Mae Whitman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mae Whitman
Whitman in 2023
Born	Mae Margaret Whitman (1988-06-09) June 9, 1988 (age 37) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1993–present
Children	1
Parent(s)	Pat Musick (mother)

Mae Margaret Whitman (born June 9, 1988) is an American actor. She started acting when she was very young, appearing in movies like When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), One Fine Day (1996), and Independence Day (1996). She also starred in TV shows such as Chicago Hope (1996–1999) and JAG (1998–2001).

Later, Mae Whitman became well-known for her roles in the TV comedy Arrested Development (2004–2006, 2013), the drama series Parenthood (2010–2015), and the crime comedy Good Girls (2018–2021). She also acted in popular films like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), and The DUFF (2015).

Besides acting on screen, Mae Whitman is a talented voice actor. She has lent her voice to many animated characters, including Little Suzy in Johnny Bravo (1997–2004), Shanti in The Jungle Book 2 (2003), Katara in Avatar: The Last Air Bender (2005–2008), and Tinker Bell in the Tinker Bell movie series (2008–2015). She also voiced April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012–2017) and Amity Blight in The Owl House (2020–2023).

Mae Whitman's Early Life

Mae Whitman was born on June 9, 1988, in Los Angeles, California. She is the only child of Pat Musick, who is also a voice actress, and Jeffrey Whitman, a personal manager. Mae attended Ribet Academy for her schooling.

Mae Whitman's Acting Career

Starting Out: Early Acting Roles

Mae Whitman began her career very young, at just two years old, by doing a voice-over for a Tyson Chicken commercial. She couldn't read yet, so an acting coach helped her remember her lines.

In 1994, when she was six, Mae made her first movie appearance in When a Man Loves a Woman. She played the youngest daughter of Meg Ryan's character, Casey Green. She got the part over 700 other girls!

In 1996, Mae appeared in two more movies: Independence Day, where she played Bill Pullman's daughter, and One Fine Day, playing George Clooney's daughter. That same year, she was a guest star in an episode of the popular TV show Friends, called "The One Where Rachel Quits".

In 1998, she played Sandra Bullock's daughter, Bernice Pruitt, in the movie Hope Floats. From 1998 to 2001, Mae had a recurring role as Chloe Madison on the TV series JAG. She also starred in the series State of Grace and appeared in 17 episodes of Chicago Hope.

Acting in the 2000s

Mae Whitman at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con

From 2004 to 2006, Mae Whitman had a recurring role as Ann Veal on the comedy show Arrested Development. She also voiced the character Katara on the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender from 2005 to 2008.

In 2006, Mae appeared in the series Thief and made several guest appearances on other shows in 2006 and 2007. She was on Desperate Housewives as Sarah, a friend of Julie Mayer. She also continued her role on Chicago Hope as the daughter of Dr. Kate Austin.

Mae Whitman was first chosen for the 2007 remake of The Bionic Woman, but the role was later recast. She also appeared in an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit in 2008 and played Rosie in the HBO series In Treatment.

During this time, Mae also became the voice of Tinker Bell in the Disney Tinker Bell movies, starting with Tinker Bell (2008), followed by Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (2009) and Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue (2010). She also voiced Rose in American Dragon: Jake Long and Cynder in the video game The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night.

Acting in the 2010s

In 2009, Mae Whitman got a main role in the NBC show Parenthood, which started in 2010. She played Amber Holt, a strong-willed teenager.

Mae also played the character Roxy Richter in the 2010 movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, based on the comic series. In 2012, she had a big role in the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

In 2013, she returned to her role as Ann Veal in Arrested Development for its fourth season. In 2015, Mae starred as the main character in the comedy movie The DUFF. She also started filming Operator and voiced Batgirl in DC's Super Hero Girls series.

Mae Whitman has often talked about being cast as "outsiders" in her roles. She shared that she was bullied in high school for being "weird." She believes that choosing these roles helps her connect with others who might feel similar. She once said, "People should recognize who you are and how you can act rather than how famous you are."

In 2018, Mae was cast in the NBC show Good Girls alongside Christina Hendricks and Retta. The show ran for four seasons until 2021.

Recent Roles: The 2020s

In 2020, Mae Whitman appeared in the musical film Valley Girl. From 2020 to 2023, she voiced Amity Blight in the popular animated series The Owl House. In 2023, she played a main role in the Hulu series Up Here. She also voiced Annie in Skull Island and reprised her role as Roxie Richter in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

On August 28, 2024, Mae Whitman gave birth to her first child, a son.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Audio books

See also

In Spanish: Mae Whitman para niños