Joseph Quinn had no idea what the plan was for Eddie Manson when he joined Netflix’s “Stranger Things” — but he knew he was excited to be a part of a show he’d watched since Season 1. “They told me very little at first,” Quinn, 29, tells Variety. “The Duffer Brothers told me I’d be in at least four episodes, but I didn’t have an option for another season, so I thought if I did well, they’d call me back. That didn’t work, clearly! So they killed me, but that’s okay, I guess. I’ll dust myself off!’ Little did he know that the bad boy leader of the heavy metal obsessed “Hellfire Club” would become a fan favorite. He would also have an epic performance that got everyone talking. Joseph Quinn as Eddie Manson in ‘Stranger Things’ courtesy of Netflix In the Season 4 finale, to distract the protesters, Eddie and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) plan a metal concert — and for a while, it actually works. The scene consists of Eddie standing on top of his Upside Down trailer, absolutely crushing the instrumental version of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.” “I was lucky to have learned the guitar when I was younger, so I had the foundations. I was by no means a virtuoso, but when it came time to shoot it, I was able to pull through,” Quinn says. “We had some kind of black belt heavy metal guitarist carry us through the solo, because that wasn’t going to happen! I couldn’t do that, but I could do the rest, which is lucky. It was an amazing experience.” Music supervisor Nora Felder confirmed that Quinn was playing and that Metallica were very happy with it. “Joseph took the time to learn the guitar riff and actually played on a lead track,” he says. “Everybody thought he did a great job.” It was also a special experience for those on set. “For a lot of the crew, it was the first time we all felt like we were in a live music environment since the start of the pandemic,” says Quinn. “It was so much fun to be able to do that with Geten.” While Quinn is 10 years older than Matarazzo, it wasn’t hard at all to form a bond with him, which clearly came across on screen. “It’s very easy if you really like the person,” Quinn says. “He’s a wonderful man and a brilliant actor, and I really appreciate the time we spent together in those scenes until the very last one — and the very last one. It was a real privilege.” Joseph Quinn and Gaten Matarazzo in “Stranger Things” courtesy of Netflix Since the penultimate season of “Stranger Things” debuted last month, she’s been trending on social media and making a huge splash on Netflix. The “Chris, Wake Up!” Eddie’s! The scene has become a very popular sound to use on TikTok. While Quinn tries to stay off social media, she has seen this. “It’s hilarious,” he says, noting that he loves how passionate the audience is because the cast and crew put in so much hard work for the intense season. “Everyone’s endurance was tested. it was a very long shoot. That was the hardest part — just staying invested emotionally and spiritually, staying in that world and being connected because you don’t want to do anything half-hearted. It’s been a long, long time — and that’s a big problem,” he says. As for what the cast did in their spare time, it was pretty straightforward: “We played Spy a lot, me and the gang. Joe [Keery] and I drank a lot of La Croix, sitting and talking. We’d just try to make each other laugh and mess around.” While Eddie’s current storyline is wrapped up, there’s always the possibility that we’ll see him in flashbacks in the fifth and final season. Quinn jokes, “I hope so.”
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