FACT FILE :
* Matthew is left handed. He is the son of actor James Broderick & Patricia Broderick
* Broderick gave up athletics & took up acting after he received a knee injury. He studied at New York's Walden School.
* Broderick's stage debut was at age 17, in a play called "On Valentine's Day".
* Small parts followed in two Neil Simon productions, the play "Brighton Beach Memoirs" (1982), for which he won a Tony Award & the film "Max Dugan Returns" (1983).
* In 1983 Matthew had his first big screen success as a computer hacker in the suspense comedy "War Games", starring alongside veteran actor Dabney Coleman.
* In 1985 Broderick co-starred with Rutger Hauer in the sword & sandal fantasy "Ladyhawke".
* In 1986 Matthew starred in the film he is probably best remembered for, the popular John Hughes teen classic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". Who can forget Matthew standing on a float in a passing street parade singing "The Beatles" classic "Twist & Shout".
* Just before the release of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", Matthew & his fiance Jennifer Grey were involved in a car accident while holidaying in Ireland. A woman & her daughter were killed in the crash. Matthew was cleared of all charges.
* Matthew had a tendency to fall inlove with his co-stars. He was once engaged to Jennifer Grey (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) & Helen Hunt (Project X). He also dated Penelope Ann Miller who co-starred with him in "Biloxi Blues" (1988).
* Big screen roles continued in "Project X" (1987), "Biloxi Blues" (1988), "Out on a Limb" (1992), "The Night We Never Met" (1993), "The Road to Wellville" (1994) & "The Cable Guy" (1996) alongside funnyman Jim Carrey.
* In 1994 he dated Lili Taylor & in May 1997 he married Sarah Jessica Parker.
* Matthew starred opposite Meg Ryan in the romantic comedy "Addicted to Love" (1997).
* In 1998 Matthew starred in the special effects blockbuster "Godzilla" & in 1999 he put on a trenchcoat to star in Walt Disney's "Inspector Gadget".
* In 1999 Matthew went back to school, this time as a teacher in the critically acclaimed teen comedy "Election" opposite Reese Witherspoon.