Ferris Bueller star says the movie was no joyride — and calls John Hughes strange
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star Mia Sara says the teen classic wasn’t a good experience and calls director John Hughes strange, opening up about her rough time on set in a new interview with The Times.
If you thought everyone involved in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' had a laugh on set, brace yourself—turns out, that was definitely not the case for Mia Sara, who played Sloane Peterson. She's famously private about her time filming that 80s classic, and now she's explained exactly why: apparently, making 'Ferris Bueller' was more awkward than iconic.
Mia Sara Sets the Record Straight
In a chat with The Times, Sara admitted she almost never discusses 'Ferris Bueller' publicly, precisely because her memories of making it aren't exactly all sunshine and parade floats. Here's how she put it:
'I don't really give interviews because making Ferris Bueller was not that good an experience for me. But I'm very aware of what a precious thing this movie is, and I don't want to disappoint people.'
So, not the nostalgia trip you might expect. The main issue? Her working relationship—or lack thereof—with director John Hughes. Sara said straight out: 'I didn't get along well with John.' She even described Hughes, in her own words, as 'a strange guy.'
What Actually Went On?
Apparently, Hughes wanted the young cast to become a proper little gang. He kept urging them all to hang out, bond, maybe soak up some classic cinema together:
- Hughes reportedly insisted everyone spend loads of time together off-set
- He tried to get the cast into French New Wave films (Godard and co., presumably)
- Sara felt out of step with what he wanted—she'd already seen those films, and, by her own admission, wasn’t the most emotionally mature at the time
- She called herself 'a snotty New York kid', compared to the more seasoned actors
- All told, the mix of egos—hers included, she says—meant things quickly got tense
In hindsight, Sara reckons things might've played out differently if she (or anyone, really) had more emotional resilience: 'I never really had the resilience to deal with the audition process. There are some things in my career that I'm really proud of, but overall it was not a happy career for me.'
Despite all the drama back then, she recently gave acting another go, popping up in Mike Flanagan's 2024 film 'The Life of Chuck' after a long stretch away from the screen.