Matthew Broderick Biography

(American Theatre and Film Actor Best Known for His Film 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off')

Birthday: March 21, 1962 (Aries)

Born In: Manhattan, New York, United States

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Matthew Broderick is an American actor, best known for his performances in the movie ‘Ferris Bueller's Day Off’ and Broadway production ‘The Producers.’ Matthew Broderick was born into an artistic family and was introduced to the stage at the young age of 17. He began nurturing his interest in acting from his school days, and entered the world of entertainment through stage shows and plays. During the course of his career, he has explored various platforms, such as feature films, plays, musicals, and documentary films to showcase his talent. He has also made guest appearances in popular television shows like ‘Saturday Night Live,’ ‘Modern Family,’ ‘Frasier,’ and ‘The Jim Gaffigan Show.’ His performances in theatre have earned him the ‘Tony Award’ for ‘Best Featured Actor’ twice. He is the youngest actor to receive the award in this category till date. During the course of his career, Matthew Broderick has managed to strike a balance between Broadway theatre and commercial films. However, he has stated that he finds it difficult to act in films due to his self-consciousness.

Quick Facts

Age: 61 Years, 61 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Sarah Jessica Parker (m. 1997)

father: James Broderick

mother: Patricia Broderick

siblings: Janet Broderick Kraft, Martha Broderick

children: James Wilkie Broderick, Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick, Tabitha Hodge Broderick

Born Country: United States

Actors Singers

Height: 5'8" (173 cm), 5'8" Males

Ancestry: Polish American, German American, British American, Irish American

U.S. State: New Yorkers

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American PeopleAmerican MenNew Yorkers ActorsAries ActorsAries Singers Childhood & Early LifeMatthew Broderick was born on 21 March 1962, in Manhattan, New York. His father James Broderick was a ‘World War II’ veteran and actor, and his mother Patricia Broderick was a playwright and painter.Matthew Broderick completed his schooling from the ‘City and Country School’ and ‘Walden School’ in Manhattan. While at ‘Walden School,’ he began taking interest in acting. He then received training in acting at ‘HB Studio.’Quotes: IContinue Reading BelowRecommended Lists:Male SingersAmerican ActorsAmerican SingersActors Who Are In Their 60sCareerMatthew Broderick began his career with performances in plays. He made his debut at the age of 17 with the ‘HB Studio’ production of the play ‘On Valentine’s Day.’ This was followed by a performance for a play titled ‘Torch Song Trilogy’ in 1981.In 1982, he got the opportunity to portray ‘Eugene Jerome,’ the central character of the play ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs,’ and his performance was well appreciated.He made his film debut in 1983 with the American comedy-drama ‘Max Dugan Returns.’ The same year, he played the role of a hacker in the science fiction movie ‘War Games.’In 1984, he acted in the second installment of Neil Simon’s trilogy play ‘Biloxi Blues.’ In 1985, he played the role of a thief in the fantasy adventure film ‘Ladyhawke.’In 1986, Matthew Broderick went on to star in the comedy movie ‘Ferris Bueller's Day Off.’ His performance as a high school student garnered much attention and is referred to as one of his best portrayals in his career.In 1987, Matthew Broderick played the role of a ‘United States Air Force’ officer in ‘Project X.’ The following year, he starred in the film adaptation of ‘Biloxi Blues.’ In 1988, Matthew Broderick also portrayed a gay in the film adaptation of the play ‘Torch Song Trilogy.’In 1989, he played the character of a civil war officer in the feature film ‘Glory,’ and worked alongside actors like Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington. The movie earned positive reviews and allowed him to explore more dramatic acting roles.In the 1990s, Matthew Broderick went on to take up a variety of projects. He portrayed the role of a student in ‘The Freshman’ (1990), starred in the comedy feature film ‘Out on a Limb’ (1992), and voiced a character in the animation movie ‘The Lion King’ (1994).In 1994, he also acted in the critically acclaimed movies, ‘Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle’ and ‘The Road to Wellville.’ During this time, he also acted in a television film titled ‘A Life in the Theatre’ in 1993, and his performance earned him a ‘Primetime Emmy Award’ nomination.Continue Reading Below In 1995, he acted in a musical titled ‘How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying,’ which was a theatre adaptation of a book of the same title. His performance in the musical earned him much appreciation and awards. Some of his other performances during the decade include voice acting for the animated movie ‘The Thief and the Cobbler’ (1995), and his portrayal of ‘Steven M. Kovacs’ in the black comedy movie ‘The Cable Guy.’ His performance in the science fiction film ‘Godzilla’ (1998) where he portrayed ‘Dr. Niko’ was also well appreciated.In 1998, he voiced the character of ‘Simba’ in the movie ‘The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.’ In 1999, he starred in the comedy drama ‘Election,’ a film that received a lot of critical appreciation. He also appeared in ‘Inspector Gadget’ where he played the role of a security guard.In 2000, Matthew Broderick became part of the movie ‘You Can Count on Me,’ a drama film that received positive reviews and multiple award nominations.In 2001, he performed the role of an accountant in the theatre version of ‘The Producers.’ His performance was appreciated and he earned a ‘Tony Award’ nomination that year. In 2005, he starred in the film adaptation of the play.He continued voicing characters in animation movies in the following decade. These animation movies include: ‘Good Boy!’ (2003), ‘The Lion King 1½’ (2004), ‘Bee Movie’ (2007), and ‘The Tale of Despereaux’ (2008).In 2003, Matthew Broderick acted in a television film titled ‘The Music Man.’ Other feature films that he acted in during that decade include ‘Marie and Bruce’ (2004), ‘The Stepford Wives’ (2004), ‘The Last Shot’ (2004), ‘Deck the Halls’ (2006), ‘Then She Found Me’ (2007), and ‘Finding Amanda’ (2008).He also remained active in theatre, and continued showcasing his skills in stage plays, such as ‘The Philanthropist’ (2009) and ‘The Starry Messenger’ (2009).Post 2010, he divided his time to appear in feature films, documentaries, theatre, and television. He also continued voicing characters in animation films. He then became part of acclaimed movies like ‘Margaret’ (2011), ‘New year’s Eve’ (2011), and ‘Tower Heist’ (2011) among many others.He also acted in a documentary film about a rock band titled ‘Skum Rocks!’ in 2013. In 2015, he was part of feature films like ‘Trainwreck’ and ‘Dirty Weekend.’ The following year, he appeared in ‘The American Side.’Continue Reading Below In 2018, he starred in the American comedy drama film ‘To Dust.’ The same year, he was cast to play the main role in a comedy-drama web TV series titled ‘Daybreak.’ The following year, he voiced the character of ‘Dad’ in the animated movie ‘Wonder Park.’ In 2019, he also played ‘Murray’ in an independent dark comedy-drama film titled ‘Love Is Blind,’ which was formerly titled ‘Beautiful Darkness.’Recommended Lists:American Film & Theater PersonalitiesAries MenMajor WorksMatthew Broderick is well-known for his performances on stage and feature films. His most notable works include ‘Ferris Bueller's Day Off’ (feature film) and plays, such as ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ and ‘How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying.’Awards & AchievementsMatthew Broderick was nominated for many prestigious awards during the course of his career. For his notable performances on television and feature films, he was nominated for awards like the ‘Saturn Awards,’ ‘Golden Globe Awards,’ ‘Primetime Emmy Awards,’ and ‘Prism Awards.’In 1983, Matthew Broderick was honored with the ‘Tony Award’ under the ‘Best Featured Actor in a Play’ category for his performance in the play ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs.’In 1995, he won the ‘Tony Award’ for ‘Best Leading Actor in a Musical’ for the play ‘How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying.’Personal Life & LegacyIn the late-1980s, there were talks of Matthew Broderick being in a relationship with American actor Jennifer Grey. Their attempts to keep their relationship private were marred by a car accident in 1987, where the two were traveling together. Though they managed to survive the accident, they suffered injuries.Matthew Broderick married actor Sarah Jessica Parker on 19 May 1997 at Lower East Side in New York City. In 2002, the couple was blessed with a son whom they named James Wilkie Broderick.In 2009, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker had twin daughters, Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge through surrogacy.TriviaMatthew Broderick received a star on the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ in 2006.