>
‘I wanted to do everything I could to make sure she’s safe’: Matthew Modine admits protecting Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown, 18, and reveals fans call him ‘Daddy’ on the street
Matthew Modine described his “protective” relationship with Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown when he appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show this week.
The actor, 63, who began working with the now 18-year-old star in 2016, said he wanted to do “anything to make sure she was safe” on set as she struggled with fame at a young age.
Since starring in the Netflix show as the character Dr. Brenner, otherwise known as Papa, shared with the actor that he even had fans calling him the paternal nickname on the street.
‘I wanted to do everything I could to make sure she’s safe’: Matthew Modinee described his ‘protective’ relationship with Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown when he appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show this week
Matthew appeared on the show alongside Craig David, comedian Josh Jones, Oti Mabuse and Katherine Ryan.
And talking to the celebrity host, he described his empathy for the Stranger Things cast – who catapulted to fame at a young age.
Speaking of Millie, he shared, “What she was exposed to — and what all the kids on this show were exposed to — was a kind of fame and popularity and notoriety that once existed in the entertainment industry.”
Sweet: The actor, 63, who started working with the now 18-year-old star in 2016, shared that on set he wanted to do ‘anything to make sure she was safe’ (pictured in 2017)
Guests: Matthew (center) appeared on the show alongside Craig David (right), comedian Josh Jones (left), Oti Mabuse and Katherine Ryan
“Over the course of my career, the young actors and actresses whose lives have been destroyed by that kind of fame and money and stuff. It can be very destructive and disorienting.
“I just wanted to do everything I could to make sure she was safe and she understood that a career is a rollercoaster, that there are ups and downs,” he explained.
On screen, Matthew plays the scientist Dr. Brennan on the hit series, who calls Millie’s character Eleven “Papa.”
On screen: Matthew plays scientist Dr. Brennan on the hit series, who calls Millie’s character Eleven “Papa.”
Daddy? Joking that this has disappeared from the screen, he shared that people on the street came up to him and called him daddy.
Joking that this has disappeared from the screen, he said that people came up to him on the street and called him daddy.
During one meeting, he said to Jonathan, “They’d say, ‘I love you daddy, do you want to eat as**g?'”
And to capitalize on this, he even donned a crew neck sweater with the word “Papa” on it for the chat show look.
Discussing his character’s appearance, he said, “Japanese anime characters, the bad guys, they have white, white hair.” I thought that could be really cool. He had to wear work boots and jeans and a plaid shirt and I said, “Wouldn’t it be great if he dressed like Cary Grant in North by Northwest?”