Mia Sara, known for her legendary turn as Sloane Peterson in the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, has had a huge comeback career-wise with appearances in several television series. She certainly wowed the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of her new movie The Life of Chuck. It was her first red carpet in 15 years and it was the world premiere of her first film in more than a decade.
Now at 57, Sara tells us how thrilled she was to be able to collaborate with celebrated filmmaker Mike Flanagan on The Life of Chuck. She added, “Truthfully, it truly was just about Mike. She came back to work with Flanagan again at his request, which shows you the deep professional relationship that they have. When asked if she would collaborate with him again, she confidently affirmed, “Well, okay, if you offer me something, I’ll do it.”
It’s the movie The Life of Chuck, which features Sara’s return to acting after a decades-long self-imposed exile. Though she left the industry, her children were raised in Hollywood. They befriended children of parents who were still prominent in acting. Sara said her kids were pretty “bummed” when she quit working.
Sara reminisced on her favorite experience and this is what she had to say. She remembered most distinctly the memorable Chicago floating scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, in which Ferris commandeers a parade float at the Von Steuben Day parade. “I had so much fun doing that parade scene,” she recalled. In this scene, she, along with co-stars Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck, performed a choreographed dance while lip-syncing to the music. “We would do the dance and then we’d get in a van and they’d drive us blocks away,” she added, reminiscing about the behind-the-scenes antics.
Sara longs for the days she watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. As she herself confessed, given that she hasn’t seen the film in decades, “It’s not so great to watch yourself, you know what I mean.” This feeling speaks to her fraught relationship with her film career and the nostalgia wrapped up in her formative years in the industry.
Mia’s Sara’s professional journey has come full circle. She returns to the stage, renewed and powerful. Audiences are left once again to wonder how she will reinterpret her talents and experience for this new role and responsibility.
