Matthew Broderick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matthew Broderick
Broderick in 2022
Born	(1962-03-21) March 21, 1962 (age 63) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1981–present
Spouse(s)	Sarah Jessica Parker ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	James Broderick Patricia Broderick
Relatives	Milton H. Biow (grandfather) Adet Lin (aunt)

Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is a famous American actor. He has starred in many popular movies and plays. Some of his well-known roles include a young computer hacker in WarGames (1983) and the main character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). He also voiced adult Simba in Disney's The Lion King (1994). On stage, he played Leo Bloom in the musical The Producers and its 2005 movie version.

Matthew Broderick has won two Tony Awards, which are big awards for theater actors. He won for his roles in Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983) and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1995). He is the youngest person to win the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. In 2006, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in movies. Later, in 2017, he was honored by being added to the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Family

Matthew Broderick was born in Manhattan, New York City. His mother, Patricia, was a writer, actress, and painter. His father, James, was an actor and a veteran of World War II. Matthew has two sisters. His family background includes both Jewish and Irish and English roots.

He went to grade school at City and Country School and high school at Walden School, both in Manhattan. He also took acting classes at HB Studio.

Acting Career Highlights

Broderick promoting Ferris Bueller's Day Off in 1986

Starting Out in Theater

Matthew Broderick's first big acting chance was in a play called On Valentine's Day. He acted alongside his father in this play. After that, he got a role in an off-Broadway play called Torch Song Trilogy. A good review from a famous theater critic helped him get noticed by Broadway.

He then starred in two plays by Neil Simon: Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues. He won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in Brighton Beach Memoirs.

Success in Movies

Broderick's first movie role was in Max Dugan Returns in 1983. His first big hit movie was WarGames (1983), where he played a teen computer hacker. He then starred in the fantasy film Ladyhawke in 1985.

One of his most famous roles came in the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He played Ferris Bueller, a clever high school student who skips school for a fun day in Chicago. This movie became a favorite comedy from the 1980s.

In 1989, he starred in the movie Glory. He played a real-life American Civil War officer named Robert Gould Shaw. He received good reviews for this serious role.

During the 1990s, Broderick continued to star in many films. He was the voice of adult Simba in Disney's animated movie The Lion King (1994). He also appeared in comedies like The Cable Guy (1996) with Jim Carrey and Election (1999) with Reese Witherspoon. He played Dr. Niko Tatopoulos in Godzilla (1998) and the main character in Disney's Inspector Gadget (1999).

In the 2000s, he voiced characters in animated movies like Good Boy! (2003), Bee Movie (2007), and The Tale of Despereaux (2008). He also appeared in films like You Can Count on Me (2000) and The Stepford Wives (2004).

Broadway Star

Matthew Broderick returned to Broadway in the 1990s as a musical star. He won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

In 2001, he starred with Nathan Lane in the musical The Producers, which was a huge success. He played Leopold "Leo" Bloom, an accountant who helps create a musical that is supposed to fail but becomes a big hit. Broderick and Lane later played these roles again in the 2005 movie version.

He has continued to perform on Broadway in plays like The Odd Couple (2005) and Nice Work If You Can Get It (2012). In 2022, he starred in a play called Plaza Suite on Broadway with his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker. This show also moved to London in 2024.

Recent Work in Film and TV

Broderick appeared in the comedy movie Tower Heist (2011) with Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. In 2018, he was cast in the Netflix series Daybreak.

In 2023, he played Laird Becker in the comedy film No Hard Feelings. He also appeared as himself in two episodes of the Hulu comedy series Only Murders in the Building. His performance in this show earned him a nomination for an Emmy Award.

Personal Life

Family Life

Broderick with wife Sarah Jessica Parker in 2009

Matthew Broderick married actress Sarah Jessica Parker on May 19, 1997. They have three children: a son named James Wilkie, and twin daughters. Their son, James Wilkie, even acted alongside his father in an episode of the TV series Elsbeth.

The family lives in West Village in New York City. They also spend a lot of time at their second home in Kilcar, a village in County Donegal, Ireland. Matthew spent his summers there when he was a child. They also have a house in The Hamptons.

Family History

In 2010, Matthew Broderick was part of the TV show Who Do You Think You Are?. On the show, he learned more about his family history. He found out that his great-great-grandfather, Robert Martindale, was a soldier for the Union during the American Civil War. Robert Martindale fought in the Battle of Gettysburg and was killed after the Battle of Atlanta. Matthew was able to find his ancestor's unmarked grave and give him his name back.

He also discovered that his paternal grandfather, James Joseph Broderick II, was a highly decorated combat medic in World War I. He earned honors during the Meuse–Argonne offensive.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre Performances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Matthew Broderick para niños