Ferris Bueller Cast: Where Are They Now?

The beloved John Hughes classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off is preparing to celebrate its 40th anniversary this year. 

The film was a box office success upon its release in theaters in June 1986, and raked in around $70 million on a budget of $5 million. 

It had starred Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara and Alan Ruck as teens living in the suburbs who ditch school one day for an adventure in the city, while also trying to not get caught by the Dean of Students. 

Hughes wrote and directed the comedic drama and was known for helming other projects during the decade including Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink. 

Broderick, who had portrayed the lead character in the movie, garnered a nod for Best Actor based on his performance. 

Daily Mail takes a look at where the cast is now nearly 40 years after the film's release. 

Matthew Broderick - Ferris Bueller

Matthew Broderick, 64, had played the titular character of Ferris Bueller in the movie and fooled his parents into letting him stay home from school due to being 'sick.' 

In the film, Bueller is only months away from his high school graduation, but the Dean of Students (played by Jeffrey Jones) noticed Bueller's multiple absences. 

Bueller convinced his girlfriend Sloane (Sara) and best friend Cameron (Ruck) to also ditch with him. The trio experienced many adventures in the city of Chicago while cruising in an iconic red Ferrari they stole from Cameron's dad. 

Broderick had been 23-years-old when he played the main character in the Hughes-directed film. 

Afterwards, his success in the industry continued while appearing in additional projects such as The Lion King (1994) and Godzilla (1998). 

One of his most recent movie appearances was in the comedy No Hard Feelings (2023) also starring Jennifer Lawrence. 

The actor, who is married to Sarah Jessica Parker, has also taken on roles in television shows over the years including 30 Rock and Modern Family. 

He joined Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez in episodes of Only Murders In The Building in 2023.

Broderick also showcased his voice acting skills in episodes of the HBO Max adult animated series Fionna And Cake last year. 

The star has additionally ventured onto the stage in productions such as The Producers and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. 

And during a past interview The Guardian, Broderick reflected on his legacy. 

'What's my legacy? Well, I'm Ferris Bueller, I suppose. I have to accept it. And I like it. I've made my peace with it,' he told the outlet. 

Mia Sara - Sloane Peterson

Mia Sara, 58, had played the character of Sloane Peterson in the film who had also been Bueller's girlfriend. 

The actress began her acting career by appearing in the soap opera All My Children in 1983. 

And just three years later, she was cast in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 

While talking to People last year, Sara talked about which moment in the movie had been her favorite to film.

'I had so much fun doing that parade scene,' she said, referring to when Bueller performed hits such as Twist And Shout for crowds gathered on the streets of Chicago. 

'That was so crazy. Because we would do the dance and then we'd get in a van and they'd drive us blocks away, and the camera would go, and then we'd do the dance again and wait for Matthew to pass.'

She added, 'And so it was just this crazy let's catch it as many times as we can. So that was a great moment.'

Sara has since continued to take on roles such as in the miniseries Queenie in 1987 and the 2025 fantasy drama The Life Of Chuck with Tom Hiddleston.

Alan Ruck - Cameron Frye 

Alan Ruck, 69, played Bueller's hypochondriac friend Cameron in the 1986 movie. 

In one of the scenes in the film, Cameron as well as pals Bueller and Sloane attended a Chicago Cubs game, which had been shot at Wrigley Field. 

'They had us in the morning and we did the close-ups first of just Matthew and I and the people around us who are all extras,' the star recalled during an interview with MLB.com last year. 

'In fact, John Hughes' two young sons - of course they're probably close to 50 now - were sitting behind us.' 

Ruck further shared how filming the scene at Wrigley Field had been special to him.

'I had gone to many baseball games as a Chicagoan, as a Cubbies fan, going out to the bleachers, eating Smokies and drinking too much beer,' the star, who attended the University of Illinois, said. 

'Even though I'm from Cleveland originally, Chicago is sort of my adopted city, and so [the movie] was kind of like coming home.' 

The actor has since been keeping busy on both television and film. 

He notably took on the role of Connor Roy in the hit HBO series Succession. 

'It's wonderful, and the writing inspired everybody, the score by Nick Britell, the production design, everything is beautiful and also strangely repellent,' Ruck said of the show while talking to Interview Magazine in 2023. 

His most recent TV roles include The Dropout (2022), Elsbeth (2025) and Rooster (2026). 

Ruck also made an appearance in the 2026 romantic comedy People We Meet On Vacation. 

Jennifer Grey - Jeanie Bueller 

Jennifer Grey, 66, portrayed Bueller's sister Jeanie in the film and was fully aware of her brother's ruse to ditch school. 

She ended up skipping class to confront her sibling but came across the Dean of Students at their home who was also trying to catch Bueller. 

She called the police but was arrested after they believed she made a prank call. By the end of the movie, Jeanie had a change of heart and eventually helped her brother.

Grey and Broderick also began dating after they met on set of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 

She previously reflected on their relationship during an interview with People and said, 'I learned so many things about myself from my relationship with Matthew. First of all, we were really young. We were in our mid twenties when we got together. 

'And from where I sit now, that's pretty young. And we were, I don't know, I can only speak for myself. I was really in love with him...' 

The pair were involved in a car accident in Northern Ireland in 1987. Broderick had been behind the wheel when they hit another vehicle head-on, with both passengers of the other car being killed. 

The actor had been convicted of careless driving and paid a fine of $175. 

Grey told the outlet, 'There was some very, very heavy stuff that went down that changed my life forever and there was no one to blame.'

She also added, 'And it had very serious traumatic lasting effects on, I'm sure, Matthew and the family of the other women and me.' 

That same year, her 1987 film Dirty Dancing was released also starring Patrick Swayze. 

Her most recent films include A Real Pain (2024) and Wish You Were Here (2025). 

Jeffrey Jones - Edward 'Ed' Rooney, Dean of Students

Jeffrey Jones, 79, had portrayed the character of Edward 'Ed' Rooney, the Dean of Students at Bueller's high school. 

After discovering Bueller had missed a number of days that school year, Rooney became determined to catch the student in the act of ditching. 

Following the role in the 1986 movie, Jones went on to star in other film projects such as Beetlejuice (1988), The Devil's Advocate (1997) and Sleepy Hollow (1999).

He also starred in the series Deadwood from 2004 through 2006. 

His last acting credit has been the 2019 TV film Deadwood: The Movie. 

In 2002, Jones was arrested on charges of soliciting a minor for nude photos and possession of child pornography.

He pleaded no contest to a felony charge of employing a minor for purposes of taking sexually explicit photos and was required to register as a sex offender. 

'I moved to live in the desert. I didn't want to be in L.A. anymore, but I got my family here, and so little kids get old fast. I'm driving back and forth,' he said last year, per People. 

'I'm getting a place now in L.A. I've given up because I can't keep going back and forth from Burbank to the desert.' 

Charlie Sheen - Garth Volbeck

Charlie Sheen, 60, portrayed juvenile delinquent Garth Volbeck who met Bueller's sister inside a police station after she got arrested. 

During their short conversation, Volbeck suggested that she focus less on her brother and more on herself. 

While stopping by the All The Smoke podcast, Sheen talked about how he achieved his character's exhausted appearance by not sleeping for around 48 hours. 

The actor had gotten the role through a connection with Grey after the pair worked together on Red Dawn (1984). 

He further recalled how his brief appearance in the movie helped catapult his career.

'I do this three minutes on film and it, just boom. I guess it was that pre-Platoon. You know, a little taste before it all went off the rails and so that was interesting.

'To realize, okay, maybe it's not the size of the part. It's what you do with what you were given,' Sheen expressed. 

The star went on to appear in a number of other films such as Platoon (1986), Wall Street (1987), Major League (1989), and Scary Movie 3 (2003). 

From 2003 through 2011, Sheen took on a main role in the hit shoe Two And A Half Men. 

The actor has been open about his sobriety following past substance abuse issues. 

'Most of my 50s were spent apologizing to the people I hurt. I also didn't want to write from the place of being a victim. I wasn't, and I own everything I did,' he recently told People. 

Sheen later admitted, 'I still get what I call the "shame shivers." These are the moments that hit me, of the heinous memories and choices and consequences. They're getting farther in between, so I guess that's progress.

'What has been interesting about making amends is that most people have been like, "Hey yeah, we're good man, but we hope you've also forgiven yourself."' 

Cindy Pickett and Lyman Ward - Bueller's parents

Cindy Pickett, 79, played Bueller's mom Katie while Lyman Ward, 84, portrayed his father Tom. 

The pair had been tricked into believing that their teenage son was actually sick and resting at home, rather than ditching and spending the day in Chicago. 

Following her appearance in the Hughes movie, Pickett went on to star in other movies such as Son In Law (1993).

She has also taken on guest roles in shows including Medium, Ghost Whisperer and Age Of The Living Dead. 

Ward also starred in shows such as Family Ties (1989), Matlock (1989), Melrose Place (1993) and The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody (2005).