Imagine being cast in one of the most iconic films of the 1980s. One that would spawn catchphrases, Halloween costumes, and one of the most lovable characters in movie history. You audition, get the part, and shoot your scenes, only to find out on release day that the editors have cut you out entirely.
That was the case for two young actors originally cast as Ferris Bueller‘s (played by Matthew Broderick) siblings in the John Hughes-written-and-directed film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. But the most maddening part is that the clues to their existence were under our noses all along!
Two other siblings
In a video shared by the Hidden Movie Details (@hiddenmoviedetails) Instagram page, host Hunter Clark shares the news and even provides traces of the erased characters. He asks, “Did you know there are two missing characters in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?”
Cutting to the Buellers’ home, a giant white house nestled in suburbia, Clark asks, “Have you ever noticed how big of a house the Buellers had for just four people? Well, Ferris was originally gonna have two other siblings. A younger sister named Kimberly and a baby brother named Ricky.”
Here’s where it gets outrageous. Clark reveals, “They weren’t even written out of the script. They actually filmed the movie with the kids in it. The scene where Jeanie saves Ferris was supposed to have this shot with the two siblings as well.” We are then treated to a black-and-white photo of the two “extra” characters sitting at the dining room table while Jeanie (played brilliantly by Jennifer Grey) addresses Ferris at the door.
He shares, “They got cut during the editing process, but there are still some signs of them. If you look at the refrigerator, you can see the children’s drawings on it. And when you see Mr. Bueller’s office, if you zoom in on the family photo, you can see them right there.”
They were even in the trailer
They were even in the original movie trailer. “The only scene that was ever released with either of them was the original theatrical trailer. And it only has Kimberly in it, for like one second,” Clark says. The video cuts to a young blonde girl who answers Jeanie’s famous line, “Why does he get to skip school when everybody else has to go?” Kimberly answers, at least in the edits, “Syphilitic meningitis,” with a signature Gen X stare.
Clark admits, “I’ve seen this movie a million times, but I actually didn’t know about this until recently.”
Many in the comments are floored. One writes, ‘Imagine being in a John Hughes movie, and nobody believes you.”
Another Instagrammer says it kind of makes sense now. “Never noticed the picture on the desk, but it explains a few things. The size of the house never concerned me since every family in a John Hughes film lives in a starter mansion.”
One commenter is glad they were cut. “I’m soooo glad they cut the younger children. They had no reason for it and Jeanie and Ferris were perfect as the only two kids. The movie was about a kid who skips school and his sister’s reaction to it. The other siblings were pointless.”
Actors’ big break
This person sides with the actors who were mostly erased, noting, “Can you imagine getting cast for a major role in a film that blew up like Ferris Bueller’s and you’re not even in it? Like here’s your big break, kid. Psyche!”
To that point, a site dedicated to all things Ferris Bueller, called The Ferris File, posted an article about the “deleted siblings” in 2025. It provides more information about the roles in both the screenplay and the movie novelization that followed. Most interestingly, it names the actors who got cut.
They share, “Ricky Bueller is seven years old [Script Scene 1] and a dependent mama’s boy who ‘still lets [his] mother pick his clothes’ [Novel, Chapter 1]. Often filling the role of Kimberly’s punching bag, Ricky fears the many diseases and bodily mutations he is likely to experience, according to his older sister.
Josh Peden and Hannah Cutrona
Ricky was played by Josh Peden. The site shares, “According to IMDb, Peden’s few other acting credits include a few appearances on The Wonder Years and another on Quantum Leap.”
Kimberly was the more cynical sibling. “In addition to frequently tormenting her brother, as suggested above, Kimberly was once caught ‘smoking pot in the attic’ by her mother [Novel, Chapter 22]. She either sees right through her older brother’s scheme for taking the day off or she’s legitimately unconcerned: ‘If he dies, I got dibs on his stereo.’”
She was played by Hannah Cutrona. Again, they turn to the Internet Movie Database to find traces of her. “According to IMDb, you can find Cutrona in a variety of other roles throughout the ’80s, including appearances on Quantum Leap, My Two Dads, Charles in Charge, and a recurring role on Sister Kate.”
