Matthew Modine: Full Metal Jacket, Stranger Things & Family

Born: March 22, 1959 · Known for: Full Metal Jacket, Stranger Things · Breakout Role: Private Joker (1987) · Reported Net Worth: $10 million (per Just Jared)

Most Famous Role and Top Movies

For film purists, he is forever Private Joker, the wisecracking Marine in Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 anti-war masterpiece *Full Metal Jacket*. The role defined his early career and remains the performance most critics and audiences associate with him.

He later gained a new generation of fans as Martin Brenner, the enigmatic and morally ambiguous scientist in *Stranger Things*. This key role in the series showcased his range from gritty war dramas to mainstream sci-fi (Wikipedia).

• *Full Metal Jacket* (1987) – breakout role, Private Joker.
• *Stranger Things* (2016–2022) – Dr. Martin Brenner.
• *Oppenheimer* (2023) – supporting role in Christopher Nolan’s historical drama.
• *The Dark Knight Rises* (2012) – Peter Foley, a CIA operative.
• *Vision Quest* (1985) – a high school wrestler.
• *Birdy* (1984) – a Vietnam War veteran.

Family Life and Caridad Rivera

Modine married Caridad Rivera, a former model and make-up artist of Puerto Rican descent, in 1980. The couple has two children: a son, Boman, born in 1985, and a daughter, Ruby, born in 1990, who has followed her father into acting (HealthyCeleb).

While Modine’s public roles often involve isolated, intense characters, his real life is rooted in a long-term marriage and a family that now shares the screen with him. The pattern suggests that his most enduring collaboration may be with his own family, not just with Kubrick or the Duffer Brothers.

Background and Early Life

The man who would become a symbol of the Vietnam War on screen was raised by a father who ran drive-ins—places of escapism, not combat. Growing up in Utah and California, Modine was drawn to acting as a teenager, studying at the Stella Adler Conservatory in New York.

His early career included stage work and small film roles before Kubrick cast him in *Full Metal Jacket*, a decision that would define his trajectory. The contrast between his peaceful upbringing and his most famous on-screen role as a soldier is a recurring theme in his biography.

Financial Snapshot and Net Worth

CelebrityNetWorth estimates his net worth at a specific figure, though the source is an estimation site rather than a financial disclosure (CelebrityNetWorth).

Similarly, entertainment outlet Just Jared ranked Modine among *Stranger Things* stars and, in a 2024 piece about the *Oppenheimer* cast’s wealth, listed his estimated net worth at $10 million (Just Jared).

• Height: Reported on some databases, but not consistently featured in top search results (per research notes).
• Net Worth: $10 million estimate via Just Jared (2024) and CelebrityNetWorth.
• Career Span: Active since the early 1980s, with roles spanning film, television, and stage.

Net worth figures for actors are, by nature, speculative. Treat the $10 million figure as a plausible industry estimate, not a confirmed bank balance.

Related reading: **Matt Dillon: Biography, Relationships, Net Worth, and Career Highlights** · **Tom Sizemore Cause of Death, Career, Net Worth & Sobriety**

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion and Lasting Impact

Matthew Modine’s career offers a rare blend of critical acclaim and pop culture relevance, spanning from the battlefields of Vietnam in *Full Metal Jacket* to the laboratories of Hawkins in *Stranger Things*. His personal life—a decades-long marriage and a family that now includes a fellow actor—provides a grounding counterpoint to the intense, often isolated characters he plays.

While the $10 million net worth figure remains an estimate, his lasting impact on film and television is the one fact that needs no verification.