Fun Facts About 'Stranger Things' Actor Joseph Quinn

Meet the man behind Eddie Munson — "Stranger Things" cast member Joseph Quinn.

Fun Facts About 'Stranger Things' Actor Joseph Quinn

What is about the character of Eddie Munson on "Stranger Things"? People can't get enough of Eddie or the actor who plays him, Joseph Quinn.

Meet this up-and-coming star who is certainly destined for bigger things.

Before Eddie Munson, Joseph Quinn Was Mostly Known from British Television

Warning: This story has spoilers.

Joseph Quinn didn't begin acting until about 2015. And until he took the role of Eddie Munson, Quinn was largely unknown to American audiences.

Born on May 15, 1993, and raised in South London, the 29-year-old actor attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He appeared mostly on British television in period dramas such as "Les Misérables" and "Catherine the Great."

His Salary and Net Worth

Quinn is said have a net worth of about $3 million.

While it is unknown what he made on Season 4 of "Stranger Things," it's rumored to be about $250,000.

He Was Surprised When the Duffer Brothers Picked Him to Play Eddie Munson

Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson in "Stranger Things"

Quinn had never worked in the U.S. and didn't audition for "Stranger Things" in the normal sense. He sent two tapes to the Duffer brothers, who offered him the part of Eddie Munson fairly immediately.

Not only was he shocked he got the part, but he's also been stunned by the overwhelmingly positive reaction to his character. "I had never worked in America before, and my friends and colleagues would talk about these grueling, gladiatorial auditions. Going back to expectations, I expected nothing from those tapes. I sent them off, and they gave me the part. I don’t understand why, but I’m very glad they did.

"My exposure to social media has been minimal. I don’t have TikTok. I have an Instagram account managed by a friend. But I have friends sending me little videos constantly. I find that sweet and funny, but I don’t know what to say about it. Clearly, Eddie has touched some people. It’s funny that people would take time out of their day to make videos like that. When I think of characters from film and television I loved growing up, it’s like people feel that way about Eddie. It’s mad."

An American Accent Wasn't Easy for Him

Quinn put on a convincing Midwestern accent to play Eddie, but he wasn't so sure of himself and got help from fellow cast member and friend Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington.

Attempting the accent made him "feel like a sociopath. After a while, I was so far down the rabbit hole, at points I’d be like, ‘Do I sound good? Do you like this? Do you like what I’m doing?' I was talking to Joe Keery, and at one point, I was so deep in it, and he was like 'Dude, I can’t save you, but I promise you it’s gonna be fine.'"

His Voice Has Been 'Songified'

Eddie Munson and Chrissy Cunningham characters in "Stranger Things"

Quinn's accent for Eddie was convincing enough that he's been "songified." His lines the moment Chrissy is taken by Vecna have been remixed into an all-too-catchy tune.

Once you hear it, you'll never be able to get it out of your head. Of course, it's also gone viral.

Quinn calls it "pretty funny. And it’s so stupid and I’m so glad that they did it. It’s ridiculous."

'Chrissy Wake Up'

Quinn Really Played Guitar for the Part

Eddie Munson's heroic "Master of Puppets" jam in the Upside Down propelled Metallica's 1986 song to the top of the U.S. charts. Quinn, who is a musician in his own right, learned how to play the track.

He's been playing guitar since he was 7 years old, and while his version isn't picture perfect, it does look and sound authentic. Tye Trujillo, the son of Robert Trujillo, bass player for Metallica, also lent a hand with additional guitar parts.

Quinn Tackling 'Master of Puppets'

Metallica Has Been Very Supportive of Eddie's Journey

Metallica loves the attention "Master of Puppets" is getting. And, of course, it translates into big bucks for the band.

They said via Instagram: "We were beyond psyched for [the Duffer brothers] to not only include 'Master of Puppets' in the show, but to have such a pivotal scene built around it. We were all stoked to see the final result and when we did we were totally blown away... it’s so extremely well done, so much so, that some folks were able to guess the song just by seeing a few seconds of Joseph Quinn’s hands in the trailer!! How crazy cool is that?

"It’s an incredible honor to be such a big part of Eddie’s journey and to once again be keeping company with all of the other amazing artists featured in the show."

Metallica posted a second time to show a jam with Munson himself, complete with Hellfire Club T-shirts.

Metallica Duets 'Master of Puppets' with Eddie Munson

Iron Maiden Has Also Given the Character a Shoutout

Eddie Munson with Iron Maiden cassette in "Stranger Things"

When the teens frantically look for music to pull Nancy away from Vecna, they find that Eddie's collection is only heavy metal. He yells, "THIS IS MUSIC!" and holds up an Iron Maiden cassette.

Maiden loved the scene and posted "We're with you, Eddie!" on Twitter with the photo of him you see above.

By the way, Iron Maiden's mascot is also named Eddie. Surely, the Duffer brothers knew this.

Eddie Munson Is Loosely Based on a Real Person

Eddie Munson is based on real person — Damien Echols, one of the West Memphis Three. Echols was a teen much like Munson. He loved metal and was interested in the occult during the "Satanic Panic" era of the 1980s and '90s.

The Memphis Three (Echols and two other teens) were convicted of the triple homicide of three 8-year-old boys in 1993. The investigation was focused mainly on Echols, due to his offbeat interests and penchant for petty crimes, such as shoplifting and burglary. Despite not having much evidence, authorities pronounced the murders Satanic ritual abuse, and the three teens were prime suspects.

Echols was convicted and put on death row and the other teens served 18 years. In 2007, DNA testing showed they were not tied to the murder scene. The men took Alford plea deals, which meant they asserted their innocence despite admitting there was enough evidence to convict them and were released.

After seeing Munson on "Stranger Things," Echols, now 47, posted to Twitter, "In case anyone else is wondering, I was tremendously honored by it. And I greatly appreciate all the new eyes and hearts it has brought to our fight [the West Memphis 3 case.] I was watching it at 3 am in the morning, and when I heard the very first chords from 'Master of Puppets,' my heart exploded."

Quinn Is Touched by All the Love for He's Received from Fans

Eddie Munson has changed Joseph Quinn's life overnight. He has become the show's breakout star for Season 4. He said he feels "so touched that people have been so welcoming and have responded in such a way to Eddie.

"I definitely remember having those characters that I loved when I was younger and that feeling of ownership and protectiveness towards them. And to feel that, in any small way, there are some people out there that have felt like that about a character that I’ve played is truly a mind-bending thing. I feel very, very lucky."

Eddie Munson's Journey Could Have Had an Alternate Ending — But It Would Not Have Been a Happy One

Eddie Munson went out in a blaze of glory in the season finale, and according to the Duffer brothers, there was really no other way for his storyline to continue.

On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Matt Duffer said the brothers saw him as a "doomed character. Even imagining the flip side of that where he does survive the battle is not a great life awaiting Eddie back in the right side up either."

But Will He Be Back for Season 5?

While the Duffers had no intention of bringing back Joseph Quinn or Eddie Munson, they also didn't anticipate his popularity. The fans want him back, even if his character returns supernaturally.

At the time of this writing, over 75,000 fans have signed an online petition, and Quinn is willing to do even a small cameo. "It'd be fun, wouldn't it? I'd be very up for it. But yeah, let's see."

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