What Happened to Sloane From ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’? See What Mia Sara Has Been Up To

While Mia Sara isn't as much of a household name as Matthew Broderick , she was just as vital to the success of John Hughes ' 1986 teen classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off as the film's star. Sara played Sloane Peterson, Ferris' charming girlfriend who goes along with his wacky antics.

Here's a look at what Sara has been up to since she rocked her fringed white leather jacket and played hooky.

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How Mia Sara got her start

Born Mia Sarapochiello in Brooklyn in 1967, Mia Sara grew up in an artsy family and developed an interest in acting as a teen. She had no formal training as an actress, and in a 1986 newspaper interview, she said, "Everyone who acts has a technique, whether it's good or bad. I think acting comes to me naturally ."

Sara made her screen debut with an appearance on a 1983 episode of All My Children . She was then cast as Princess Lili, the love interest of Tom Cruise 's character, in the 1985 fantasy film Legend . She was plucked from obscurity for the high-profile role, and said she instantly connected with the director, Ridley Scott , at her audition.

As she described it, " It was love at first sight . I believe in fate. And I think that's what brought me and Ridley together. I read half a poem for him and he said that was all he needed. Something really clicked when we met."

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Mia Sara's big break

Sara's next movie was Ferris Bueller's Day Off . While Hughes was known for working with the Brat Pack , she fell a bit outside that particular group of young actors, and was a new face in Hughes' distinctive world.

It was rumored that Hughes' muse, Molly Ringwald , wanted to play Sloane, but the director insisted the part was too small for her. When Sara was cast, she became a star, and countless '80s boys fell for her charming presence.

In an interview, Sara admitted she felt out of her depth during the filming of the movie. "Of the main cast, I was the only actual adolescent, so unfortunately for me it was like having your most awkward adolescent year forever memorialized," she recalled. " . . . I wish I could say it was a lot of fun but it wasn’t for me. I know, it’s a bummer — but it was a bummer to me at the time!"

Even if Sara felt awkward while making the film, she still had a lively screen presence that holds up decades later.

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She's more than just 'Baby'

From teen actress to poet

After Ferris Bueller , Sara appeared in movies like the 1992 crime drama A Stranger Among Us and the 1994 action blockbuster Timecop . From 2002 to 2003 (long before Margot Robbie !) she played Harley Quinn in the short-lived WB series Birds of Prey .

In 2011, Sara played a Princess in Dorothy and the Witches of Oz , and after that, she largely retired from acting in favor of a quiet life as a mom (she's been married to Brian Henson , the son of puppeteer Jim Henson , since 2010) and poet.

As a poet, Sara has had her work featured in a variety of literary journals . Amusingly, her official website says, "Mia Sara used to be an actress , but recovered her senses and now she writes."

While Sara hasn't acted for quite a while, she isn't fully retired. She's set to have her first film role in over a decade soon, in the Stephen King -based film The Life of Chuck , from popular horror director Mike Flanagan . The movie doesn't have an official release date yet, but we're excited to see Mia Sara back on the screen.