‘Ferris Bueller’ star disses iconic film, hints at bad blood on set — as she reveals why she ditched Hollywood

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” star Mia Sara got candid about her rough experience filming the iconic 1986 John Hughes-directed film and why she left Hollywood.

“I don’t really give interviews because making Ferris Bueller was not that good an experience for me,” the actress, who portrayed Sloane Peterson, told The Sunday Times.

“I’m very aware of what a precious thing this movie is, and I don’t want to disappoint people. But I didn’t get along well with John,” she said of the director, who died in 2009.

Sara, 59, described Hughes as a “strange guy,” telling the outlet, “He wanted us all to hang out together and to introduce us to the French New Wave films.”

“But the others were seasoned actors and I was a snotty New York kid and had seen all those movies, so he was frustrated in that desire,” she explained. “I didn’t have the emotional maturity to deal with other people’s egos, or my own.”

Despite not having the best memories on set, the “Timecop” star recalled having a “massive crush” on her on-screen boyfriend, Ferris Bueller, portrayed by Matthew Broderick.

“It was very much unrequited,” she said, referring to how Broderick was secretly dating his onscreen sister, Jeanie Bueller, who was played by actress Jennifer Grey.

Additionally, Sara shared that she was not “happy” in her acting career and eventually transitioned to writing poetry.

“I never really had the resilience to deal with the audition process,” Sara admitted. “There are some things in my career that I’m really proud of, but overall it was not a happy career for me.”

A few of Sara’s other acting credits include the 1988 film “Apprentice to Murder,” the 1990 movie “Daughter of Darkness” and the 2002 film “Lost in OZ.”

One of her last acting credits was the 2013 movie “Pretty Pretty,” before she took a more than 10-year hiatus from the big screen, leading up to her latest 2025 flick “The Life of Chuck.”

She starred as Sarah Krantz in the Mike Flanagan-directed film starring Marvel star Tom Hiddleston.

Sara made her first red carpet appearance in over 10 years at the movie’s premiere in June 2025.

She was all smiles for the star-studded event at the Hollywood Legion Theater in California.

At the time, the actress told People that she re-entered the spotlight to work with Flanagan after becoming obsessed with his 2021 horror series “Midnight Mass.”