Where Did You Go, Mia Sara?
Mia Sara. For men of a certain age -- Generation Y, maybe -- those two words bring back a luminous smile from the haze of memory. She started her career with two impressive starring roles, becoming immortal when she played Sloan Peterson, Ferris's girlfriend in 1986's Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Fresh off a movie like that, blessed with that luminous smile, radiant beauty, and a pretty fair comic straight man, she should have been at the top of the box for years. Instead she fell off the face of the earth. Her IMDB page since 1986 reads off a list of TV guest appearances, miniseries, made-for-TV movies, and theatrical bombs. It's not fair, really.
She started out as a 14-year old who played a 19-year old on All My Children, and her first two film roles were starring roles, first playing Princess Lily in Legend, the mediocre Tom Cruise-Ridley Scott entry in the 1980s children's fantasy boom, along with The Neverending Story, The Dark Crystal, and Willow. It wasn't a great movie, and she didn't have a great part -- pretty extreme emotional changes without a whole lot of context, but hey, it was a kid's movie, she looked great when demonic Tim Curry dressed her up as his goth bride, and she sounded pretty fair when she sang, too. Oh, and she was just 17 when she made it.
The next year, she played Sloan, the girl who named a Canadian band, who looked at the camera with full conviction, said "He's going to marry me" for a laugh, and won the hearts of a generation. No matter what happened to her career after that, we'll always have Ferris.
But it all went south from there. The highlight of her career after she turned 20 was probably her role as Jean-Claude Van Damme's wife in 1994's Timecop, which had a pretty nice sex scene, a hilariously evil Ron Silver, and was one of the better Van Damme movies of the '90s, which isn't saying much. She has worked steadily, but not prominently, with lead or supporting roles (often featuring naked scenes) in a number of instantly-forgotten flicks. Her one recurring TV role was as Harley Quinn on the short-lived WB Batman series Birds of Prey, which was canceled after its first season.
I can't make a serious argument that she's a great lost actress of the '80s. She has a lot of company among faded former teen idols, after all, even just among the casts of John Hughes movies. Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy have both been prolific, but since the calendar turned to 1990 both have been as far from the mainstream as Mia Sara. Mia Sara had some talent and a great deal of beauty, and she probably still has some talent and a good deal of beauty, but she's 41 and -- shamefully, but undeniably -- there's not much of a place for actresses of that age in Hollywood.
Her fade into obscurity isn't a grand tragedy, just a quiet one: it girls have an awfully short shelf life, and once Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan took over the world, there wasn't a lot of room left in the A-list. As Richard Roeper wrote in 1996, "Like Ringwald, Sara is probably in her late 20s. That's middle-aged for an actress but there's still plenty of time for her to find her rightful place, either as a regular on a hit television show or a leading lady in the movies. If there's room for Jennifer Tilly in the movies, there should be room for Ringwald and Sara." It turned out there wasn't.
Back in 1987, fresh off her first two roles, still a teenager, she told the Chicago Tribune, "This business makes you believe in fate... So many things happen that aren't just coincidence, so you find that there are certain things you're meant to do." It's easy to say that when you're at the top. I hope she feels that way today.
Today, the former Mia Sarapochiello is a mother. After a nearly two-decade marriage to Jason Connery (Sean's son), she's living with Brian Henson (Jim's son). She hasn't worked in 2 years, hasn't really been in the news, and seems to be off just about everyone's radar, which may not be a bad thing, considering what happens to many former teen stars. (If you believe this guy, she makes a great crab salad.) Thanks to frequent DVD rereleases and constant TV play, she'll always be Ferris's girlfriend, of course, 18 years old and able to melt your heart with a glance. Maybe that's enough.
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Three others: Theresa Russell, Samantha Mathis and Angela Bassett
I think Russell was a bit before my time, so I'm not really familiar with her in her prime, but I'm totally with you on Mathis and Bassett. Hell, I loved Mathis in Broken Arrow (underrated) and liked her in Super Mario Bros (otherwise a terrible movie). Bassett, unfortunately, is a victim of Hollywood's inability to have an adequate number of roles for its most talented African-American women. Alfre Woodard is another example of a simply terrific actress who just can't find the work she deserves.
If you haven't seen "The Thing Called Love" by Bogdonavich starring River Phoenix and great support from an unknown Sandra Bullock, you've got to catch Mathis in this. She kills! Steals the film and your heart. Great song her character writes and performs, "Makes Me Feel God's A Woman Too". And her real Mom is fictional Captain Kirk's son's Mom too! She's much better as the emotional lead rather than girl Friday in "Broken Arrow". Given a meaty role, she devours.
is it just possible that ms. sara found happiness in pursuits other than being a "hollywood star" ? ---
maybe she decided that being a wife and mother was a more important priority ---
she is forever memorable to me as the beautiful goth bride in Legend so, obviously, i couldn't agree less with your assessment of that film
No doubt, she looked terrific in Legend. The villain in the movie MirrorMask dolled the lovely Stephanie Leonidas in a similar all-black getup. We disagree about the movie, but not about how she looked: stunning.
It shows on her imdb page that she stayed active in the profession until the past 2 years, though it's not too late for her to choose a new direction and do something else completely.
41 is a great age to figure out where you truly want to go, I hope she grabs the ball and runs!
Julia Ormond comes to mind when you talk about actresses you thought you'd see more of.
I loved Julia Ormond. Really loved her, especially after Smilla's Sense of Snow -- a very underrated '90s thriller, with a terrific cast, lovely cinematography, and a crackling little story -- and, yeah, okay, First Knight. Absolutely gorgeous, wonderfully talented, but she just fell off the map. Perhaps she also didn't care to be at the top of the box. In any event, I was very glad to see her in Benjamin Button. It's nice to have her back.
I think it is fairly obvious from looking at Mia Sara's 1990's filmography that she's just not the kind of actress who cared about box office. She's not unlike a brunette Bridget Fonda. If a script rolled in that was conceptually interesting, she'd go for it, but she's just not the type of gal who'd fight for the right to play a teen prostitute who gets proposed to by a rich jerk. There's intruguing and then there's preposterous.
She played a transsexual on a tv show (Chicago Hope?) and sometimes in the Hollywood tv community, playing "gay" can get you on a stereotype list. That could explain her absence of good roles. She should get another series, or join an existing show. How about becoming a prosecutor on one of the Law & Order shows? She'd be better than the string of no-talents they've had lately.
That's an interesting point. Some actors are better able to pull this off than others. The best case of someone who made it work is Paul Rudd, a straight man who played a gay man in "The Object of My Affection" and who is now one of the most reliable comedy tickets in the business. Hilary Swank, of course, has made a career of playing outwardly strong, inwardly vulnerable women, ever since "The Next Karate Kid," long before her breakout in "Boys Don't Cry." Felicity Huffman, of course, followed "Desperate Housewives" with "Transamerica," and she's good enough to pull it off. But they may be the exceptions that prove the rule.
You're probably right that playing "gay" can lead to typecasting. But I think the bigger point is that very few actors are ever able to stay in the public eye for very long. Sara was already far from the star list by the time she did her two-episode arc on Chicago Hope. Honestly, I think her absence of good roles was mostly caused by the very poor record of her the films she made in her 20's, rather than the occasional work she's been able to find in her 30's and 40's. She was a lead female in a bunch of B-, C-, and D-grade movies, and once you're off the radar, it's awfully hard to climb back.
Kate Walsh played a transsexual on CSI. Nobody has stereotyped her over it.
Alex,
Interesting that Mia popped into your head..(yes..she was great in Ferris)...I was starting to feel a bit sorry..then when you pointed out she'd married Sean's son.and is now with Hensen's son..I realized..she is NOT a bag lady...done quite well, at least financially..and I don't begrudge this...or consider her a gold digger..these were the circles in which she traveled...
another one who dropped of our radar..was the luminous Elizabeth McGovern..I rented Ordinary People two weeks ago...(one of my all time favs)..and her eyes...my gosh...I know she made a few indies..but never made the impact she was due after that performance...
any comment?
I personally miss Terry Farrell.
Apparently, you've never heard of Sean Connery's relationship with his son. He never gave him one red cent. I can't speak for Jim Henson's son, but when she was with Jason, they weren't exactly rolling in it....
Jason Connery, considering he had two attractive and talented parents, is average looking and is not talented. I don't know about Jim Henson's son.
Elizabeth McGovern was great in a Handmaid's Tale. One of the few bright spots in an otherwise forgettable adaptation of a truly unforgettable book.
As for both actresses, they got further than so many other women pursuing acting and fame. I do wish there were more good films about women over 30, and I'd love to see someone other than Julia Roberts play them!
Mia did an episode of CSI: NY a couple of years back.
Hey I feel like I need to defend Molly Ringwald because although the 90s might not of been kind to her career wise she is now on the hit abc show The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
Thank you! Molly Ringwald has grown up into a very strong actress. She is still one of my favorites.
Thanks for mentioning this. It's one of ABC Family's more successful shows. I don't usually watch that channel, so I haven't had a chance to catch it, but I'm certainly glad she's getting regular work and regular viewership.
I was wondering about her like this a few years ago. I saw some Ferris Bueller era interviews, with Mathew Broderick. MB made more than a passing reference to Mia Sara being disinterested in fame and an acting career at the time, etc... I thought it was a weird thing to say about a co-star, if it wasn't a prominent trait in her I wouldn't think he would have bothered. So maybe it was something of a choice. If she did decide to walk away for even just a year at the wrong time, that would explain things.
I have to agree with you about Mia. She was (and I'm sure still is,) lovely.
I disagree with you about the movie "Legend," however. I thought it was a really interesting and creatively done fairytale, and the director's cut restored it's original score and surreal beauty.
I can, however, understand why it's not everyone's cup of tea, but Tom Cruise get's a bum rap for that film. Tim Curry is wonderful as the Demon.
Anyway, thanks for reminding me about her. The last thing I saw her in was a tv movie. Of all things, another fairytale, "Jack and the Beanstalk." She was quite cute in that as well. I hope she's doing well.
I might be a little unfair toward Legend. I have only seen the director's cut, and I've seen some people online mention they prefer the (shorter) theatrical release. And I didn't see it as a kid; I saw it for the first time recently. I imagine I would have liked it when I was much younger. But personally, I prefer Neverending Story.
Ooooh, "Never Ending Story." Fantastic movie. Brings back memories of being 12 and seeing it at camp. I too preferred it to "Legend."
Legend is one of my favourite films. Although it has flaws (one being Tom Cruise...he was miscast) I loved the story. And I agree with RepugsOut08, Tim Curry as the Demon/Devil was FANTASTIC. The makeup dept. should have received an oscar for that creation.
The scene where MIa's about to kill the unicorn is one that has always stayed with me. She just seemed so evil at that point....and I loved her costume/make-up.
I worked at a studio years ago and Mia Sara came for an audition. I saw her approach the building through a window, instantly recognizing her from "Ferris." Swooning a bit, I expounded on her grace, looks, and talent to my friend. When she entered the building, my friend stopped her, pointed to me, and said "He's in love with you." My face was beet red, but Ms. Sara good-naturedly laughed, thanked me with a smile, and went on to her audition. I like to think that she's moved on to a much richer, more fulfilling life than pounding the pavement for acting roles, even if she is a great actress. There are better things than a three episode guest arc on Two and a Half Men. I applaud any actress who works because it's a tough gig no matter how you slice it. And I applaud any actress who moves on to something else because it's tough to let go of the narcotic of fame.
You're a man, right?
Welcome to the world of a woman - actress or other.
It allll starts the first time they call you "Ma'am"....and then you notice - not one man is looking at you "that way" anymore - their eyes wander to the younger nubiles strutting by.
Now, if you're a SMART woman, you realize just what a freedom this is...and how invisibility can create access to places never dreamed of before.....
If you still pine over your publicity pix from the 90s, well......
Change is inevitable.
Growth is optional.
The way we treat young women reminds me of a line from the movie Quiz Show, when Herbert Stempel (John Turturro) is railing at the media for intruding on his private life: "You never leave a guy alone, unless you're leaving him alone." From one extreme to the other, from a complete fishbowl to complete invisibility. I only hope Mia Sara has been able to use her relative privacy to enjoy a normal life.
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