Stranger Things star, Matthew Modine, recently shared that he has bizarre interactions with the show's fans. Modine stars as Dr. Martin Brenner in the science-fiction horror series which centers on the core group of teenagers from Hawkins, Indiana as they once again battle dark forces that threaten the world from the parallel dimension known as the Upside Down. Set six months after the season 3's Battle of Starcourt Mall, the group finds themselves separated as they face all new problems.
Now relocated to a suburban town in California, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the Byers family attempt to lead a normal life. However, the situation becomes more complicated when Eleven is once again targeted by the government as the horrifying new villain Vecna, the malicious telepathic being from the Upside-Down, begins killing people in Hawkins. Eleven is whisked away by Dr. Sam Owens (Paul Reiser) and taken to a hidden laboratory where she is reunited with Dr. Brenner, the determined doctor that previously ran experiments on her and other small children that exhibited superhuman powers. Each of these children were coerced to obey Dr. Brenner's every command and referred to him a "Papa."
During an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Modine admitted that he had bizarre interactions with passionate fans. The actor explained that one such moment occurred in Italy when he was confronted by a group of small children who all called him, "Papa," emulating what the kidnapped children called Dr. Brenner on the show. Read what Modine said below.
"When the show broke, I was doing a television...mini-series in Italy. And all the little Italian children were coming up and saying, 'Papa! Papa! Papa!' And I thought, 'That's really weird. Why are they calling me papa?' And my children call me papa. And then, two plus two equaled four and I realized that it was because of the show."
The experience in Italy must have been strange initially as Modine was confused by the intentions of the little fans. However, the actor shared that he was warmed by the support as he compares the success of Stranger Things to that of his universally-acclaimed Stanley Kubrick war film, Full Metal Jacket. Such a global sensation develops a fervent and loyal fan-base that tends to express themselves in various ways to show their devotion to the show.
Fans have created a multitude of art such as an ode to Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman) and his karate skills with digital art that resembles the film, The Karate Kid. Another artist blended Stranger Things with Nightmare on Elm Street, an 80s horror classic that greatly influenced season 4. With Stranger Things breaking streaming records and dominating Netflix's viewership, it is no wonder that fans would continue to show their appreciation to the actors who helped build the series into the sensation it is today.
Source: Late Night with Seth Meyers