Veteran comic character actress Edie McClurg ended up clicking so well with the late writer-director John Hughes that she appeared in four of his movies: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (as ditzily cheery Grace, secretary to the villainous Dean Rooney), “Planes, Trains & Automobiles,” “She’s Having a Baby” and “Curly Sue.” And she says she couldn’t have been happier about the experience.
We caught up with McClurg for a few quick questions before her guest-starring appearance (along with fellow “Ferris” actors Cindy Pickett, Lyman Ward, Jonathan Schmock and Larry “Flash” Jenkins) at screenings May 21 and 22 of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” in Lake Forest as part of the three-day Ferris Fest.
Q: So, how did you wind up appearing in several John Hughes movies? Had he seen you perform?
A: I’m not really sure. (Laughing her patented cheery laugh.) It’s the now-it’s-this, now-it’s-that nature of the business. First I was here, then I was there. You know, opportunities turn up and there you are. I wasn’t always in charge of everything.
Q: Did you have any misgivings, after performing previously in comparatively edgy shows?
A: Not for long, if I did. The reaction I remember is ‘I’m so happy.’ Because I do feel that his movies were just great. All the time I was working for him, I felt, ‘Oh, I’m so happy to be here doing this. It was just so wonderful, compared to some of my other experiences.
I felt I was very lucky to have the chance to work with all those people he pulled together. But I’m not sure I really understood, at the time, just how wonderful the films would turn out to be. And it was just one after another after another. I was so pleased to be a part of it.
Q: You’re very well known for comic improvisation. Did John Hughes allow any leeway for improvising in his screenplays?
A: Oh, yes. He was so wonderful. He just said, ‘Go.’ And I would lay it out. And he’d say, ‘Okay’or ‘Not so much.’ His approach was always very, very giving.
And I was so pleased because most other directors would just say, ‘No.’ It was always just ‘no, no, no, no, no.’ So it was really wonderful to work with someone who could say yes. I’d come up with something I thought was funny and he’d say, ‘Okay, go ahead and do that.’ I just loved it. I loved it so much.
Q: Did he have any suggestions about how you might play Grace?
A: Not really. Well, he liked the big, poofy hairdo I came up with for her. And I remember he liked the way I’d just say “Oh yes,” “Uh-huh,” “How lovely,” in that perky voice.
Q: Did he tell you keep all those pencils in your hair?
A: (Laughing) No, I did the pencils. I was the pencil person. I remember, I had this big poofy thing on my head — my hair — and one day while he was talking to me about something, I just kept putting more and more pencils up there. (Laughing.) He seemed to like that.
Q: Did you consider him a good director and writer?
A: Oh yeah! Absolutely. Because he was willing to listen. There are so many who walk on with the feeling that they’re going to make things happen a certain way. But that’s the wrong approach. You have to listen first and then play.
Q: As you know, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is a very popular film around the world. Why do you think that it has come to mean so much to so many people?
A: It’s a little odd to me, really. Because I’ve done this and that and the other thing and most of them just go away. But this one’s still going strong. In fact, it’s like we’re doing the whole thing again at this festival. Why is that?
Q: Some people say it’s because Ferris Bueller represents taking time to appreciate life — and that’s why it resonates with so many people.
A: Maybe so. I just don’t know. I thought we were doing a very small show, to tell the truth, just a nice, pleasant little story. But people really love that damn movie. I’m just happy I had the chance to do it. All I can say is, thank you very much, God.
The “Ferris Bueller” screening events will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. May 21 and 22 at the John and Nancy Hughes Theater in the Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. The May 21 screening is sold out. For more information, visit www.ferrisfest.com.
