Bueller? Bueller? To many, Matthew Broderick will always be Ferris Bueller, the king of skipping school, dodging pesky principals and parade serenades. Broderick is well aware of this, fessing up that character will be his legacy.
Speaking with The Guardian, Matthew Broderick admitted he will forever be tied to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, saying, “What’s my legacy? Well, I’m Ferris Bueller, I suppose. I have to accept it. And I like it. I’ve made my peace with it.” Broderick almost seems a bit reluctant to latch onto the reputation of Ferris Bueller, although that might be because the movie is almost 40 years old and was part of the early stage of his career, adding, “I’m not ready for people to start discussing my legacy…And I have this Pollyanna streak that keeps me going. I always like to think there’s something coming that’s better.”
Another reason Matthew Broderick might be hesitant to cite the movie is that he didn’t exactly have as much fun as Ferris Bueller while shooting the 1986 teen comedy, frequently clashing with writer/director John Hughes and claiming that Hughes went days without offering his actor any direction after Broderick criticized some notes.
But Matthew Broderick has not only “made peace” with being known as Ferris Bueller, he has fully acknowledged the fanbase it has, even reuniting with cast members Alan Ruck (buddy and Cameron Frye), Mia Sara (girlfriend Sloane Peterson) and Jennifer Grey (sister Jeanie Bueller) in 2020 to honor the movie.
While the character may be Matthew Broderick’s trademark – it even earned him his only Golden Globe nomination to date – the film itself has a legacy of its own, as it’s generally considered one of the best high school movies ever (pretty good considering so little actually takes place in the school). The American Film Institute even nominated it as one of the 400 greatest movies ever made, although we’d argue it deserved a spot on their 100 Years…100 Laughs list. It, too, was also deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the National Film Registry. Take that, Godzilla!
Where does Ferris Bueller’s Day Off rank in your top Matthew Broderick roles? Do you think most people see him only as Ferris?
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