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Jon Cryer’s name came up in an early casting discussion for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, according to an excerpt from Jason Klamm’s new book. But the excerpt does not show that Cryer nearly won the role: Cryer says he had not heard he was considered for Ferris.
What the book excerpt says about Jon Cryer
In an excerpt from the third chapter of Ferris Bueller… You’re My Hero: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Day Off, writer Jason Klamm recounts an early conversation between director John Hughes and Paramount executives Ned Tanen and Lindsay Doran. They discussed marketing ideas and possible casting, including Cryer, whose performance as Ducky in Hughes-written Pretty in Pink was fresh in their minds. The account appears in Wesley Stenzel’s April 1, 2026, exclusive for AOL, republishing Entertainment Weekly.
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That establishes Cryer as a name discussed, not as a finalist who nearly beat Matthew Broderick. Cryer told Klamm he had not heard he was considered for Ferris: “I have not heard that, but I trust Lindsay Doran…yeah, that’s news to me.”
Ferris and Cameron were separate casting conversations
Cryer told Klamm that his representatives had discussed him for the role of Cameron, played in the film by Alan Ruck. His representatives’ interest in Cameron does not establish that Cryer was being seriously considered for Ferris. The excerpt also quotes Cryer recalling that he felt he was missing out as Hughes worked on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Pretty in Pink at the same time.
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Doran said she did not remember how casting settled on Broderick rather than Cryer, but recalled that Cryer’s representatives were disappointed. That recollection documents their disappointment; it does not show how close Cryer came to getting the title role.
How the Anthony Michael Hall story differs
The excerpt recounts a separate account involving Anthony Michael Hall. Hall later wrote that Hughes had written Ferris for him, but that they decided he should move on to other work. Jane Lay, Hughes’s assistant, said she was sure Hughes had considered Hall at some point, while qualifying that she could not say so with complete certainty. The excerpt says Hughes never publicly confirmed Hall’s account.
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These are distinct claims: Hall’s later account concerns Hughes writing Ferris for him, while Lay offers a qualified recollection that Hughes considered him. Neither turns the Cryer discussion into proof that Cryer nearly won the part.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The book behind the casting revelation
Klamm’s book, Ferris Bueller… You’re My Hero: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Day Off, is identified as a 1984 Publishing title. The excerpt gives June 16, 2026, as its release date. That is the stated date in the April 1, 2026, article; current retail availability is not established by the excerpt.
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