Kate Maberly facts for kids

Kate Maberly (born March 14, 1982) is an English actress, director, writer, producer, and musician. She has worked in movies, TV shows, radio, and on stage. Kate is well-known for her role as Mary Lennox in the 1993 film The Secret Garden.

Kate's Early Life and Talents

Kate Maberly was born in Reigate, England. Her father was a lawyer, and she is one of five children. Her older sister, Polly, is also an actress.

Sports and Music

Kate was a very active child. She started swimming competitively at age 5. By the time she was 7, she completed a national swimathon to raise money for a school helping children with epilepsy. She also played tennis for her county starting at age 12.

Music was another big part of Kate's life. She began playing the piano at age 6. When she was 14, she performed as a solo pianist in Venice, Italy. She also learned to play the cello. Kate later studied music at London's Trinity College of Music. She can also compose music and sings jazz.

Kate's Acting Career

Kate Maberly's big break came in 1993. She starred as Mary Lennox in the movie The Secret Garden. This film became a family favorite around the world.

Early Roles in Film and TV

After The Secret Garden, Kate got many other main roles. She played Dinah Bellman in The Langoliers and Glumdalclitch in Gulliver's Travels. She also appeared in Friendship's Field and Mothertime.

In the UK, Kate worked on many historical TV dramas for the BBC. These included "Anglo-Saxon Attitudes" with Kate Winslet and Daniel Craig. She was also in "The Last of the Blond Bombshells" with Dame Judi Dench. Other notable roles were in "Victoria & Albert" and "Daniel Deronda". She also appeared in the Hollywood movie "Finding Neverland" with Johnny Depp and Dustin Hoffman.

Stage and Later Work

Kate also performed in plays. She played Juliet in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". She was also in "Total Eclipse" at the Royal Court Theatre in London.

After finishing her music studies, Kate continued acting in films. These include Like Minds with Eddie Redmayne, Popcorn, and Rites of Passage. She also starred in the TV show The Booth at the End.

Voice Acting and Directing

Kate has done voice-overs for documentaries and commercials. She has also worked on several radio plays for BBC Radio 4. Her narration for the audiobook Catherine Called Birdy won an Audie Award.

In 2015, Kate wrote, directed, and produced a short film called Charlie's Supersonic Glider. This film opened the Hollywood Film Festival. She is also working on writing, producing, and directing a movie called The Forest of Hands and Teeth. This film is based on a popular book series for young adults.

In 2017, Variety magazine named Kate Maberly one of their "10 Brits to Watch."

Kate's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Theatre Performances

• A reading of Christopher Hampton's Total Eclipse at the Royal Court Theatre (2006)
• Juliet in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with Midas Touch Theatre Company

Music and Audio Work

Music Collaborations

Radio Shows

• The Shoemaker's Daughter
• The Dora Bella Variation
• Little Women
• Walls of Silence
• National Velvet
• A Certain Smile
• My Wounded Heart
• Peter Pan in Scarlet
• The Browning Version

Other Audio Projects

• Catherine, Called Birdy (audiobook narrator)
• Braniff International Airways promotion for "The Braniff Pages" (commercial voiceover)
• A voiceover for the horse documentary The Origins of the Arabian
• Ordynek, Bringing The Pride of Poland to Texas (commercial voiceover, 2000)

Awards and Recognition

Kate Maberly has won two special awards for her work:

• An Audie Award for her narration of the audiobook Catherine Called Birdie.
• A Special Award from The London Film Critics Circle for her role in The Secret Garden.