Matthew

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Matthew is the son of Isaac and an unnamed woman, two heroes from the original Golden Sun games. Raised in the village of Patcher, he grew up hearing tales of his father's adventures. When the Psynergy Vortexes began threatening the world, Matthew set out with his friends Tyrell and Karis to investigate, eventually uncovering a plot involving the ancient Alchemy Machines. As a Venus Adept, Matthew wields the power of earth and can use Psynergy to move objects, create vines, and unleash devastating attacks. He is known for his calm demeanor and strong sense of justice, often serving as the voice of reason in his party.

In Their Own Story

In 2016, Modine took on the role of Dr. Martin Brenner in Netflix's Stranger Things, appearing from 2016 to 2017 and returning in 2022. His portrayal contributed to his castmates winning the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2017. Earlier, he portrayed Sullivan Groff on Weeds (2007) and Ivan Turing in Proof (2015). Modine made his feature directorial debut with If... Dog... Rabbit... (1999), following the success of short films like When I Was a Boy and Ecce Pirate. He also directed Jesus Was a Commie (2011) with Terence Ziegler. His filmography includes dark comedy I Think I Thought (2008) and appearances in Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday (1999). In 2003, he guest-starred as Marco in The West Wing, a role accepted due to his friendship with Allison Janney. Modine has continued working into the 2020s, starring in Oppenheimer (2023) as Vannevar Bush and The Martini Shot (2023).

Reader's Guide

Matthew Modine was born on March 22, 1959, in Loma Linda, California, the youngest of seven children. His father managed drive-in theaters, which were eventually torn down as land values exceeded theater value, prompting a move to Imperial Beach where he graduated from Mar Vista High School in 1977. He is the nephew of stage actress Nola Modine Fairbanks and great-grandson of prospector Ralph Jacobus Fairbanks. On television, he earned two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television for And the Band Played On (1993) and What the Deaf Man Heard (1997), plus an Emmy nomination for the former. He received a special Golden Globe for his ensemble work in Short Cuts. Modine married Caridad Rivera in 1980; they have two children, Boman and Ruby. A cyclist since moving to New York City in 1980, he heads 'Bicycle for a Day' and was honored by Solar 1 on June 2, 2009. He ran unsuccessfully for SAG-AFTRA president in 2019 against Gabrielle Carteris and again in 2021, losing to Fran Drescher by a margin of 52.5% to 47.5%.

Did You Know?

• Matthew is the first playable character to wield the legendary Sol Blade, a weapon previously used by his father Isaac.
• His name is a direct reference to the biblical apostle Matthew, continuing the religious naming theme of the Golden Sun series.
• Matthew's default Djinn are Flint and Sap; Vine is obtained later, not a starting Djinn.
• He is one of the few characters in the series who can use the 'Move' Psynergy, allowing him to push and pull heavy objects.
• Matthew's design was inspired by his father Isaac, but with a more modern and streamlined look for the Nintendo DS era.