Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American stage and screen actor. Broderick began acting in off-Broadway productions in the early 1980s, soon after landing a role in Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs, for which he won a Tony Award. His first screen role was in Max Dugan Returns (1983), also penned by Neil Simon. His breakout role came the same year for his role as a young hacker in WarGames. Later Broderick starred in the hit film Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), making him a household name. Subsequent notable films include Glory (1989), The Lion King (1994), The Cable Guy (1996), Godzilla (1998), and Election (1999).