Mara Wilson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mara Wilson
Wilson in 2024
Born	Mara Elizabeth Wilson (1987-07-24) July 24, 1987 (age 37) Burbank, California, U.S.
Education	New York University (BFA)
Occupation	Actress, writer
Years active	1993–2000, 2012–present
Relatives	Ben Shapiro (cousin)

Mara Elizabeth Wilson (born July 24, 1987) is an American actress and writer. As a child, she became famous for her roles in popular movies. She played Natalie Hillard in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street (1994).

Her most well-known role was playing the main character in Matilda (1996). She also starred as Annabel Greening in A Simple Wish (1997). After her role as Lily in Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000), Mara took a break from acting. She wanted to focus on her writing. She returned to acting in 2012 and has mostly worked in web series.

Early Life and Family

Mara Elizabeth Wilson was born in Burbank, California, on July 24, 1987. She was the oldest daughter of Suzie Wilson and Mike Wilson. Her mother was Jewish. Her father is partly Irish. Mara was raised Jewish.

She has three older brothers named Danny, Jon, and Joel. She also has a younger sister named Anna. Mara is a cousin of political commentator Ben Shapiro. However, they have different beliefs and do not keep in touch.

Mara's mother became sick in 1995 and passed away in 1996. The movie Matilda was dedicated to her memory. Mara later shared that her mother's illness affected her love for acting. When she was 12, Mara was diagnosed with OCD. She has also been diagnosed with ADHD.

She attended Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, California. After finishing school in 2005, she moved to New York City. She continued her studies at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She graduated in 2009. While in college, she performed in her own one-woman show called Weren't You That Girl?.

Acting Career and Break

Wilson in 2017

When Mara was five, she became interested in acting. She watched her older brother Danny appear in TV commercials. Her parents were not sure about it at first. But after she did several commercials, Mara was asked to try out for the 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire. She got the part of Natalie Hillard. The next year, Mara appeared in a new version of Miracle on 34th Street.

Mara sang "Make 'Em Laugh" at the 67th Academy Awards in 1995. She sang with Tim Curry and Kathy Najimy. In 1995, Mara won the ShoWest Award for Young Star of the Year.

Her film work caught the eye of Danny DeVito. He cast her as the main character, Matilda Wormwood, in the 1996 film Matilda. She was nine years old at the time. Mara was nominated for three awards for her acting. She won the YoungStar Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film.

In 1997, Mara starred in A Simple Wish with Martin Short. She was nominated for three more awards. However, the film mostly received negative reviews from critics.

Mara tried out for other movies too. In 1997, she did a table reading for What Dreams May Come. She did not get the part. A year later, she auditioned for the 1998 remake of Disney's The Parent Trap. The role went to Lindsay Lohan because Mara was thought to be too young. In 1999, she played Willow Johnson in the TV film Balloon Farm.

In 2000, Mara appeared in the fantasy film Thomas and the Magic Railroad. This was her last film role for a while. The movie was not well-liked by critics. Mara stopped doing film work soon after. She later said that film acting was not very fun. She explained that doing the same thing over and over again did not allow for much creative freedom.

Return to Acting and Writing

Mara has also performed in theater plays. These include A Midsummer Night's Dream and Cinderella. She also had her own live shows called Weren't You That Girl? and What Are You Afraid Of?.

In 2012, Mara briefly appeared in an episode of the web series Missed Connection. She also made special appearances on internet review shows. She even played an adult Matilda during a review of Matilda by The Nostalgia Chick.

In April 2013, she saw the Broadway show Matilda the Musical and shared her thoughts. In May 2013, Mara wrote an article for Cracked.com. She shared her opinions about some former child stars.

Mara's play Sheeple was shown in 2013 at the New York International Fringe Festival. In an interview that December, Mara said her film acting days were over. She stated she was focusing on writing instead. Mara’s book Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame was published on September 13, 2016.

Mara had a recurring role on the podcast Welcome to Night Vale. She voiced "The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home." She also has her own storytelling show called What Are You Afraid Of?. In 2016, Mara briefly returned to television. She was in a Mrs. Doubtfire-inspired episode of Broad City. She played a waitress in a scene that re-enacted a funny moment from the film.

That same year, Mara voiced Jill Pill. This was an anthropomorphic spider character in season 3 of BoJack Horseman. Mara also voiced Liv Amara/Diane "Di" Amara in Big Hero 6: The Series.

In a 2017 NPR interview, The Simpsons voice actress Nancy Cartwright said that a young Mara Wilson inspired a character's voice. This was for The Simpsons episode "Bart Sells His Soul". In 2020, she talked about her childhood acting experiences in the HBO documentary Showbiz Kids.

Charity Work

In 2015, Mara worked with Project UROK. This is a nonprofit group that helps teenagers with mental illness. She has openly discussed her own experiences with anxiety, depression, and OCD. She shared her story on Paul Gilmartin's podcast The Mental Illness Happy Hour.

Personal Life

Mara has three older brothers and a younger sister. She is a cousin of political commentator Ben Shapiro. They have different views and do not have contact with each other. Mara was raised Jewish. In 2020, she described herself as an agnostic.

Mara has spoken about her experiences as a child star. She shared her disappointment when a reporter called her a "spoiled brat." This happened after she said she wanted her 13th birthday off instead of doing interviews. As of 2013, Mara lived in Queens, New York City. She later moved back to California.

Filmography

Screen Roles

Film

Television

Web

Stage Roles

• A Midsummer Night's Dream (2004)
• Cinderella (2005)
• Weren't You That Girl? (2009)
• What Are You Afraid Of? (2014)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Mara Wilson para niños