Nowadays Matthew Broderick's name pops up in the news mostly in connection with his
wife Sarah Jessica Parker, everyone's favorite Carrie from Sex And The City. Broderick does
seem to be okay with his wife being more popular on the global scale. But at the beginning
of his career Broderick seemed to be destined to become a household name. A lot was happening
with him at the time. By "a lot" we also mean something really tragic that changed the actor
forever.
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Matthew Broderick was just 24 when the hit teen comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off was released.
The movie became one of the top-grossing films of the year and a young man who played the
lead role instantly became everyone's crush.
Broderick and Jennifer Grey who portrayed his sister in the film started dating in secrecy.
The Hollywood romance, however, was disclosed under tragic circumstances. The couple travelled
to Northern Ireland for a romantic trip for which Matthew rented a car. While driving
a car with Jennifer inside of it, he crossed into the wrong lane and collided head-on with
a Volvo driven by a 63-year-old woman and her 28-year-old daughter… The two women
were killed instantly, while Broderick and Grey suffered injuries.
As a member of the local fire brigade dragged Broderick away, he reportedly kept asking
"Did I hurt them? Did I hurt them?" over and over.
It's not uncommon for celebrity car accidents to involve alcohol or drugs, but Broderick
wasn't under the influence of either. Following the accident, the actor was charged with causing
death by dangerous driving, and faced up to five years in jail. He was later convicted
for careless driving, and fined… $175 (yes you heard it right). The verdict outraged
locals and the woman's family that called it "travesty of justice".
Matthew kept saying he could not remember anything from that day.
"What I first remember is waking up in the hospital, with a very strange feeling going
on in my leg."
The actor spent four weeks in the hospital, having suffered a broken leg, a concussion,
and lacerations. Grey received minor scratches.
Grey would later reveal it took her decades to recover from the survivor's guilt. Broderick
also admitted to Britain's Best magazine in the early 2000s that it was extremely difficult
coming to grips with what happened, but eventually therapy helped.
Fifteen years after the tragic accident, Broderick was set to meet with the relatives of the
deceased women in 2002. Until that point, the actor had not contacted the family with
more than a note saying how sorry he was.
A spokesman for Broderick told The Post:
"Matthew is willing to meet up with them. There is no ill will - not any sort of anger.
The family is seeking some sort of closure."
The story goes… this meeting never happened... But Martin Doherty who lost his mom and his
sister said many years later:
"He didn't kill my mother and sister deliberately. There were strong feelings at the time, but
I have since forgiven him and feel no anger toward him."
Interestingly, in 2012 Broderick appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for Honda, for
which both the actor and the company were highly criticized minding the 1987th fatal
car crash.
Mrs Doherty said, however; "I suppose it wasn't the greatest choice of
drivers knowing his past. I suppose at the end of the day it was years ago. I have forgiven
what he had done. I mentioned that at the time"
In around October 1988, Broderick and Grey broke up and nearly ten years later Broderick
married Sarah Jessica Parker, the couple now have 3 children.
It would be totally unfair to say Broderick has been off the radar since the accident.
He has been in an uncountable number of films and Broadway shows and voiceover projects.
But it would be fair to say that Ferris Bueller still remains his most iconic role.
It is hard to say whether the tragedy affected his career, but it definitely changed him
as a person who was fighting to overcome the feeling of guilt.
Today we know 57-year-old Matthew Broderick not only as a renowned award-winning actor,
but also as a great family man.
It has been recently announced that Broderick and Parker are set to work together on Broadway
starring in a limited run of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite. The Sex And The City actress
has admitted that it is strange for her to collaborate with husband as she knows him
better as a person than an actor.
Broderick confirms saying: 'That's going to be hard. We very rarely both
work at the same time.'
We are sure the spouses will figure out the best way to deal with their work and family
schedules. And we hope this new production will be a new milestone and a new iconic role
for Matthew Broderick.
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