“I have to go…”: The day the Full Metal Jacket actor pulled out a knife in front of Stanley Kubrick to get on set.

To say that Stanley Kubrick was demanding is an understatement. The director was a notorious perfectionist, known for shooting for months (and months) and “forcing” his actors to do countless scenes to get the most perfect scene possible. If some could adapt to the intensity of the filmmaker, for example, Tom Cruise or Jack Nicholson, for others, it was much more difficult. Such was the case, for example, with Shelley Duvall, who almost quit filming The Shining due to stress – and also, according to Anjelica Huston, who shared the life. Jack Nicholson Because of Kubrick’s particularly harsh treatment at the time.

And if there’s one actor who also struggled to adapt to Kubrick’s method, it’s Matthew Modine (Stranger Things) during the director’s latest film, Full Metal Jacket. Production on the feature film was huge – and by huge, we mean a two-year shoot that required a replica of the Vietnam jungle to be built in the UK.

All the main actors were still very young and immersed in this painful performance that recreated the most terrible war. But for Modine, it was an event in his personal life that led to a heated argument with Kubrick, a disagreement that actually forced the actor to pull out a knife in front of the director!

He almost missed a very important event

This was in an interview with Unframed in 2013 Matthew Modine told his argument Stanley Kubrick who arrived at the time when he should have been happiest. Indeed, during filming Full metal jacket, to his wife, their first child, Boman Modini (who became a producer and assistant director). Naturally, the actress wanted to be in the hospital for the birth of her child, but Kubrick was not very enthusiastic about it…

“We found out she was going to have an emergency c-section. The child was not growing in the womb. It was earlier, seven months. I knew I wouldn’t show up for work. When they came to pick me up, I knew I wasn’t going to work that day – they were taking Dorian Harewood. I did not participate in this scene. So I went to the set and Stanley didn’t show up on time. It was seven, eight, nine. I was in a panic. Finally, he appeared at work and I explained the situation. He said, “What are you going to do? Are you going to stand in the operating room? As soon as they open it, you will go crazy. You will see all this blood and you will be lost! You will just embarrass the doctors.“

But Matthew Modine Undeterred by Kubrick’s protests, he pulled out a knife in front of the director – but not for the reason you might think…

“I said: No, I have to go. I should be there with my wife.’ And he started telling me all these very practical reasons why I didn’t need to be there. I had a pocket knife with me, I put it in my palm and said: Look, I’m going to cut my hand and I have to go to the hospital, or you can let me go. Being with my wife in the hospital. He pulled away from me and said, “Okay, but come back as soon as it’s over.”“

And here’s how Matthew Modine He was able to go and join his wife to attend the birth of their son. At least it’s not Stanley Kubrick He was in a hurry, he himself was late for the shooting that day. The actor was even able to “rest” for a few days after:I came back and handed out cigars. I didn’t take it for another three days.“

oppose Stanley KubrickBut you have to dare Matthew Modine Did it and for the best reasons!

Full Metal Jacket can still be seen on VOD.