Matthew Modine

Matthew Modine worked with some of the most respected directors in the film industry, yet following a string of critically acclaimed dramatic performances in the 1980s, the actor was adrift temporarily before discovering a niche of steady, challenging work on television. By the time he was 30 years old, the lanky blond actor had established a talent for portraying all-American types impaired by moral and emotional conundrums in Robert Altman's "Streamers" (1983), Alan Parker's "Birdy" (1984) and Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" (1987). He also showcased a charming, fresh-scrubbed guilelessness in lighter fare like Jonathan Demme's "Married to the Mob" (1988), but when Hollywood was unable to find more adult roles that suited his image, Modine segued into small screen work. Television provided a steady outlet, with Modine becoming a multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominee for television movies including "And the Band Played On" (HBO, 1993). In the new millennium, Modine further regained his artist's reputation with stage appearances in a number of works by Henry Miller and a recurring role on the acclaimed series "Weeds" (Showtime, 2005-12), all of which added up to a reminder that the remarkably talented and appealing Modine had spent a career sadly underutilized by Hollywood.