Steve Martin, Molly Ringwald and Matthew Broderick lead tributes to director John Hughes

The stars of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off have paid tribute to the director John Hughes

Macaulay Culkin, Matthew Broderick and Molly Ringwald are among stars who have paid tribute to the writer and director John Hughes following his death aged 59.

Broderick, who starred in Hughes' 1986 teen classic, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, said he was "truly shocked and saddened" by the news of the film-maker's passing. "He was a wonderful, very talented guy and my heart goes out to his family," he said.

Ringwald, who starred in Hughes' first two films as writer-director, 1984's Sixteen Candles and 1985's The Breakfast Club, said Hughes "was and will always be such an important part of my life."

She added: "He will be missed – by me and by everyone that he has touched. My heart and all my thoughts are with his family now."

Culkin, who became an overnight child star following the enormous success of the Hughes-penned Home Alone in 1990, said: "The world has lost not only a quintessential film-maker whose influence will be felt for generations, but a great and decent man."

Devin Ratray, who portrayed Culkin's older brother Buzz McCallister in the Home Alone films, said he remained close to Hughes over the years.

"He changed my life forever," Ratray said. "Nineteen years later, people from all over the world contact me telling me how much Home Alone meant to them, their families, and their children."

Steve Martin, who starred alongside John Candy in 1987's Planes, Trains and Automobiles, said the script for the film was the best he had ever read. "I asked John how long it took to write it, he said, 'I wrote it over the weekend.' The weekend. That shows you what he was able to do."

Many who did not know Hughes well personally but were inspired by his work also paid tribute. "The flag's at half-mast," wrote film-maker Kevin Smith on Twitter. "John Hughes, the man who spoke for geeks way before anyone else did."

But perhaps the most touching words came from blogger Alison Fields, who revealed a hitherto hidden pen-pal correspondence with the film-maker during his most creative years.

"I can't tell you how much I like your comments about my movies," Hughes wrote to her. "Nor can I tell you how helpful they are to me for future projects. I listen. Not to Hollywood. I listen to you. I make these movies for you. Really. No lie. There's a difference I think you understand."

Fields revealed that she once spoke to the director on the phone in 1997, several years after Hughes made his final film as a director, 1991's Curly Sue.

"We talked for an hour. It was the most wonderful phone call. It was the saddest phone call. It was a phone call I will never forget," she wrote on her blog.

"John told me about why he left Hollywood just a few years earlier. He was terrified of the impact it was having on his sons; he was scared it was going to cause them to lose perspective on what was important and what happiness meant. And he told me a sad story about how, a big reason behind his decision to give it all up was that "they" (Hollywood) had "killed" his friend, John Candy, by greedily working him too hard.

"Tonight, when I heard the news that John had died, I cried. I cried hard. (And I'm crying again.) I cried for a man who loved his friends, who loved his family, who loved to write and for a man who took the time to make a little girl believe that, if she had something to say, someone would listen."

Contributor

Ben Child

The GuardianTramp

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