Kate Mara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kate Mara
Mara at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
Born	Kate Rooney Mara (1983-02-27) February 27, 1983 (age 42) Bedford, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Jamie Bell ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	2
Relatives	Rooney Mara (sister)
Family	Rooney family Mara family

Kate Rooney Mara (born February 27, 1983) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in TV shows and movies. Kate Mara played reporter Zoe Barnes in the Netflix show House of Cards. She was also computer analyst Shari Rothenberg in the Fox series 24.

You might also know her from the FX miniseries American Horror Story: Murder House. She played a spirit in a haunted house. Kate Mara also appeared in Pose and A Teacher.

In movies, Kate Mara has been in many popular films. These include Brokeback Mountain (2005) and We Are Marshall (2006). She also starred in The Martian (2015) and Fantastic Four (2015).

Early life and Family

Kate Rooney Mara was born on February 27, 1983. Her hometown is Bedford, New York. Her father, Timothy Christopher Mara, worked for the New York Giants football team. Her mother is Kathleen McNulty Mara.

Kate is the second of four children. She has an older brother, Daniel, and a younger brother, Conor. Her younger sister, Rooney Mara, is also an actress.

Her family has a long history with American football. Her great-grandfathers founded two famous NFL teams. Tim Mara founded the New York Giants. Art Rooney, Sr. founded the Pittsburgh Steelers. Her family still owns parts of these teams today.

Kate Mara's paternal grandparents were Wellington Mara and Ann Mara. Wellington co-owned the Giants for many years. Her uncle, John Mara, is now the team's President and co-owner.

Her maternal grandfather, Timothy James "Tim" Rooney, runs Yonkers Raceway. This is a horse racing track in New York.

Starting to Act

Kate Mara started acting when she was nine years old. She performed in a school musical. She also went to youth theater schools. She acted in plays in her community and at school.

Kate was very shy when she was young. She once said she only had one friend growing up.

Her first audition was for a police TV show called Homicide: Life on the Street. She did not get the part. But she knew then that she wanted to be an actress.

Mara finished Fox Lane High School a year early. She was accepted into the Tisch School of the Arts to study musical theater. However, she decided to start working as an actress instead.

Career Highlights

Mara at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Television Roles

Kate Mara's first regular TV role was in the show Nip/Tuck. She also appeared in other popular shows. These include Cold Case, Boston Public, CSI: Miami, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

In 2006, she had a role in the Fox TV series 24. She played a computer expert named Shari Rothenberg. Later, in 2009, Mara joined the cast of the HBO show Entourage.

In 2011, she was a guest star on the FX horror series American Horror Story. She played Hayden McClaine, a spirit in a haunted house.

House of Cards and Beyond

In 2012, Mara joined the cast of House of Cards. She played Zoe Barnes, a determined reporter in Washington, D.C. Her character helped Frank Underwood by sharing stories that hurt his rivals. She was even nominated for an Emmy Award for this role in 2014.

In 2020, she starred in the FX miniseries A Teacher. She played a teacher in the show. She also helped produce the series.

Stage Performances

Kate Mara first performed on stage in 2003. It was at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She starred in a play called Landscape of the Body.

In 2005 and 2006, she starred in The Alice Complex. She performed this play in New York City and Los Angeles. Kate has said that theater was her "dream" when she was a kid. She loved the idea of performing on Broadway.

Film Appearances

Mara's first movie was Random Hearts in 1999. She acted alongside Harrison Ford. She played Jessica Chandler in the film.

She also appeared in films that won awards at the Sundance Film Festival. These include Joe the King (1999) and Tadpole (2002). In 2005, she had a supporting role in Brokeback Mountain. This movie won an Academy Award. Her role helped her get more attention.

Mara at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.

Action and Adventure Roles

In 2006, she appeared in Zoom as Summer Jones. She played a girl with special powers. She also starred in We Are Marshall, a movie about a football team's tragedy. Mara played a cheerleader named Annie Cantrell.

In 2007, she was in the thriller Shooter with Mark Wahlberg. She played Sarah Fenn, a widow from Kentucky. She also filmed Transsiberian, a thriller set on a train from China to Moscow.

Mara starred in Stone of Destiny (2008). This film was about the theft of the Stone of Scone. She played Kay Matheson, one of the students who took the stone. She felt proud to play a part important to Scottish history.

Recent Films

In 2010, Mara played Kristi Moore in 127 Hours. This was a true story about a climber trapped in Utah. She also had a small role in Marvel's Iron Man 2.

In 2015, she played Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, in the Fantastic Four movie. That same year, she had a supporting role in The Martian. She played astronaut Beth Johanssen in this film directed by Ridley Scott. She also starred as Ashley Smith in Captive.

Mara at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con promoting Fantastic Four.

In 2017, Mara starred in Megan Leavey. She played the real-life U.S. Marine Megan Leavey. The film showed Leavey's special bond with her military dog.

She also starred in and helped produce My Days of Mercy.

Personal life

Kate Mara married actor Jamie Bell in 2017. She became a stepmother to his son. In 2019, Kate and Jamie had a daughter. In 2022, they welcomed a son.

Mara lives in Los Angeles and Manhattan. She is a big animal lover. She follows a vegan diet and exercises regularly to stay fit. She supports the Humane Society of the United States. In 2015, she appeared in a video to promote Meatless Monday.

Kate Mara has sung at games for both the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers. She makes sure her work contracts allow her to attend the Super Bowl if either team plays. She has been there for several Super Bowl victories for her family's teams.

Filmography

Film

Television

Podcasts

Music videos

See also

In Spanish: Kate Mara para niños