How Eddie Munson Saved ‘Stranger Things’ Actor at Immigration

Being Eddie Munson has its privileges! That’s what actor Joseph Quinn, who portrays the teen metalhead on Netflix’s Stranger Things, revealed to Jimmy Fallon during his Tonight Show late night debut. In fact, if it weren’t for his breakout character, Quinn might not have made it to the Tonight Show at all.

As the actor told the NBC’s late night host, “I was held up at immigration yesterday. Ever been to secondary [inspection]? It was not so fun.”

The British actor had flown to the U.S. for the TV appearance, and he revealed of his entry into the country, “I was taken into, I guess what you could call it more of a dungeon. And I was asked to wait there for about 20 minutes and then I was summoned to this desk where someone asked me, ‘What are you doing in the United States, sir?’ I said, ‘I’m actually here to meet Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.’ And he didn’t believe me.”

But luckily another customs agent recognized the actor, telling his co-worker, “Leave Eddie alone!”

Quinn relayed to Fallon, “And then [the interviewer] said, ‘Who are you?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ And [his colleague was] like, ‘It’s Eddie from Stranger Things!’ And he was like, ‘You’re Eddie Munson?’ I was like, ‘Kind of.’ He was like, ‘Do you come back next season?’ I said, ‘Um, I don’t know,’ and he said, ‘You better,’ and gave me my passport.”

Munson was the Season 4 breakout character from the popular series, who also brought metal into the spotlight thanks to his look as well as his guitar riffing skills rocking out to Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” in the Upside Down. The character’s fate is definitely a hot topic amongst fans ahead of Season 5.

As Quinn later told Fallon, playing Metallica in the finale’s pivotal scene was “nerve-wracking,” but also “pretty great.” I was nervous, but it was kind of like a rock concert,” says the actor. “And I got to feel like a rock star for one night. And that was pretty great.”

Joseph Quinn Tells Jimmy Fallon About How ‘Eddie Munson’ Helped Him Through Immigration