I’ve spent a decent chunk of my life watching and rewatching Anthony Michael Hall in John Hughes movies from the 1980s, like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Weird Science. I grew up with them, and I’ve never stopped being a fan of them, or quoting them. That’s why I was so surprised to learn that Hall turned down two other Hughes movies (filmed in and around Chicago, of course) that I love–Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Pretty in Pink. Hall recently talked about the and what turning them down meant for his relationship with Hughes.
While speaking with Danielle Fischel on her podcast Teen Beat, Hall talked a lot about how great it was to work with Hughes over four films in the ‘80s, and he talked about the two he didn’t do. The first one he talked about was Pretty in Pink and why he turned down the role of Duckie:
I think, to some extent, even at that age, too, when you’re more self-conscious about that, you know, on the stereotyping thing, I think that certainly was on my mind. I also felt, to be very honest, that Pretty in Pink, it was very similar, story-wise, to Sixteen Candles. It kind of felt like a redo in a way.
Jon Cryer is amazing as Duckie, and if you ask me, I think Hall made a good decision, but boy, that’s got to be hard to be had, given the success of the movie. I totally see Hall’s choice here, as he would be playing another character dealing with unrequited love from a character played by Molly Ringwald. He has a healthy take on turning it down, despite its success:
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We’ve lived long enough to know you have to wish everyone success in life, and you can’t harbor resentment. You know, it doesn’t do anything for anyone. So I think that those films were, they were great, you know. I think Jon Cryer’s a very nice guy. I’ve met him since. I met Andrew [McCarthy]. I just chose not to make that film.
The other he turned down is one of the stone-cold classics of all time, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s frankly impossible to picture anyone other than Matthew Broderick in that role, but according to Hall, who I believe here, John Hughes wrote the title role for him. Hall says of turning it down:
And then, with Ferris Bueller, that had actually been written for me by John. And, unfortunately, you know, what happened was he wanted me to do both films at the time, and I just felt it was important that I kind of move forward, you know? And I think that was kind of heartbreaking for [Hughes] in a way. But Matthew Broderick was great as Ferris.
Sadly, that seems to have fractured their relationship somewhat. Hughes and Hall wouldn’t work together again after 1985’s Weird Science, and Hall acknowledged in the interview that turning down those roles affected their relationship.
Part of me really wants to see these alternate universe versions of Ferris Bueller and Pretty in Pink (and the unrealized Breakfast Club sequel) because I think Hall in the ‘80s would have been great in them. Then again, as I wrote, I’m not sure I could ever truly see anyone other than Cryer and Broderick in the roles.