See the Stars of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Then & Now

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Speaking of time travel, it’s about forty years since “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” hit the screens on June 11, 1986. It seems like no time at all when you’re cruising in a Ferrari, parading through Chicago streets, and dodging expulsion, doesn’t it?

The John Hughes movie featured Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, and Jennifer Grey, and unexpectedly garnered immense success, earning over $70 million at the box office. This film catapulted its actors into prominent young star status in Hollywood and solidified Ferris Bueller as one of pop culture’s most adored movie characters.

Isn’t it true that everyone wished they could have been friends with Ferris or even emulated him, given his daring school escapades and effortlessly cool demeanor?

A person dating the brother of our friend’s sister’s boyfriend overheard from a mutual acquaintance who is associated with someone attending the event where Mia Sara made her red carpet return in 15 years, on June 2nd, at the premiere of her latest movie titled The Life of Chuck.

Alongside her fellow cast members, she marked her presence during their virtual reunion in June 2020, a gathering where Broderick reminisced about acquiring the legendary role.

John Hughes, who was both the writer and director, told my agent that he wanted me in one of his films. This is what he shared with Josh Gad during his YouTube Series “Reunited Apart”. At that moment, I was busy with a play, Broderick said. Everyone was comparing him to Steven Spielberg of teen movies at the time… And then I watched ‘Breakfast Club’ and ‘Sixteen Candles’, and I absolutely loved them.

Basically, it was an easy yes.

Without a doubt, the fictional teen who had the courage and intelligence to outsmart every adult in his world gained quite a following. Whether they were sports enthusiasts, car aficionados, intellectuals, promiscuous individuals, gang members, or just average folks, everyone seemed to admire him. They all regarded him as a respectable individual.

Hey there, fellow Ferris Bueller enthusiasts! Let’s jump right into the spirit of things and seize the day, just like our hero did in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”! Let’s ditch our responsibilities for a while, crank up that iconic “Twist and Shout,” and find out what the incredible cast from this timeless classic are up to now. Ready to join me on this fun-filled adventure? Let’s roll!

Matthew Broderick, who played the lead role in “WarGames,” was nominated for a Golden Globe for his memorable portrayal of Ferris Bueller, the most popular teen of the ’80s. Later on, he appeared in movies like “The Cable Guy,” “Inspector Gadget,” and “Godzilla,” and lent his voice to adult Simba in “The Lion King.

Broderick has been honored with two Tony Awards for his theater performances, one for “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and another for “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”. He also teamed up with Nathan Lane in the musical comedy “The Producers”, a collaboration that was later revisited in the 2005 film version. Furthermore, he has made guest appearances on “The Conners” and more recently can be seen on television in “Painkiller”, “Elsbeth”, and “Only Murders in the Building”.

In the year 1997, the actor tied the knot with Sarah Jessica Parker, who later became famous for her role in Sex and the City. They are parents to three children: James, showing a talent for acting, and twin girls Marion and Tabitha.

At age 29, Ruck secured his breakthrough role as the anxious and jittery high school senior character, Cameron Frye, who was best friends with Ferris. This iconic part helped establish him in Hollywood.

In 2020, I shared with Entertainment Weekly that I’ve always appeared younger than my actual age, an unexpected yet delightful twist. Remarkably, this serendipitous circumstance played a significant role in my being cast for that film, as I had recently collaborated with Matthew on a stage production in New York.

Subsequently, he made appearances in “Young Guns II”, “Star Trek Generations”, “Speed” and “Twister”. His next role was in the television series “Spin City” from 1996 to 2002. He then portrayed the eldest Roy sibling Connor on HBO’s popular drama “Succession”. Upcoming, he will feature in the movie adaptation of “People We Meet on Vacation” and team up with Broderick once more for the comedy “The Best Is Yet to Come”.

In the year 2008, Ruck tied the knot with actress Mireille Enos. Since then, they’ve become parents to a daughter named Vesper and a son named Larkin. Additionally, he has two children, a daughter named Emma and a son named Sam, from his earlier marriage to Claudia Stefany.

In her breakthrough role as Ferris’ charming and spirited girlfriend Sloane Peterson, Sara delivered a standout performance that led to her being cast in the 1994 action film TimeCop, where she starred alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Afterward, she portrayed Harley Quinn in the brief-running Birds of Prey TV series and made guest appearances on CSI:NY. Since then, she mainly stepped away from acting, although she expressed during an interview with Glamour in 2009 that people often mistake her for someone they knew from school, stating, “Usually, people believe they attended high school with me.

Following a significant hiatus from the limelight, she made her comeback to films in 2025 with her new movie titled “Life of Chuck“. It was during this time that she reconnected with director Mike Flanagan. When asked by People, Mia shared, “He asked me, ‘Don’t you ever feel like getting back to work?'” To which she replied, “I wasn’t sure.” He then proposed, “What if I presented you with an opportunity?” She agreed, saying, “Well, if you give me one, I’ll take it.

Sara was married to Jason Connery, the son of Sean Connery (the famous James Bond actor), from 1996 to 2002, and they had a son named Dashiell Quinn Connery in June 1997. Later, in 2010, she married Brian Henson, who is the son of Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. The couple reside in England and welcomed their daughter Amelia in 2005.

In the movie “Dirty Dancing” from 1987, Grey portrayed Jeanie – Ferris’ persistent, envious, and initially reluctant sister. Despite her initial resistance to certain situations, she played a crucial role in rescuing her wayward brother and even shared a kiss with Charlie Sheen towards the end of the film.

During the production of “Ferris“, Grey and Broderick secretly started dating and became engaged, but their relationship ended tragically following a 1987 head-on collision in Ireland. This accident involved another car occupied by a mother and her daughter, who unfortunately lost their lives. Broderick was indicted for causing death by reckless driving, but was eventually found guilty of the lesser charge of careless driving.

Later, Grey played the lead opposite Patrick Swayze in the film ‘Dirty Dancing’. Her performance as Baby earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.

Later on, she emerged victorious in season 11 of “Dancing With the Stars” (2010) and graced Amazon Prime Video’s comedy series “Red Oaks”. Additionally, she has made appearances on “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Dollface”, and “The Conners”, and portrayed the central figure in Lifetime’s “Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation”.

Back in July 2020, it was shared that actress Grey and actor Clark Gregg, her husband, were parting ways after being a couple for 19 years. While they were together, they became parents to their daughter named Stella.

Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen’s son, began his acting career with a short but impactful portrayal of Garth Volbeck, which was followed by a series of successful films such as Platoon, The Rookie, Major League, and Wall Street, where he shared the screen with his father.

Following Michael J. Fox’s departure from Spin City in 2000, Sheen received a Golden Globe for his performances on the sitcom. Then, in 2003, Sheen embarked on an eight-year stint as a star on the popular CBS comedy series Two and a Half Men, appearing in 177 episodes and receiving four Emmy nominations.

In 2011, Sheen was dismissed from the show due to a series of controversial outbursts directed at its creator, Chuck Lorre. Before his departure, filming was halted for a while when the actor sought treatment for drug addiction following a relapse. It was in 2015 that Sheen openly disclosed his HIV-positive status.

Later, he would become a leading actor in FX’s “Anger Management” from 2012 to 2014 and make appearances in the movies “Scary Movie 4”, “Scary Movie 5”, and “Machete Kills”.

The actor has been married on three different occasions: first to Donna Peele from 1995 to 1996, then to Denise Richards from 2002 to 2006, and lastly to Brooke Mueller from 2008 to 2011. He has a total of five children and one grandchild.

In the film, Jones delivered a memorable portrayal as the eccentric principal Edward R. Rooney who clashed with Ferris, a performance that stood out. Later, this actor appeared in movies like “Beetlejuice,” “Ed Wood,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Stuart Little,” and “Dr. Doolittle 2.” He also graced the screen on HBO’s “Deadwood” for two seasons, reprising his role in the series’ 2019 movie.

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Jones gave a remarkable performance as the unconventional principal Edward R. Rooney who was Ferris’ main adversary in the movie. Afterward, he appeared in various films including “Beetlejuice,” “Ed Wood,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Stuart Little,” and “Dr. Doolittle 2.” Additionally, he acted on HBO’s “Deadwood” for two seasons, reprising his role in the series’ 2019 movie.

In the year 2004, Jones admitted to having no contest in a case involving child pornography accusations, which stated that he employed a 14-year-old boy for an explicit photo session. As a result, he was required to register as a sex offender, received counseling and served five years of probation. In the year 2010, he confessed to one felony count of neglecting to update his California sex offender registration.

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2025-06-11 10:17