Actor

1967-06-19 · United States · Female

10 series in the catalog

Mia Sarapochiello (born June 19, 1967), known professionally as Mia Sara, is an American actress. Her early roles include the soap opera All My Children (1983) and Ridley Scott's fantasy film Legend (1985). She gained wide recognition for starring in John Hughes's comedy film Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). She then led the miniseries Queenie (1987) and won a Saturn Award for starring in Peter Hyams's science fiction film Timecop (1994).

Sara played Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn in the DC series Birds of Prey (2002–2003). She took a hiatus in 2013, and returned with a role in Mike Flanagan's drama film The Life of Chuck (2024).

Early life

Sara was born to a Catholic Italian-American family in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York. She is the daughter of Diana, a stylist and photographer, and Jerome Sarapochiello, a photographer and artist. She attended St. Ann's School, in Brooklyn.

Career

Sara's debut role was Princess Lili in Ridley Scott's 1985 fairy-tale film Legend, alongside Tom Cruise. Playing the role of Ferris Bueller's girlfriend, Sloane Peterson, in the 1986 blockbuster film Ferris Bueller's Day Off made her even more popular. She also appeared in the 1987 miniseries Queenie, a roman à clef on actress Merle Oberon, as well as 1992's A Stranger Among Us, directed by Sidney Lumet.

In 1994, she starred opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in the blockbuster Timecop, for which she won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also played the part of Molly Connor in The Impossible Elephant (2001). Also in 2001, she acted in Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story, directed by Brian Henson (eldest son of Muppets creator Jim Henson).

Her television roles have included Annie Knox in the science fiction series Time Trax (1993–94) and Dr. Harleen Quinzel in the short-lived WB Network series Birds of Prey (2002–03).

In 2024, Sara appeared in The Life of Chuck; this was her first film appearance since 2013.

Personal life

In March 1996, Sara married Jason Connery, son of actor Sean Connery, with whom she performed in Bullet to Beijing. In June 1997 she gave birth to a son, Dashiell Connery. The couple divorced in 2002. In 2005, Sara had a daughter with Brian Henson. They married in 2010. They currently reside in Suffolk, England.

In a July 2026 interview, Sara stated that she still lives in Los Angeles after 30 years primarily to ride her horses.

Sara is an avid poet.