Johnny Depp: Just Revealed that the Actor Passed on Iconic Role of Ferris Bueller
Despite what people may say, Johnny Depp has a long and illustrious career. Despite his declining status in the film industry, he has numerous genuine classics to his name. We might be able to add another title to the list of perennial favorites like “Edward Scissorhands” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films anchored by Depp
If director John Hughes (the man who brought us such beloved and iconic films as “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and “The Breakfast Club”) had gotten his way, Johnny Depp would have been cast in the title role of one of Hughes’ most famous and enduring movies.
Regardless, whether or not Depp would have made this character work as well as the actor who ended up playing him is debatable.
Ferris Bueller and Matthew Broderick are intertwined for eternity, as Broderick embodied the role to perfection. But writer/director John Hughes originally wanted Johnny Depp to play the part (per People).
This was back in the mid-1980s, when Depp was mostly known as a brooding teen heartthrob rather than the oddball leading man he would become after many collaborations with director Tim Burton. His Ferris Bueller might have been more serious in tone than Broderick’s, but it’s just speculation. In any case, Depp still would have made an interesting Ferris Bueller.
The actor himself has never actually discussed why he didn’t get the role, but it may be that his age worked against him. At 25 years old, Depp was likely too old to play the 16-year-old high school student who skips school for a day.
Many years later, on an appearance on “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” Depp was asked about his opinion of Broderick’s performance in the role that could have been his. According to Depp, Broderick did a “great job.”
What are your thoughts? Would Johnny Depp have made a good Ferris Bueller? Let us know in the comments below!
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