While Matthew Broderick’s portrayal of Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has become iconic, there were other actors who could have gotten the part. Released in 1986 and written and directed by John Hughes, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of the most iconic movies of the '80s. Broderick brought the character of Ferris Bueller to life; the film could have been very different if Hughes had cast another actor.

Broderick's Ferris Bueller is one of the most iconic characters from the '80s; Ferris Bueller is a great friend, he is relatable while still cool, and he is endlessly endearing. Broderick imbued his performance with boyish charisma and charm.

Related: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Soundtrack: Every Song In The Movie

Hughes reportedly claimed that he never had anyone else in mind but Matthew Broderick for the role of Ferris Bueller, but there’s some dispute on that point: Matthew Broderick himself says that Hughes considered other actors for the role (via Chicago Sun-Times), and Alan Ruck, who played Ferris’s friend Cameron, stated in an interview that other actors had been offered the role of Ferris before Broderick was cast (via AV Club).

Anthony Michael Hall

Anthony Michael Hall

Anthony Michael Hall appears to have come closer than anyone else to getting the role of Ferris Bueller. Having already worked with Hughes on Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science, he would have fit right in with Hughes’ style. Hall reportedly suspected that Hughes originally wrote Ferris with him in mind (via Vanity Fair). According to Alan Ruck, Hall was offered the lead role but turned it down. It’s believed Hall wanted to avoid being too typecast in the type of role he’d played previously in John Hughes movies.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp Edward Scissorhands

In an interview on Inside the Actors Studio, Johnny Depp claims he was offered the part of Ferris Bueller, but had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts. Most likely, this would have been due to the movie Platoon, which also came out in 1986.

Eric Stoltz

eric stoltz BTTF

Already well-known for not making it as Back to the Future's Marty McFly, Eric Stoltz is another name rumoured to have auditioned for the part of Ferris Bueller, but ultimately fell short. Stoltz would land a role in another John Hughes film: Some Kind of Wonderful in 1987.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey on the verge of tears in The Truman Show

Jim Carrey was a relative unknown at the time, as his only major film role at this point was the moderate success Once Bitten (1985); his breakout roles didn't happen until the early '90s. Given how different Jim Carrey is from Matthew Broderick, it’s hard to imagine just what his version of Ferris Bueller would have looked like.

Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future

Already riding high on making Family Ties and Back to the Future, Michael J. Fox was considered for the role of Ferris Bueller. Considering how packed his schedule was, it’s unlikely he would’ve been able to do the movie, even if he’d wanted to.

John Cusack

John Cusack as Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything

Having appeared already in Sixteen Candles, John Cusack had a working relationship with John Hughes that could have easily translated to Ferris Bueller. Instead, his big breakout role had to wait until 1989 with Say Anything.

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in Iron Man

In 1985, Robert Downey Jr. appeared in Weird Science, giving him an existing connection with John Hughes. Instead of playing Ferris, however, he appeared in Back to School, the Rodney Dangerfield movie that actually beat Ferris Bueller at the box office the week it opened.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise Top Gun

Tom Cruise wasn’t well known at the time, as Legend wasn’t a commercial success and Top Gun was released just a month before Ferris Bueller came out. Had Cruise been cast as Ferris, the career trajectory probably would have looked much different for the acclaimed action star.

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