Eddie Munson's Last Words Were Improvised by Joseph Quinn
Joseph Quinn has become a household name in the world of Stranger Things, having rocketed to stardom thanks to his role in the 4th season although some may argue that Quinn is famous as Eddie Munson, the character he portrayed.
However, we can say with confidence that his acting talent played a huge part in his character being so undeniably iconic.
For those who may not know, before Stranger Things, Joseph Quinn starred in British film and television series such as Catherine the Great, Dickensian, and had supporting roles in Les Miserables and Strike that the majority of Stranger Things fans will probably have never heard of.
In comes metal head, rebel leader of the Hellfire club Eddie Munson in Season 4, and by the season finale, everyone is talking about Joseph Quinn. Eddie Munson's final moments in the Upside Down is arguably one of the most tragic deaths in the series to date. He dies in Dustin's arms after sacrificing himself to save his friends and finally redeeming himself as a hero, for not running away. The scene was gut-wrenching enough and fans cannot forget it, whether they want to or not.
The kicker of it all? Eddie's final words to Dustin: "I love you, man."
If those words weren't already bringing on the waterworks, Dustin tearfully replies "I love you, too." And then Eddie is gone. The impact of those words in that moment could not have been more perfectly heartbreaking. And although the producers and writers of the show are undoubtedly phenomenal, they can't take credit for this one, because Joseph Quinn improvised it.
This wasn't Quinn's only improvisation in the show. In an earlier scene where he is hotwiring a car with Steve, he says "Oh, I'm starting this sucker. Harrington's got her. Don't ya, big boy." And turns around giving Steve a big smile, another true Eddie Munson moment showing off his rebellious, quirky personality. Fans caught on to this and asked if the last part, "Don't ya, big boy," was improvised. The official Stranger Things page on Twitter replied with one word. "Yes." Fans only found out about this improvisation after Stranger Things revealed that "I love you, man" was unscripted.
Could it be the hair? The smile? The rebelliousness? His heroic last moments? There is something about Eddie Munson that fans cannot get enough of, and cannot seem to agree on what it is. One thing however is for certain: there couldn't have been a better actor to play Eddie than Joseph Quinn, who proved himself time and time again, truly becoming his character to the point where he improvised his own perfect last words.