Matthew Broderick candidly reflects on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off being his acting legacy. The film, directed by John Hughes, premiered in 1986 and has generated a loyal fanbase over the years, while also becoming referenced in popular culture. It tracks Ferris (Broderick), a high school senior who decides to skip class for the day and explore Chicago with his friends. In addition to Broderick, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off stars Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey, Jeffrey Jones, and more.

During an interview with The Guardian, Broderick revealed that he accepts Ferris Bueller as his legacy. However, he explained that the role also led to difficulty in his career, noting how audiences continued to see him one way and that, “The ‘90s were hard.” Read Broderick’s comments regarding Ferris Bueller’s Day Off below:

"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. 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… I mean, yeah, I did have nice early success. But it’s not easy to maintain that first flush.

"It’s always a hard adjustment for child actors, young actors. People see the kid out of Leave It to Beaver grown up and they don’t buy it – they want to see little Beaver. People associated me with younger roles, but I wanted them to come with me and get used to the fact that I’m wrinkly. And it was hard. The ‘90s were hard. Lots of ups and downs. But I always tried to keep at it, keep my heart in it. Hopefully that keeps you in the game."

Broderick's Career After Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Broderick's performance, which earned the actor a Golden Globe nomination, has been a source of praise and given the movie's longevity, it's hard to imagine anyone else portraying Ferris Bueller. The film went on to become a commercial success and remains popular among audiences, largely because of its lead character and comedic elements, including fourth wall breaks. Despite appearing in a handful smaller projects, Broderick managed to land roles in The Lion King, Godzilla, Election, and Inspector Gadget in the years after Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Broderick's comments about growing up on-screen reveal some of the difficulties associated with maintaining relevance, and there are young stars who left show business because of that. However, he continues to act and in recent years, was featured in Manchester by the Sea and Daybreak. He also had a minor role in 2023's No Hard Feelings, portraying the wealthy father of Percy, who enlisted Maddie's help in exchange for the used Buick.

Broderick is now set to appear in the Netflix series Painkiller, which debuts August 10 and follows America's opioid surge. After learning about his rough patch, it's encouraging to see that he is still acting and eager join new projects. He will naturally always be linked to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but Broderick seems to remain positive about that.

Source: The Guardian