Matthew Broderick

Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers. He is married to actress Sarah Jessica Parker. Broderick was born in New York City, the son of Patricia (née Biow), a playwright, actress, and painter; and James Joseph Broderick, an actor. Broderick's mother was Jewish and his father was a Catholic of Irish descent. Broderick attended grade school at the City & Country School (a progressive K–8 school in Manhattan) and attended high school at Walden School (a defunct private school in Manhattan with a strong drama program). After the death of his mother, her paintings were exhibited at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery in New York. Broderick's first major acting role came in an HB Studio workshop production of playwright Horton Foote's On Valentine's Day, playing opposite his father, who was a friend of Foote's. This was followed by a lead role as Harvey Fierstein's gay lover in the off-Broadway production of Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy; then, a good review by New York Times theater critic Mel Gussow brought him to the attention of Broadway. Broderick commented on the effects of that review in a 2004 60 Minutes II interview: “Before I knew it, I was like this guy in a hot play. And suddenly, all these doors opened. And it’s only because Mel Gussow happened to come by right before it closed and happened to like it. It’s just amazing. All these things have to line up that are out of your control".