Hollywood star Matthew Broderick says he feels very much at home among the people of Kilcar, despite joking that he will always be “a yank”.
The Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star has been spending summers in the Donegal village since childhood.
Now, Broderick and his wife Sarah Jessica Parker are well-known regular visitors to the Kilcar area, where the Broderick family has had a home for more than 50 years.
“I feel like I fit in,” Broderick said.
“But I know I’m a foreigner, I’m a Yank. I feel welcome there.”
Despite their Hollywood status, Broderick said there has never been much fuss made about him locally.
Speaking during an interview on RTÉ Radio 1 at the weekend, Broderick recalled the days when his films would arrive in VHS form on the shelves of the local Spar.
Presenter Brendan O’Connor joked that people in Donegal probably made a point of treating Broderick like anyone else, and guessed that they had “never seen any of your movies”.
Broderick, however, recalled that there was plenty of local interest in his work.
“Sometimes they would rent VHSs at the Spar,” he said.
“I remember once there was one of my movies and everybody rented it.
“But no, they don’t treat me oddly.”
Broderick also said his children continue to enjoy spending time in Ireland, despite now being older and having plans of their own.
“So far they love it,” he said, adding that his son James was due to join him shortly.
He also laughed about missing out on this summer’s stunning weather.
Sarah Jessica Parker with her son James Wilkie in Donegal in years gone by. Photo: Instagram/sarahjessicaparker
The interview also touched on the Broderick family’s longstanding connection with CLG Chill Chartha and the love of Gaelic football shared by Matthew’s late father, James Broderick.
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“He loved watching football up in Kilcar,” Broderick said.
Broderick explained that after his father’s death, his mother suggested that donations in lieu of flowers could go towards children’s football at the local GAA club. This led to the establishment of the Broderick Cup.
“So there was a little trophy that keeps getting given out every year. So we helped do that,” he said.
Matthew, Sarah Jessica Parker and their children attended the tournament at Towney Park in 2022, where they presented medals and the winning trophy to young players.
Geraldine Hughes, Matthew Broderick, and Max Baker in Irish Rep’s 2026 Production of ULSTER AMERICAN – Photo by Carol Rosegg
Broderick’s comments are the latest in a long line of affectionate references to Donegal from the Hollywood couple.
Their property at Roelough was extensively renovated and extended in 2018, while Donegal County Council recently granted the couple planning permission for a further development comprising a split-level outhouse and garden room with a first-floor mezzanine loft.
The couple are regularly spotted shopping and dining locally, while Parker frequently shares glimpses of their Donegal stays with her millions of social media followers.
From her love of local cabbage to the Magee of Donegal clothing brand, the Sex And The City star has often shared her affection for the county and has previously written about its sights, sounds and smells.
Broderick has also spoken in the past about how important Donegal was to his childhood.
“Donegal, it’s unbelievable. It gave me a whole new childhood in a way,” he previously said.
“I grew up in New York City, I was born and raised here, so the fact that my parents managed to put the money together to get us there was a great gift to us.
“I really, really got to know my Kilcar neighbours and that just doesn’t happen in the same way here in the US.
“We just really felt welcomed there. It’s another culture, a wonderful place.”
Broderick will star alongside Max Baker and Geraldine Hughes in the Irish Repertory Theatre production of David Ireland’s Ulster American at the Abbey Theatre from Wednesday, 12th August until Saturday, 22nd August.