Marielle Heller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marielle Heller
Heller in 2016
Born	Marielle Stiles Heller (1979-10-01) October 1, 1979 (age 45) Marin County, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress director writer
Years active	2000–present
Spouse(s)	Jorma Taccone ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	2
Relatives	Emily Heller (sister)

Marielle Stiles Heller (born October 1, 1979) is an American director, writer, and actress. She is known for directing popular films like The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015), Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018), and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019). She also acted in the TV series The Queen's Gambit (2020).

Early Life and Education

Marielle Heller was born in Marin County, California. Her father, Steve Heller, was a chiropractor, and her mother, Annie Stiles-Heller, was an artist and art teacher. She grew up in Alameda with her younger brother, Nate, and sister, Emily.

Marielle loved acting from a young age. She joined the Alameda Children's Musical Theater. There, she performed in many plays each year. Some of her roles included Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh and Templeton the rat in Charlotte’s Web.

She later moved on to community theater and school plays at Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School, graduating in 1997. She studied theater at UCLA and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Career Highlights

After finishing her studies, Marielle Heller worked as an actress in various theaters across the U.S. She performed at places like the Magic Theatre and the American Conservatory Theater. She also acted in TV shows such as Spin City.

Directing and Writing Films

Heller made her debut as a film director and writer with The Diary of a Teenage Girl in 2015. She based the movie on a graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner. The story is about a 15-year-old girl named Minnie living in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1976. The film explores her life and feelings.

The movie first showed at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. It received great reviews and won the Grand Prix at the Berlin International Film Festival. It was also named Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards in 2016.

Heller has also written screenplays for other projects. These include pilots for ABC and a film for Disney.

Her next directing project was Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018). This film tells the true story of Lee Israel, a writer who forged famous letters. Heller chose Melissa McCarthy to play the main role. They filmed in real bookstores where Israel had sold her fake letters. The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released later that year.

Heller at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival

In 2018, Heller directed A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. This film is about a journalist's interview with the beloved children's TV host Fred Rogers. Tom Hanks played Mr. Rogers in the movie. Tom Hanks agreed to join the film after Heller became the director. The movie was filmed in Pittsburgh.

Acting Roles

Besides directing, Marielle Heller also has notable acting roles. She played Alma Wheatley in the popular Netflix series The Queen's Gambit in 2020. She was friends with the show's director, Scott Frank, and took on the role when another actress couldn't.

Personal Life

Marielle Heller is married to comedian Jorma Taccone. They met at UCLA while studying acting. They have two children, a son born in 2014 and a daughter born in 2020. The family lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Marielle's brother, Nate, is a musician. He has created the music for all of her feature films. Her sister, Emily Heller, is a stand-up comedian and also works as a writer and producer for the HBO show Barry. Her father-in-law, Tony Taccone, is a well-known theater director.

Heller finds inspiration in her family and friends. She says they are all creative and thoughtful people who inspire her every day.

Filmography

Film

Acting roles

Television

Acting roles

Theatre Performances

Marielle Heller has also performed in several theater productions:

• Continental Divide (by David Edgar)
• Hamlet – Ophelia
• King Lear – Cordelia (San Diego Rep)
• Much Ado About Nothing – Hero (Theatricum Botanicum)
• Peninsula (by Madelyn Kent) – starred (SoHo Rep)

Awards and Nominations

Marielle Heller has received many awards and nominations for her work as a director, writer, and actress.

Actors' Awarded Performances Under Marielle Heller's direction, several actors have been nominated for Academy Awards for their roles:

See also

In Spanish: Marielle Heller para niños