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Mara Wilson

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Mara Wilson
Wilson in 2024
Born (1987-07-24) July 24, 1987 (age 37)[1]
Burbank, California, U.S.
EducationNew York University (BFA)
Occupation(s)Actress, writer
Years active1993–2000, 2012–present
RelativesBen Shapiro (cousin)
Websitemara.substack.com

Mara Wilson (born July 24, 1987) is an American actress. She rose to prominence as a child actress playing Natalie Hillard in the film Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)[2] and went on to play Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street (1994), the title character in Matilda (1996), and Annabel Greening in A Simple Wish (1997). Following her role as Lily in Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000), Wilson took a 12-year hiatus from acting to focus on writing. She returned to acting in 2012 and has predominantly worked in web series.

Early life

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Mara Elizabeth Wilson was born in Burbank, California, on July 24, 1987,[3] the oldest daughter of Burbank PTA school volunteer Suzie (née Shapiro) and KTLA broadcast engineer Mike Wilson.[4] Her mother was Jewish, while her father is a Catholic of Irish descent.[5][6][7][8]

Wilson's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer on March 10, 1995,[9] and died on April 26, 1996. The film Matilda was dedicated to her memory.[10] Wilson later recalled that this affected her passion for acting.[11] At age 12, Wilson was diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder.[12] She has also been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.[13] She attended John Burroughs High School and then transferred to Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, California. After graduation in 2005, Wilson relocated to New York City to continue her studies at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 2009.[14] Wilson appeared in her own one-woman show called Weren't You That Girl? while in college.[15]

Career

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Wilson in 2017

When Wilson was five, she became interested in acting after watching her older brother Danny appear in television commercials. Wilson’s parents were initially disinclined, but eventually appearing in several commercials for businesses, she was invited to audition for the 1993 comedy film Mrs. Doubtfire. Producers were impressed and awarded Wilson the role of Natalie Hillard. The following year, Wilson appeared in the remake of Miracle on 34th Street.[16]

In 1993, Wilson was cast in a recurring role as Nikki Petrova on Melrose Place and played Barbara Barton in the 1994 television film A Time to Heal.[citation needed] She sang "Make 'Em Laugh" at the 67th Academy Awards broadcast on March 27, 1995, with Tim Curry and Kathy Najimy.[17] In 1995, Wilson won the ShoWest Award for Young Star of the Year.

Wilson's film work caught the attention of Danny DeVito, and she was cast as the main protagonist Matilda Wormwood in the 1996 film Matilda. She was nine years old at the time. Wilson was nominated for three awards for her performance, winning the YoungStar Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film. In 1997, Wilson starred in A Simple Wish alongside Martin Short.[18] Although she was nominated for three awards again, the film mostly received negative reviews by critics.[citation needed]

In 1997, Wilson went to a table reading for What Dreams May Come starring Robin Williams, but she did not get the part.[19] A year later, Wilson unsuccessfully auditioned for the 1998 remake of Disney's The Parent Trap but the role was given to Lindsay Lohan after Wilson was deemed too young.[20] In 1999, she portrayed Willow Johnson in the film for The Wonderful World of Disney titled Balloon Farm, based on a fiction book.[21]

In 2000, Wilson appeared in the fantasy film Thomas and the Magic Railroad, which was her last film. The film was universally panned by critics and performed poorly at the box office. Wilson retired from film work shortly afterwards.[22] She received a script for the 2001 film Donnie Darko but declined to audition for the film.[23] After retiring from film acting, Wilson began stage acting.[citation needed] Her theatre credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream and Cinderella. Wilson starred in her own live shows Weren't You That Girl? and What Are You Afraid Of?[24]

In 2012, Wilson appeared briefly in one episode of a web series called Missed Connection in the role of Bitty and made special appearances on internet review shows for That Guy with the Glasses—most notably a comedic turn playing an adult Matilda during a review of Matilda by The Nostalgia Chick, Lindsay Ellis. That year, Wilson explained why she quit film acting: "Film acting is not very fun. Doing the same thing over and over again until, in the director's eyes, you 'get it right', does not allow for very much creative freedom. The best times I had on film sets were the times the director let me express myself, but those were rare."[25]

In May 2013, Wilson wrote an article for Cracked.com, offering her opinion of the delinquency of some former child stars.[26] As of 2013, Wilson worked for Publicolor.[27] Her play Sheeple was produced in 2013 for the New York International Fringe Festival.[28] In an interview that December, Wilson stated that her film acting days are over,[29] and that she is instead focusing on writing.[30] Wilson’s book Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame was published on September 13, 2016.[31]

Wilson has a recurring role on the podcast Welcome to Night Vale as "The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home", as well as her own storytelling show called What Are You Afraid Of?[32][33] In 2016, Wilson made a brief return to television in a Mrs. Doubtfire-inspired episode of Broad City, in which she played a waitress where the comical Heimlich scene from the film was re-enacted.[34][35] That same year, Wilson voiced Jill Pill, a writer/director anthropomorphic spider, in season 3 of BoJack Horseman.[36] Wilson voiced Liv Amara/Diane "Di" Amara in Big Hero 6: The Series.[37]

In a 2017 NPR interview, The Simpsons voice actress Nancy Cartwright stated that a young Wilson was the inspiration for a character's voice on the episode "Bart Sells His Soul".[38]

Charity work

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In 2015, Wilson collaborated with Project UROK, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to aid teens with mental illness.[39]

Personal life

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Wilson has three older brothers: Danny, Jon, and Joel, and a younger sister, Anna.[40] She is a cousin of political commentator and media host Ben Shapiro,[41][42] whom she has disavowed due to his conservative views and her liberal left-wing beliefs;[5] the two have no contact with each other.[43] Wilson was raised Jewish,[44] but became an atheist at the age of 15.[45] In a 2020 interview, Wilson described herself as an agnostic.[5]

In 2015, Wilson appeared in a video by the mental health charity Project UROK in which she discussed the mental illnesses she has experienced, including anxiety, depression, and obsessive–compulsive disorder.[46] Wilson discussed her history of mental illness on Paul Gilmartin's podcast The Mental Illness Happy Hour.[47]

Wilson came out as bisexual during an interview with Medium in September 2017.[48] In a 2017 op-ed in Elle magazine, she defended the then-13-year-old actress Millie Bobby Brown after commentators sexualized Brown's public image.[49][50] In a 2021 op-ed in The New York Times, Wilson commented on the documentary Framing Britney Spears and the parallels between her own life as a child star and Britney Spears'.[51] Wilson recalled an incident in which she was asked to comment on the burgeoning sexuality of an 18-year-old Spears when she herself was barely 13, and expressed relief at largely escaping oversexualization of her public image compared to Spears. Wilson described her disappointment when a reporter called her a "spoiled brat" after she stated that she wanted the day off on her 13th birthday instead of granting interviews.[51]

As of 2013, Wilson resided in the Queens borough of New York City.[52]

Filmography

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Screen roles

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Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Mrs. Doubtfire Natalie "Nattie" Hillard First film role
1994 A Time to Heal Barbara Barton Television film
Miracle on 34th Street Susan Walker
1996 Matilda Matilda Wormwood Lead role
1997 A Simple Wish Anabel Greening
1999 Balloon Farm Willow Johnson Television film
2000 Thomas and the Magic Railroad Lily Stone
2015 Billie Bob Joe Herself [53]
2021 Pre-Emptive Defence Sara Short film[54]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 Bob Amelia Episode: "Have Yourself a Married Little Christmas"
Melrose Place Nicole "Nikki" Petrova Recurring, 5 episodes
1996 Pearl Samantha Stein Episode: "The Tutor"
1999 Batman Beyond Tamara Caulder Voice, episode: "Mind Games"[55]
2016 Broad City Waitress Episode: "Burning Bridges"
BoJack Horseman Jill Pill Voice, 4 episodes
2018–19 Big Hero 6: The Series Liv Amara/Diane "Di" Amara, Student Voice, recurring role[55]

Web

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Year Title Role Notes
2012 Nostalgia Critic Herself Episode: "A Simple Wish"[56]
Nostalgia Chick Episode: "Matilda",[57] also writer
Demo Reel Donnie DuPre's wife Voice, episode: "Lost in Translation (Bromance Version)"
Shut Up and Talk Herself Episode: "Guest: Mara Wilson"
Missed Connection Bitty Episode: "Bad Dates"[58]
2013 Welcome to Night Vale Faceless Old Woman Voice, 10 episodes
2014 Keith and The Girl Herself Episode: "2002: Boobs"[59]
Nostalgia Chick Episode: "Nostalgic Foods of Yore"
Amy Poehler's Smart Girls Episode: "The In Too Steep Tea Party"
Maven of the Eventide Pumpktoberfest Vlogs, Episodes 5 & 12
I Don't Even Own a Television Episode: "016 — Covert Conception (w/ Mara Wilson)"[60]
2015 Keith and The Girl Episode: "2147: Gang Dick"[61]
Gilmore Guys Episode 4.21
That's the Show with Danny Episode: "117: The One with Mara Wilson"[62]
2015, 2017 I Don't Even Own a Television Episodes: "026: Treacherous Love (w/ Mara Wilson)",[63] "081: I'm With the Band (w/ Mara Wilson)"[64]
2016 Mouth Time with Reductress Ruth Hrorgen Mouth Time LIVE! With Mara Wilson[65]
2019 Passenger List — Writer of "Cyberspace" (episode 5)
2020 Helluva Boss Mrs. Mayberry Voice, episode: "Murder Family"[66]
Our Popcorn Movie Dystopia - Some More News: The Movie Matilda Cody Web film[67]
The George Lucas Talk Show Herself May the AR Be LI$$ You Arli$$ marathon fundraiser;

The George Lucas Holiday Special

2021 You Are Good Episode: "Hocus Pocus with Mara Wilson"
2022 Ollie & Scoops Claudia Grimson, Creepy Girl Voice, 2 episodes

Stage roles

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

Bibliography

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  • Sheeple (play, 2013)
  • Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame (2016)
  • Good Girls Don't (2023)

Awards and nominations

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Year Organization Award Work NotesResult
1995 ShoWest Awards Young Star of the Year — Won[68]
1996 YoungStar Awards Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film Matilda Won
Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a Feature Film — Leading Young Actress Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Younger Actor Nominated
1997 YoungStar Awards Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film A Simple Wish Nominated
Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a Feature Film — Leading Young Actress Won
Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Younger Actor Nominated
2000 YoungStar Awards Best Young Actress in a Comedy Film Thomas and the Magic Railroad Nominated
Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a Feature Film — Leading Young Actress Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Famous birthdays for July 24: Elisabeth Moss, Anna Paquin - UPI.com". UPI.
  2. ^ Kyriazis, Stefan (December 23, 2021). "Matilda star Mara Wilson now: Heartbreaking reason Mrs Doubtfire and Matilda star quit". Express.co.uk. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  3. ^ Kaufman, Amy (September 15, 2016). "Actress Mara Wilson has a memoir. She's not Matilda anymore". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  4. ^ "SUZIE WILSON, BURBANK SCHOOLS, PTA VOLUNTEER". Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c Klion, David (August 28, 2020). "Q&A with Mara Wilson". Jewish Currents. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  6. ^ @MaraWritesStuff (May 27, 2012). "I'm half Jewish and a quarter Irish. I BURN. RT @Pixiebybirth Do you burn, tan or none of ze above?" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ @MaraWritesStuff (February 2, 2012). "@rare_basement He is short, half-Jewish, dark-haired, acted in an adaptation of a British kids' book and has a nickel allergy. HE IS ME" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ^ Mara Wilson Interview Pt. 2 — Running Late with Scott Rogowsky on YouTube
  9. ^ Cerio, Gregory (April 29, 1996). "Lessons in Courage". People. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  10. ^ "Mara Wilson - Matilda Star: 'Danny Devito And Perlman Helped Me When Mum Lost Cancer Battle'". WENN. June 4, 2013.
  11. ^ "Why Hollywood didn't want the child star of Matilda, Mara Wilson". NewsComAu. December 4, 2013. Archived from the original on December 4, 2013.
  12. ^ Linic, Claire (November 14, 2014). "What is Mara Wilson afraid of?". The Daily Dot. New York City: Complex Media, Inc. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  13. ^ Wilson, Mara (May 19, 2015). "Kill Me Now with Judy Gold - Episode 3". Omny Studio (Interview). Interviewed by Judy Gold. Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  14. ^ Ghert-Zand, Renee (April 18, 2012). "Mara Wilson Hated Being a Movie Star". The Forward.
  15. ^ Grudnikov, Karina (January 19, 2009). "Mara Wilson On Child Stardom, Morons Wanting to 'Party With Matilda'". NYU Local. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  16. ^ Orange County (Calif.) Register (July 27, 1997). "Mara Wilson's Role Is A Wish Come True". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  17. ^ Archerd, Army (March 14, 1995). "Oscars plan to 'Make 'em Laugh'". Variety. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  18. ^ Turan, Kenneth (July 11, 1997). "Short Works Magic in Uneven A Simple Wish". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  19. ^ Messer, Lesley (August 18, 2014). "Mara Wilson Recalls Robin Williams 'Was Different With Grown-Ups'". ABC News. American Broadcasting Company. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  20. ^ Setoodeh, Ramin (November 7, 2017). "'Matilda' Star Mara Wilson Reviews 'Matilda the Musical'". The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company LLC. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  21. ^ Heffley, Lynne (March 27, 1999). "Rip Torn, Mara Wilson Help Keep Disney's 'Balloon Farm' Aloft". Los Angeles Times (archive). Archived from the original on February 14, 2017.
  22. ^ "Mara Wilson Interview". contactmusic.com. January 7, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  23. ^ Eakin, Marah (April 11, 2014). "Mara Wilson on the sickness-induced reason she hates Gary Jules' "Mad World"". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  24. ^ McPherson, Rebekah (May 8, 2021). "Everything Mara Wilson Has Been Up To Since 'Matilda'". The Things.
  25. ^ Johnson, Zach (April 17, 2012). "Child Star Mara Wilson: Why I Quit Film Acting". Us Weekly. American Media Inc. Archived from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  26. ^ Wilson, Mara (May 28, 2013). "7 Reasons Child Stars Go Crazy (An Insider's Perspective)". Cracked.com. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  27. ^ Health, Paul (March 9, 2013). "Where Are They Now? #1: Mara Wilson". thehollywoodnews.com. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  28. ^ "Sheeple". NYC Arts. Alliance for the Arts. August 10, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  29. ^ Neumyer, Scott (December 2, 2013). "Mara Wilson Talks Matilda, the Loss of Her Mother, and Quitting Acting". Parade. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  30. ^ Finn, Natalie (February 11, 2015). "Matilda Reunion! Mara Wilson and Kiami Davael Are Still Friends and Hanging Out 19 Years Later—See the Photo!". E! News. E!. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  31. ^ Chavez, Danette (December 9, 2016). "Mara Wilson shines like a beacon in the witty and touching Where Am I Now?". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  32. ^ Deliso, Meredith (January 15, 2014). "Mara Wilson's 'What are you afraid of?' at Union Hall". The Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  33. ^ Oliveira, Adele (November 26, 2014). "Interview: Former 'Matilda' Star Mara Wilson on Leaving Hollywood and Becoming a Writer". Longreads Blog. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  34. ^ Fisher, Kendall (April 8, 2016). "How Broad City Convinced Mara Wilson to Get Back Into Acting". E!. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  35. ^ Mizoguchi, Karen (April 8, 2016). "Mara Wilson on Her Return to Acting for Broad City's Homage to Mrs. Doubtfire: 'This Movie Did a Lot for Me'". People. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  36. ^ Chappell, Les (July 22, 2016). "BoJack Horseman rides into season three atop the Secretariat Oscar campaign". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  37. ^ Spencer, Anthony (November 18, 2020). "Here's Why 'Matilda' Star Mara Wilson Retired From Acting". The Things.
  38. ^ Prescott, Julia; Goertz, Allie (August 8, 2017). "Allie Goertz and Julia Prescott interview comics, writers, animators and show creators about their favorite episode of "The Simpsons."". Feral Audio. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017.
  39. ^ Holmes, Lindsay (October 9, 2015). "Mara Wilson On Dealing With Mental Illness In The Public Eye". HuffPost. New York City. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  40. ^ Malham Jr., Howell (July 26, 1994). "To Her, It's Kids' Stuff : Movies: Mara Wilson, 7, is earning praise from her co-stars in the upcoming 'Miracle on 34th Street,' but acting is just something she says she likes--for now". Los Angeles Times.
  41. ^ McNamara, Neal (January 24, 2014). "Justin Bieber a symptom of a big problem". KTTH. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  42. ^ "Ep. 411 - Another Day, Another Mass Shooting (at 44.22 minutes in)". Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  43. ^ Maxwell Yezpitelok (April 3, 2020). "Celebs With (Surprising) Famous Relatives". cracked.com. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  44. ^ Wickman, Kase (November 21, 2013). "She's His G–damn Kid Too: Mara Wilson On 'Mrs. Doubtfire' 20th Anniversary". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015.
  45. ^ Zachary Stewart (August 7, 2013). "Atheism, 9/11 Conspiracy Theories, and Sheeple with Mara Wilson and Max Reuben". TheaterMania.com.
  46. ^ Pittman, Taylor (May 5, 2015). "Mara Wilson's Important Message For Teens Living With Mental Illness". HuffPost. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  47. ^ Gilmartin, Paul (September 16, 2016). "Mara Wilson". The Mental Illness Happy Hour. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  48. ^ Goldberg, Ariel (September 20, 2017). "'Matilda' is Bi and So Am I: an Interview with Mara Wilson". Medium. San Francisco, California: A Medium Corporation.
  49. ^ Wilson, Mara (November 14, 2017). "Matilda Actress Mara Wilson: A 13-Year-Old Girl Is Not 'All Grown Up'". Elle magazine. Retrieved February 25, 2021. As soon as I'd hit puberty, it had become okay for strangers to discuss my body. Every time I stumbled across an article about myself, every fear I had about my pubescent body was confirmed: I was 'ugly,' which as a woman, made me useless, or I was 'cute,' which made me an object. I was 'grown up,' which made me vulnerable. Because I was a child actor, my body was public domain.
  50. ^ Weiner, Zoë (November 16, 2017). "Mara Wilson Defends "Stranger Things" Star Millie Bobby Brown In a Powerful Essay". Teen Vogue. Retrieved February 25, 2021. Last week, a grown man tweeted a photo of Millie dressed up for a premiere noting that the actress 'just grew up in front of our eyes,' and Mara says that it made her feel 'sick' and 'furious.'
  51. ^ a b Wilson, Mara (February 23, 2021). "The Lies Hollywood Tells About Little Girls". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021. I learned I would be talking to reporters all day. Working on my birthday wasn't new to me — I had celebrated my eighth birthday on the set of "Matilda" and my ninth filming 'A Simple Wish' — but this was still disappointing.
  52. ^ Nelson, Jeff (August 24, 2016). "Mara Wilson: Why Mrs. Doubtfire Star Quit Hollywood over Scrutiny of Her Looks". People. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  53. ^ "How old was Mara Wilson in Billie Bob Joe?". actoragecheck.com. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  54. ^ Mackenzie, Francesca; O'Connor, Finn (May 3, 2021), Pre-Emptive Defence (Short), Couch Kumara, retrieved January 27, 2023
  55. ^ a b "Mara Wilson (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved April 16, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  56. ^ "A Simple Wish". Thatguywiththeglasses.com. May 1, 2012. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  57. ^ "Matilda". Thatguywiththeglasses.com. October 11, 2012. Archived from the original on August 16, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  58. ^ "Missed Connection: "Bad Dates"". Comediva. January 30, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  59. ^ "Boobs (Keith and The Girl) – Comedy Talk Show & Podcast". Keith and The Girl. June 25, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  60. ^ "016 -- Covert Conception (w/ Mara Wilson)". i don't even own a television. August 8, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  61. ^ "Gang Dick (Keith and The Girl)". Keith and The Girl. March 16, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  62. ^ "The One with Mara Wilson (That's the Show with Danny)". That's the Show with Danny. March 19, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  63. ^ "026 — Treacherous Love (w/ Mara Wilson)". i don't even own a television. February 25, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  64. ^ "081 — I'm with the Band (w/ Mara Wilson)". i don't even own a television. May 14, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  65. ^ "Episode: "Mouth Time LIVE! With Mara Wilson"". Mouth Time with Reductress. June 1, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  66. ^ "Matilda: así se ve Mara Wilson a 25 años del estreno de la película". IGN Latin America. August 2, 2021. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  67. ^ Our Popcorn Movie Dystopia - SOME MORE NEWS: THE MOVIE, November 2, 2020, archived from the original on November 13, 2021, retrieved April 16, 2021
  68. ^ Joshua L. Weinstein (March 14, 2006). "Unconventional kudos nab stars". Variety.
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