Why Stranger Things' Matthew Modine Hates Dr. Brenner And Will Never Play A Similar Role
I don't know about you, but to me, nothing is more disturbing than someone claiming to care for you while doing nefarious things that mess with your life. It's why Dr. Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine), the man behind the mind experiments from the Netflix series "Stranger Things" is so horrifying. Dr. Brenner, aka the Papa that Eleven is supposed to love while he messes with her brain is scarier than Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and all the Demogorgons combined. In-your-face evil is one thing, but when you're brainwashed into thinking someone cares about you, and then realize that they're working for their own selfish and cruel ends, it's gut-wrenching. It's rough to watch, and, according to a 2022 interview Modine did with Men's Health, it's hard to play as well.
Modine shared what it was like to try to purge this character from his mind and body, why he doesn't want to do it again, and how the experience compared to playing the role of Private Joker in the 1987 Stanley Kubrick film "Full Metal Jacket."
'It can be very destructive'
There are different acting techniques out there, but if you're going to make people really feel who you're playing, you have to, at the very least, understand the motivations of a character and why they do the things they do. For Modine playing Brenner, that wasn't a pleasant experience:
"Your body doesn't know it's acting. Even though I'm memorizing lines and I understand the physical aspects of acting, you put your body through whatever that character is going through. It can be very destructive to your body. I don't ever want to get in the skin of someone like Dr. Brenner again."
Modine appeared in seasons 1 and 4 of "Stranger Things," and his final appearance (maybe?) made it clear that he really internalized Brenner's feelings. There is such a desperation in his final moments for Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) to understand him. There is a sense that while he knew other people wouldn't understand his choices, he really did believe it was all for the best. Of course, it's hard to justify when that thing you believe has destroyed the lives of children and is crushing an entire town, threatening it with destruction.
'He crosses that line of encouraging and loving to punishing'
Modine pointed to one specific "Stranger Things" scene that was really difficult for him to play, saying:
"It made me sick to my stomach, especially during the scene when I tortured [Henry Creel aka Vecna] for having harmed Eleven. It was very upsetting. It makes me sick to my stomach. I have a hard time separating, and I don't like it."
The actor laughed when asked what he did to separate himself from Brenner and said that he cut off his longer hair and sat in saunas "to sweat this guy out." Modine compared him to his most famous role in "Full Metal Jacket," explaining that Joker and Brenner had to face a moment when they cross a line. Joker acts like he's above the horror of the Vietnam War and its circumstances, until he's forced into a situation where he has to be a part of some terrible acts. "He has to cross the line where he couldn't have that objectivity. He now had to participate," Modine said of Joker. He elaborated:
"I know it's a big stretch, and you're probably thinking, 'What the f*** is Modine talking about?' But there's a real connection between Private Joker and Dr. Brenner, regarding objectivity and participation. Brenner is objectively doing these experiments, but he crosses that line of encouraging and loving to punishing, and that's a line you can't cross. So if anyone has a question about whether or not Brenner is a good person, just know he crosses the line and does what's unacceptable."
Nope. Not a good person.
"Stranger Things" is streaming on Netflix.