Born: 21-Mar-1962
Birthplace: New York City

Gender: Male
Religion: Jewish [1]
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Actor

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Matthew Broderick played the truant teen in the popular comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It remains his most famous role, but he was a successful actor before and after that film. He first stepped on the professional stage at age 17, in a production of Horton Foote's play On Valentine's Day, starring his father. His first film was supposed to be No Small Affair, starring Sally Field. He prepared for months and they filmed for two weeks, until the film's funding was yanked. It was finally financed, recast, and released two years later, with Demi Moore and Jon Cryer. At 19, Broderick turned down the role of Alex Keaton on Family Ties, a role that went to Michael J. Fox.

At 20, Broderick finally made his film debut in Neil Simon's Max Dugan Returns. At 21, Broderick appeared on Broadway in Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs, winning a Tony for his performance. The 1983 film War Games, with Broderick as computer-savvy teen who hacks into the Defense Department's mainframe, was Broderick's first big hit movie. Ferris Bueller was filmed three years later. He won a second Tony in 1995, for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, but he was passed over for a third Tony for his performance in the huge hit Broadway production of Mel Brooks's The Producers.

In 1987, while Broderick was vacationing in Northern Ireland with his then-girlfriend Jennifer Grey (who'd played his sister in Ferris Bueller), he steered his rented BMW into the opposite lane and it collided head-on with an oncoming car. Margaret Doherty, 63, and her daughter Anna Gallagher, 30, were killed. Doherty's son Martin Doherty was crippled. Broderick and Grey were slightly injured. Broderick, whose blood tested negative for alcohol, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, and under Irish law he could have been imprisoned for five years. He was convicted only of careless driving, and fined $175. The family of the dead were understandably furious. Broderick has since said he's "willing to" meet with Doherty to apologize, but he hasn't.

Father: James Broderick (actor, b. 7-Mar-1927, d. 1-Nov-1981 cancer)
Mother: Patricia (b. 23-Feb-1925, d. 18-Nov-2003)
Sister: Janet Broderick Kraft (Episcopal priest)
Sister: Martha Broderick
Girlfriend: Jennifer Grey (actress, engaged 1986)
Girlfriend: Daisy Foote (dau. of writer Horton Foote, dated 1986)
Girlfriend: Helen Hunt (actress, dated 1987)
Girlfriend: Penelope Ann Miller (actress, dated 1990)
Girlfriend: Lili Taylor (actress, dated 1994)
Wife: Sarah Jessica Parker (actress, m. 19-May-1997, one son, two daughters)
Son: James Wilke Broderick (b. 28-Oct-2002 with Parker)
Daughter: Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick (twin, b. 22-Jun-2009 with Parker via surrogate)
Daughter: Tabitha Hodge Broderick (twin, b. 22-Jun-2009 with Parker via surrogate)

    High School: Walden School, Manhattan, NY (1980)

    Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
    Innocence Project Artists' Committee
    Tony 1983 for Brighton Beach Memoirs
    Tony 1995 for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
    Vehicular Manslaughter Northern Ireland 5-Aug-1987
    Reckless Driving Northern Ireland 5-Aug-1987, convicted
    Endorsement of Honda (2012)
    Funeral: Nora Ephron (2012)
    Irish Ancestry Paternal and Maternal
    Jewish Ancestry Maternal

    FILMOGRAPHY AS DIRECTOR
    Infinity (7-Sep-1996)

    FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
    Wonder Park (13-Mar-2019) [VOICE]
    Manchester by the Sea (23-Jan-2016)
    Trainwreck (16-Mar-2015) · Himself
    Tower Heist (2-Nov-2011) · Mr. Fitzhugh
    Margaret (30-Sep-2011) · John
    Wonderful World (5-Jun-2009) · Ben
    The Tale of Despereaux (19-Dec-2008) · Despereaux [VOICE]
    Valentino: The Last Emperor (7-Sep-2008) · Himself
    Finding Amanda (Apr-2008) · Taylor Mendon
    Diminished Capacity (21-Jan-2008) · Cooper
    Bee Movie (28-Oct-2007) [VOICE]
    Then She Found Me (7-Sep-2007) · Ben
    Deck the Halls (22-Nov-2006)
    Strangers with Candy (17-Jun-2006)
    The Producers (16-Dec-2005) · Leo Bloom
    The Last Shot (24-Sep-2004)
    The Stepford Wives (6-Jun-2004) · Walter Kresby
    The Lion King 1½ (10-Feb-2004) [VOICE]
    Marie & Bruce (19-Jan-2004)
    Good Boy! (10-Oct-2003) [VOICE]
    The Music Man (16-Feb-2003)
    You Can Count On Me (21-Jan-2000) · Brian
    Inspector Gadget (18-Jul-1999)
    Election (23-Apr-1999) · Jim McAllister
    The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (27-Oct-1998) [VOICE]
    Walking to the Waterline (13-Jun-1998)
    Godzilla (18-May-1998) · Dr. Niko Tatopoulos
    Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (4-Nov-1997) [VOICE]
    Addicted to Love (23-May-1997) · Sam
    Infinity (7-Sep-1996)
    The Cable Guy (14-Jun-1996) · Steven
    Arabian Knight (25-Aug-1995) [VOICE]
    The Road to Wellville (28-Oct-1994)
    Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (7-Sep-1994)
    The Lion King (15-Jun-1994) [VOICE]
    The Night We Never Met (30-Apr-1993)
    Out on a Limb (4-Sep-1992) · Bill
    The Freshman (20-Jul-1990)
    Glory (15-Dec-1989) · Robert Gould Shaw
    Family Business (13-Dec-1989) · Adam
    Torch Song Trilogy (14-Dec-1988)
    Biloxi Blues (25-Mar-1988) · Eugene
    Project X (17-Apr-1987) · Jimmy
    Ferris Bueller's Day Off (11-Jun-1986) · Ferris Bueller
    On Valentine's Day (11-Apr-1986)
    1918 (26-Apr-1985) · Brother Vaughn
    Ladyhawke (29-Mar-1985) · Phillipe
    Master Harold... and the Boys (1985)
    WarGames (3-Jun-1983) · David
    Max Dugan Returns (25-Mar-1983) · Michael McPhee

New! NNDB MAPPER

Create a map starting with

Matthew Broderick

Requires Flash 7+ and Javascript.

Do you know something we don't?
Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile

Copyright ©2019 Soylent Communications