Long before Matthew Modine set foot in the Upside Down in Stranger Things, he established himself as a talented actor. Modine first gained recognition in the 1980s, starring in films like Birdy and Vision Quest. At the same time, Val Kilmer (a Juilliard-trained actor who had previously worked on stage) was trying to make it in Hollywood, appearing in films like Top Secret!, Real Genius, and Top Gun. Their paths crossed in a surprisingly intense confrontation, which Modine recently recounted on the Literally! With Rob Lowe podcast.
At the time, Modine was having breakfast with David Alan Greer, after the two had won an award at the Venice Film Festival for Robert Altman’s Streamers.
“There was a fella sitting about 10 feet from me and he was saying obscenities. It was clearly directed at me. I told David, who had his back to this fella, I said, ‘either that guy’s an actor studying a monologue or he has Tourette’s.’ But he’s clearly telling me to go F myself.
David looked over his shoulder and he says, ‘Oh, that’s Val Kilmer. He’s a really nice guy.’ David had worked with him on ‘Top Secret.’ So he got up and started talking to him, and he waved me over and I came over. I said, ‘Hi, my name’s Matthew.’ And Val says, ‘Yeah, I know who you are. I’m sick of you, man.’
Although Kilmer didn’t clarify what he meant, Modine thinks he knows why the fellow actor was annoyed with him. “Val had probably been auditioning for the same movies that I had as well,” said Modine. “I’d just done Mrs. Soulful, Private School, Vision Quest, so he probably was really sick of me.”
Ironically, this uncomfortable encounter helped Modine secure his role in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket. During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter commemorating the 40th anniversary of Vision Quest, Modine recalled how, during the awkward exchange with Kilmer, he was accused of having secured a part in Full Metal Jacket.
“And I said, ‘I’m not doing ‘Full Metal Jacket. You had to audition for it, which Val did. In his documentary, it shows how deep he went into the audition for that film. So I said, ‘I assure you, I’m not doing ‘Full Metal Jacket’ because I didn’t audition.'”
But that didn’t discourage Modine from stepping into action. He quickly phoned his agent, who was unaware of any details surrounding Kubrick’s 1987 war drama. Modine then suggested that they leverage an existing connection:
“So I said, ‘Well, I know that Kubrick makes his movies with Warner Bros., and we have ‘Vision Quest’ there. So why don’t we call [‘Vision Quest’ director] Harold Becker and Warner Bros., and ask them to send a print to Stanley Kubrick so he can see it? I’ll also call Alan Parker in London to get him to send over some scenes [from ‘Birdy’s edit].'”
Modine received the Full Metal Jacket script a month later, with a note from the late great Kubrick that read:
“Hello, my name is Stanley Kubrick. I’m a film director, and I wonder if you’d consider being in my film.”
Although Kilmer never worked alongside Kubrick, he did go on to enjoy a successful career. His portrayal of Jim Morrison in The Doors was a career highlight; his other notable projects include Willow, Tombstone, Heat, The Saint, True Romance, and 2021’s Val, an award-winning documentary about his life and career.
Modine’s impressive and expansive filmography includes Married to the Mob, Pacific Heights, Altman’s Short Cuts, Operation Varsity Blues, and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. He also made memorable appearances on television in And the Band Played On, What the Deaf Man Heard, and Weeds. Modine has also directed short films and took part in stage productions.
Modine’s Dr. Brenner is set to return from the dead for the upcoming fifth and final season of Stranger Things.
Source: Literally! With Rob Lowe
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
