For decades, โFerris Buellerโs Day Offโ has been celebrated as one of the defining teen comedies of the 1980s. But for actor Mia Sara, the reality behind the scenes was far less idyllic than the filmโs enduring reputation might suggest.
Released in 1986, the John Hughes-directed classic follows a wisecracking Chicago teenager who fakes an illness and embarks on an unforgettable day of adventure with his girlfriend and best friend while dodging school officials determined to catch him.
In a conversation with The Times of London, Sara, who starred as Ferris Buellerโs girlfriend Sloane Peterson, revealed that her memories of making the beloved film were complicated, citing tensions with director Hughes and her own struggles as a young performer navigating a major Hollywood production.
Sara has largely stepped away from Hollywood and now focuses on writing. Her website biography reads, โMia Sara used to be an actress, but recovered her senses and now she writes.โ
โI donโt really give interviews because making โFerris Buellerโ was not that good an experience for me,โ Sara said. โBut Iโm very aware of what a precious thing this movie is, and I donโt want to disappoint people. But I didnโt really get along well with John.โ
Sara, born Mia Sarapochiello, was only 17 years old when she joined the cast of the 1986 classic.
โJohn was a strange guy,โ she told the outlet. โHe wanted us all to hang out together and to introduce us to the French New Wave films. But the others were seasoned actors and I was a snotty New York kid and had seen all those movies, so he was frustrated in that desire.โ
โI didnโt have the emotional maturity to deal with other peopleโs egos, or my own,โ Sara added.
Hughes died in 2009 at the age of 59, but his legacy remains firmly intact. Widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of the 1980s, he is beloved by generations of moviegoers for directing and writing iconic films including โThe Breakfast Club,โ โSixteen Candlesโ andโFerris Buellerโs Day Off.โ
Despite her frustrations with the production, Saraโs memories of the film were not entirely negative. She also revealed that she developed a crush on her leading man, Matthew Broderick, who played Ferris Bueller.
โYeah, I had no chance!โ Sara admitted to the outlet. โI had a massive on Matthew during filming, but it was very much unrequited.โ
Sara, in an 1986 interview with UPI, said it wasnโt โlove at first sightโ with Hughes (but said it was with director Ridley Scott, with whom she worked on โLegendโ).
โBut it was funny. He didnโt know how old I was and said he wanted an older girl to play the 17-year-old. He said it would take someone older to give her the kind of dignity she needed. He almost fell out of his chair when I told him I was only 18.โ