Why Eric From A Quiet Place: Day One Looks So Familiar
The first two "A Quiet Place" movies explore a world that has already adapted to an alien takeover, one where humans need to stay absolutely silent lest they give away their location to the fearsome beasts. Now, audiences will see the timeline for "A Quiet Place" get filled in a little more clearly when "A Quiet Place: Day One" reveals what happened the first day the aliens arrived on Earth.
Much of the action centers on Sam (Lupita Nyong'o) fighting for her life in New York City, possibly the worst, noisiest place to be during this kind of invasion. Of course, Sam will interact with others who need to keep quiet to stay alive, including Eric, played by Joseph Quinn.
Quinn has ample credits to his name, but he's still finding new things to learn about his job as an actor, especially when working on a blockbuster horror franchise like "A Quiet Place." While speaking with CBS News about stretching his acting muscles in new ways for the flick, the actor said, "I think the challenge of it, for myself and Lupita, was to figure out ways to tell each other what to do and what not to do without any dialogue, which is great fun." Of course, anyone who's seen Quinn's previous performances knows he's not the kind of guy to run away from a challenge. Here are some of the other performances Quinn has given that audiences might be familiar with.
Dickensian (2015 - 2016)
Charles Dickens may have been a 19th-century writer, but his works remain relevant in our modern world. The author's continuing cultural presence goes beyond the Easter eggs Christopher Nolan hid in "The Dark Knight Rises," including the BBC One show that chronicles an entire shared universe of Dickens' creations. 2015's "Dickensian" includes Joseph Quinn's first major role, and it's a juicy one. He plays "Great Expectations'" Arthur Havisham, a bitter man who grows increasingly hostile toward his sister when she inherits most of their late father's possessions.
It was a fortuitous role for Quinn to nab at that point in time, as 2015 was also the year he graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA). The prestigious university has seen many notable actors walk through its doors, including Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor. As it turns out, "Dickensian" was just the first step in a rather prolific career, as Quinn has gone from BBC dramas to major American productions like "A Quiet Place: Day One" and more, including one created by another incredibly famous author.
Game of Thrones (2017)
For many people across the pond, their experience seeing Joseph Quinn's talents likely came in the 2017 episode of "Game of Thrones" — "The Spoils of War." In it, Quinn portrays a soldier of House Stark named Koner. He and another soldier, Henk (Danny Kirrane), prove to be an annoying force of resistance against Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), who wishes to enter Winterfell despite the soldiers' mistaken belief that the real Arya is dead.
Quinn may have only appeared in a single episode of the hit fantasy series, but the experience gives him something in common with a good buddy of his, Fabien Frankel, who the actor became friends with while they were both students at LAMDA. Frankel later went on to land his breakout role in the "Game of Thrones" spinoff show, "House of the Dragon," as Ser Criston Cole. The HoD star spoke about how much he admired Quinn in an interview with GQ. "As much as it pains me to say, [Quinn] was always just a brilliant actor," Frankel said. "There was always some magic on stage. Sadly we've never got to work together, but we've always stayed close." Now that both of their profiles have risen considerably over the last few years, perhaps a project for the two of them will materialize.
Overlord (2018)
"A Quiet Place: Day One" actually represents a return to form of sorts for Joseph Quinn. While the actor has graced a variety of productions on television and in theater, his first feature-length film role came in 2018's "Overlord." Quinn plays Grunauer, a soldier in a World War II regiment that is sent behind enemy lines to destroy a radio-jamming tower. In what would become a common yet depressing motif throughout Quinn's filmography, his character meets a brutal demise. At least this time his death occurs before the true horrors begin, granting the character a sort of reprieve from the zombies that come later in the film.
It's a genuine blink-and-you'll-miss-it part for Quinn, as he's barely in the movie and is gone before the real action begins. However, it does mean people who became fans of Quinn's work after the fact have gone back to check out "Overlord." There's even a Reddit thread of people who checked out the film after becoming fans of Eddie Munson on "Stranger Things." Redditor u/buffybotbingo offered this advice for anyone considering viewing the horror flick based on his role in the hit Netflix series: "First off, if you're watching this just for Joseph alone, it's probably not the film for you. He gets about maybe a minute of screen time." On the other hand, anyone who wants a solid zombie movie with some historical influences might still enjoy "Overlord," even if Quinn's part is minimal.
Stranger Things (2022)
After years of delivering solid performances in movies, TV shows, and theatrical productions, Joseph Quinn landed what is arguably his most acclaimed and beloved role to date as Eddie Munson on "Stranger Things" Season 4. He was a new addition to the cast, but instantly became a fan favorite, exuding a perfect heavy-metal attitude as a Dungeons & Dragons player who is wrongfully blamed for Chrissy's (Grace Van Dien) death. The main cast works with him to clear his name while figuring out a way to keep the Upside Down at bay. Sadly, the Hellfire Club member was destined to be yet another Quinn character who winds up dying, leaving "Stranger Things" fans wanting much more out of Eddie's shocking final moment.
Eddie became ingrained in the zeitgeist not only for just being plain fun, but also for having a stellar character arc, which Quinn discussed in an interview with Esquire. "I think it is a beautiful exploration of redemption," Quinn explained. "I think what makes him a hero is self-sacrifice and being in service of something other than yourself."
Quinn must have liked battling hordes of horrific monsters; "Stranger Things" Season 4 aired in May and July of 2022, and his involvement as Eric in "A Quiet Place: Day One" was announced in November that same year. But despite both projects featuring deadly creatures, his new role will be quite a change from his Netflix character. While Eddie provided one iconic, meme-able line after the next, Eric will probably have to keep his mouth almost completely shut in the horror prequel.