STEVE MARTIN, MACAULAY CULKIN and MATTHEW BRODERICK are leading the tributes to director JOHN HUGHES, who died on Thursday (06Aug09).

Hughes passed away after suffering a heart attack while out walking in Manhattan, New York.

The father of two stepped away from the limelight in the 1990s but stars from the big screen have offered their fond memories of the director, whose career spanned back to the 1980s.

Broderick, who was directed by Hughes in the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, was devastated to hear of his death and has sent his condolences to the moviemaker’s grief-stricken relatives.

He says, “I am truly shocked and saddened by the news about my old friend John Hughes. He was a wonderful, very talented guy and my heart goes out to his family.”

Actress Molly Ringwald, who starred in three of Hughes’ hit movies - Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink - was equally shocked to hear of his sudden passing.

She adds, “I was stunned and incredibly sad to hear about the death of John Hughes. He was and will always be such an important part of my life. He will be missed - by me and by everyone that he has touched. My heart and all my thoughts are with his family now.”

Veteran star Steve Martin, who worked with Hughes on 1987’s Planes, Trains And Automobiles, remembers the director with affection: “John Hughes was a great director, but his gift was in screenwriting. He created deep and complex characters, rich in humanity and humour.”

And former child star Macaulay Culkin, directed by Hughes in Uncle Buck and the Home Alone movies in the early 1990s, is adamant that the late film-maker’s work will live on for decades to come.

He says, “I was a fan of both his work and a fan of him as a person. The world has lost not only a quintessential filmmaker whose influence will be felt for generations, but a great and decent man.”