'I got whacked in the head': Matthew Broderick was a frequent victim of muggers while growing up in NY
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Growing up in New York City was not easy for Matthew Broderick, who voiced the character Simba in 1994 'Lion King' movie.
The actor who starred in movies like 'Wargames' and 'Ferris Bueller’s Day Off' revealed on iHeart’s 'Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi' podcast that he was frequently attacked by bullies and gangs on the streets of his hometown.
Why was Matthew Broderick often mugged?
Broderick said he was vulnerable to these attacks for being a "young guy."
Some of the attacks were very scary. One he recalled was while skateboarding with a friend in Central Park and a “massive gang came flying out” and stole their stuff.
He recalled, “I got whacked in the head with some sort of stick!” He added, "It was not a joke. Thank God, we all survived it."
How old was Matthew Broderick when he got mugged for the first time?
He said he was only 12 years old when he started getting mugged in different parts of the city such as the Village, Times Square, and Upper West Side.
"I’m talking like 12... that’s when it happened a lot," he said. He also revealed about his bullies.
"It was mostly other boys just being bullies and getting lunch money ... But sometimes it was somewhat scary," he said.
“I never had any money! And people constantly wanted [to mug me],” he continued.
How did Matthew Broderick's parents react to him getting mugged and threatened?
He told his parents about the muggings, but they were not very protective. "Back then, they weren’t as watchful as we are to our kids," he said.
He also recalled how he felt threatened on the subway where someone would sit next to him, put his arm around him and ask him aggressive questions.
"You’re just waiting, praying for the train to come out of the tunnel on the platform," Broderick recalled.
He was also threatened with "having his head put through the glass."
Matthew Broderick shared a police officer's advice on getting mugged in school
A police officer advised children to always carry money and give it up quickly.
He recounted about a police officer who would come to his school and teach the students how to deal with muggers.
He told them, “The more time you’re haggling or discussing, the more time you’re in this situation, the worse.”
Broderick is married to 'Sex and the City' star Sarah Jessica Parker for 26 years. They have three children together: James Wilkie, 20, and twin girls Tabitha and Marion, 13 via surrogacy.
Is Matthew Broderick the voice of Simba in 'Lion King'?
Matthew Broderick voiced the adult Simba in cult classic 'Lion King.' Despite often singing in his work, Broderick opted not to perform his songs in the film.
Toto lead singer Joseph Williams and actor Jason Weaver were hired to dub their respective singing voices.
He also voiced 'Tack the Cobbler' in Miramax's controversial version of 'The Thief and the Cobbler', which had originally been intended as a silent role.