“Most of my life has not been about picking and choosing. It’s been about happy accidents.” – Alan Ruck
It’s no doubt that actor Alan Ruck will likely always be best known for portraying Cameron in Ferris Buller’s Day Off even though he has since appeared on television series like Spin City and films like Speed and Twister. And while Ruck likely appreciates that success, as an actor he wants to continue to pursue his craft and continue building his career. Recently, Ruck has appeared on the HBO series Succession as one of the children of media tycoon Logan Roy (played by Brian Cox).
While being interviewed by Collider, Ruck was asked how he got involved in the Adam McKay series and whether it was a role that was offered to him. Ruck reveals that not only did he have to audition, but he nearly missed out on the opportunity because of family obligations. He explains:
Truthfully, I’m not at the level where I get to pick and choose. I do decide to do things, or not do things, but I still audition for things. I almost missed this audition because I was working on another show in Chicago and my wife (actress Mireille Enos) was being single mom a lot. I came home for the weekend, and she wanted me to take our little boy to mommy and me music class, and I said, ‘You bet. I’m there.’ And then, my manager called up on Monday morning and said, ‘Listen, I’ve got this HBO thing for you to audition for.’ And I said, ‘Honey, it’s HBO,’ and she started to cry. So then, I said, ‘I can’t do it,’ and I took our little boy to music class. And then, when I got out, there were about seven messages on my phone that said, ‘Go to Adam McKay’s house.’ So, I went and I had an off-the-cuff audition for Adam in his home, and then they cast me, later that day. Most of my life has not been about picking and choosing. It’s been about happy accidents. But I’ve been waiting for 30 years for a show like this because it’s no fun to play the nice guy, or the best friend who has problems, or the sensitive guy in a western. I’ve done all of that stuff. It’s just really fun to play people who are sociopaths that have no checks on their appetites, and who really don’t understand or care about the world around them.
