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 famous for directing popular movies like The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015), Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018), and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019). Many people also know her from her acting role in the TV show The Queen's Gambit (2020).

Early Life and Education

Marielle Heller was born in Marin County, California. Her father, Steve Heller, was a chiropractor (a doctor who treats back and neck pain), and her mother, Annie Stiles-Heller, was an artist and art teacher. She grew up in the nearby town of Alameda with her younger brother, Nate, and sister, Emily.

Heller loved acting from a young age. She joined the Alameda Children's Musical Theater and was in up to four plays a year. She played characters like Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh and Templeton the rat in Charlotte's Web.

As she got older, she acted in community theater and school plays. After graduating from high school in 1997, she studied theatre at the UCLA. She also studied at the famous Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.

Career Journey

Early Acting

When Heller returned to the United States, she worked as an actress in several theaters, including the Magic Theatre and the American Conservatory Theater. She also appeared in TV shows like Spin City.

Becoming a Director

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Heller's first movie as a director and writer was The Diary of a Teenage Girl. The film is based on a graphic novel (a book told in comic-book format) that her sister gave her for Christmas. The story is about a 15-year-old girl growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1970s.

Heller felt it was an important story to tell. She worked on the script at the Sundance workshops for writers and directors. The movie, starring Bel Powley, was a big success. It won major awards at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Heller's next film was Can You Ever Forgive Me?. It tells the true story of a writer named Lee Israel who faked letters from famous authors. Heller cast actress Melissa McCarthy in the main role. They filmed in the actual New York City bookstores where the real events happened. The movie was praised by critics when it came out in 2018.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Heller at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival

In 2019, Heller directed A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. The movie is about the friendship between the beloved children's TV host Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) and a journalist. Tom Hanks, who played Mr. Rogers, was excited to work with Heller on the film. The movie was filmed in Pittsburgh, where Mr. Rogers' show was made.

Return to Acting

Heller had a major acting role in the popular Netflix show The Queen's Gambit. She played Alma Wheatley, the main character's adoptive mother. The show's director, Scott Frank, is a friend of hers and asked her to take the part.

Personal Life

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

Heller's family is very creative. Her brother, Nate, is a musician who wrote the music for all of her movies. Her sister, Emily, is a comedian and a writer for the TV show Barry. Her father-in-law, Tony Taccone, is a theater director.

Filmography

As Director, Writer, or Producer

As an Actress in Film

As an Actress in Television