“I didn’t think Ferris Bueller would last 40 years” - Matthew Broderick
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What new theater role is Matthew Broderick preparing for at the Abbey?
My first guest today, he's been toiling away as a Hollywood star since he shot to fame in Ferris Bueller's Day Off 40 years ago, but he's finally made it. This summer, he's starring in a play in the Abbey. Matthew Broderick, you're very welcome. Hey, thank you. And congratulations. Thank you. So the play is called Ulster American and opening night's Wednesday. So where are you at now? Would you be nervous in the run up to opening night? Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I would be nervous. We did the play in New York for two or three months, a couple of months ago. So it's not... Hopefully I know what we're doing. But I start rehearsal today, and then there's a show Wednesday night.
Okay.
So yeah, I am a bit nervous. I have my script in my backpack right now, and... Hopefully.
Is there always that worry? Like you do a lot of theatre, I know. Is there always a worry you might forget a line yet?
Oh, yes. Really?
How does Matthew feel about the nerves leading up to opening night of Ulster American?
Yeah, for me. It goes, that passes after a week or so. But the first time doing a play in front of an audience, the nervousness is very real. I mean, for me anyway, it's, you know. shaky hands and all that. It's quite a lot of adrenaline that first night.
Because you don't know. I guess it's like a plan is a plan until it doesn't survive contact with the enemy, like until the audience is there, you don't know.
You prepare and prepare, but as soon as you step through the door and get in that light, you're sort of on your own. All those plans seem to go right out the window.
Yeah. And tell me, so when you're in this mode now of a few days beforehand, you rehearse, is the play, does it completely take over your life now? Are you able to switch off much at the moment or is it kind of there in your head all the time?
It's a little in my head, I must say, all the time. Yeah. But I'm not one of those who, you know, walks around in character or something like that. You know what I mean? I'm very happy when it's done to hang out with friends and, you know, live my life and, you know, spend some time in Dublin now, which I really haven't done.
Yeah.
You wouldn't want to be living as this character. No. I read the play. Now, listen, I read the play like on a computer screen, right? And I was laughing out loud on my own at home. So I can imagine in a theatre, it is an absolute riot. Yeah, it's a very funny play. How would you describe it to people?
Well, it takes place, it's a meeting the night before the beginning of rehearsal of a new play. And it's the writer, a young woman, and a director, and an American star who's going to be in the play. So it starts off as all getting to know each other and happy about what's coming tomorrow. It just doesn't go well, you know, in any way. The guys are horrible to the writer. It's difficult to describe, but it's about... as awful a first meeting as you could picture.
Absolutely. Goes very wrong. Yeah. And you play this kind of like immature, indulged Hollywood star. Is it unfair on Hollywood stars, do you think? Or are there a fair amount of kind of fake vapid, stupid egomaniacs as well?
Well, I mean, you're looking... I'm tempted to say you're looking at one, but... I meant present company excluded, obviously.
The others who aren't here.
It's not unfair, I don't think. I mean, most people I work with are... are great so uh but i everybody who has worked in the theater or movies are probably in any business you know these youngsters who are told everything they do is brilliant and right and they kind of develop a a personality that uh they're not self-critical you know they're uh and they get some weird ideas and um so this is one of those those people i mean i'm certainly It's rare, but I'm familiar with this type of actor.
Okay, yeah, yeah. How did you avoid it happening to you then? You became, like, very famous. Yeah. Quite suddenly, really. You'd done a few movies, you were well-known-ish, but you became very well-known at, what, 23 or 24? Yeah. And then I was looking, like, most of your peers who became well-known at that time a lot of them did have then what you might call a, quote, partying phase or whatever.
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