Netflix 'Stranger Things': Matthew Modine reveals how Dr Martin Brenner was supposed to look originally

Matthew Modine plays the megalomaniac evil genius, Dr Martin Brenner in Netflix’s Stranger Things.

With 40 years of acting credits under his belt, Modine is no stranger to giving life to deplorable men. However, he has now garnered a lot of popularity with his recent portrayal in the Netflix series with the young audiences.

However, the actor, 63, made some changes before he actually stepped into the character.

In an interview with The Guardian, the actor, 63, revealed that he originally didn’t want to play the villainous role but the Duffer Brothers were persistent.

“I didn’t want to do it. The Duffer Brothers kept saying, ‘Oh he’s going to be really important,’” shared Modine. “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. I responded to their passion and he became a really interesting, complex character.”

The actor has previously described his dislike for playing sinister scientist. However, when he did step into the role, Modine gave his character a makeover.

“When they described my character, he was unshaven, with work boots and a flannel shirt,” Modine explained. “And he had a lot of expositional dialogue, which an actor never wants.”

Talking about the character changes that he made for the show, the actor shared that he wanted to channel he calm and composed Japanese villains that he had seen.

“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, where if I fall down, when I stand up, it’s clean. And give all that dialogue to the people around me. They said yes to all of it. It made his stillness and his quietness that much more compelling.”