a recent interview, actor Matthew Modine revealed he wasn’t so keen on accepting the role of the overarching antagonist.
“I didn’t want to do it. The Duffer Brothers kept saying: “Oh he’s going to be really important.” They never told me he was kidnapping children. I passed, but they kept ringing me up and made it really difficult for me to say no.” revealed Modine to The Guardian.
The 63-year-old, whose acting legacy is to be taken seriously, demanded changes to the character of the evil scientist; he spoke candidly about the fact that he wouldn’t want to play an uncompelling character.
He said, “When they described my character, he was unshaven, with work boots and a flannel shirt. And he had a lot of expositional dialogue, which an actor never wants.”
But the Duffers were not ones to back down, so they let the Full Metal Jacket actor give Dr. Brenner the necessary makeover to showcase his wickedness.
“When I finally said yes, I said, I want to dye my hair white because evil characters in Japanese anime always have white hair and I want to wear a suit like Cary Grant in North by Northwest,” expressed the actor.
In Seasons 1 and 2, Dr. Brenner made the life of his daughter Eleven miserable. He vacated the lab gown in the third season before making a surprising entrance in Season 4 to help her beloved daughter regain her powers through questionable methods.
In Episode 8 of Season 4, the scientist finally met his satisfying death, giving people the pleasure of knowing that a villain like him is not to be forgiven despite his demise.
Stranger Things Seasons 1-4 are now streaming on Netflix.
Also Read: Stranger Things: Matthew Modine Addresses Dr. Brenner's Season 4 Fate
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