How Joseph Quinn's Stranger Things Character Helped When He Was Detained at Airport

Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn said he was "held up at immigration" at the airport. But luckily, he was recognized for his role as Eddie Munson. Watch him tell the story.

By Elyse Dupre Jul 27, 2022 3:01 PMTags
Watch: Stranger Things Star Joseph Quinn Discusses Eddie Munson's Fate

This may be among the stranger things to happen to Joseph Quinn.

During his talk-show debut on the July 25 episode of The Tonight Show, the actor, 28, revealed he almost didn't make his late-night appearance. And just why was that?

"I was held up at immigration yesterday," he told Jimmy Fallon. "Have you ever been to secondary?...No? Oh, it's not so fun." 

So what happened during his secondary inspection? "I was taken into I guess what you could call it, it was more of a dungeon, and I was asked to wait there for about 20 minutes," Quinn recalled of his trip to the interview area. "And then I was summoned to this desk, where someone asked me, 'What are you doing in the United States, sir?' I said, 'Well, I'm actually here to meet Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show,' and he didn't believe me."

Luckily, one of the officers recognized Quinn from his role as fan-favorite Eddie Munson on Stranger Things. "One of his colleagues looked over at me, looked over at him," he shared, "and said, 'Leave Eddie alone.'" 

And it looks like the person who stopped Quinn was a fan. "He's like, 'You're Eddie Munson?' I was like, 'Kind of.' He's like, 'Do you come back next season?' I said, 'Um, I don't know.' He was like, 'You better,' [and] gave me the passport."

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Stranger Things Kids Through the Years

After telling the story, Quinn presented Fallon with a present—a shirt from Hellfire Club, the Dungeons & Dragons organization Eddie headed at Hawkins High School.

"I'll wear this through immigration," the host joked, "it'll be fantastic."

Todd Owyoung/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

For those who haven't watched Stranger Things season four yet (warning: spoilers ahead), Eddie appeared to have died after fighting off Demobats with Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) in the Upside Down. During a recent interview with E! News, Quinn was asked if an appearance in season five is even a possibility.

"It'd be fun, wouldn't it?" he replied. "I'd be very up for it. But yeah, let's see." 

Whatever happens, he just hopes his character's name is cleared (Eddie was falsely accused of killing fellow Hawkins resident Chrissy Cunningham when she was really another one of Vecna's victims).

"I don't know how we're gonna do that. But it feels unjust, doesn't it?" Quinn said. "He paid the ultimate sacrifice for a town that thinks he's a monster. But he's not. So hopefully, they can figure that out."

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family).