Matthew Broderick told listeners in a podcast Tuesday that he was mugged often as a child growing up in New York City.
Broderick, 61, revealed on the podcast “Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi” that as a child growing up just north of Washington Square in New York City he was a victim of frequent muggings.
“I got mugged often! I’ve been mugged all through the Village, Times Square, Upper West Side,” Broderick admitted, according to People. (RELATED: Director Told Famous Actor He Was ‘Boring’ In Early Footage Of Iconic Movie That Launched His Career)
Broderick went on to say that it happened often when he was around the age of 12.
“It was mostly other boys just being bullies and getting lunch money or something like that. But sometimes it was somewhat scary,” he told listeners.
402513 09: Actors Nathan Lane (L) and Matthew Broderick (C) take a final bow after their last performance in “The Producers” at the St. James Theatre March 17, 2002 in New York City. After nearly a years run, Lane and Broderick leave “The Producers,” turning over their staring roles to English actor Henry Goodman and television star Steven Weber. (Photo by Producers 2002/Getty Images)
Broderick recalled an incident when he was skateboarding with a friend in Central Park and encountered a “massive” gang. “I got whacked in the head with some sort of stick! It was not a joke. Thank God, we all survived it,” Broderick stated, adding that the gang stole their skateboards.
Muggings and robberies were so common, the actor recalled, police officers would come to their school to offer them sage advice about how to handle the situation. “‘Always bring money with you. Don’t go out with no money, and immediately give it up and try to make the experience as fast as possible,'” Broderick said of the officer’s advice. “‘The more time you’re haggling or discussing, the more time you’re in this situation, the worse.'”
“I always remembered that, so try to reach a conclusion. Even if the conclusion is your own death, do it as quickly as possible,” Broderick told listeners.
The actor revealed that he only told his parents about one of two of the mugging incidents, explaining that parents in those days weren’t as “watchful” with their children as they are today.
“They were kinda like, ‘Go to a park and come in time for dinner.’ And that was it,” he stated, according to People.
Broderick, who starred in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” plays in the Netflix drama “Painkiller” which was released Aug. 10.