Mara Wilson

Mara Elizabeth Wilson (born July 24, 1987) is an American actress and writer. She rose to prominence as a child, for playing the role of Natalie Hillard in the film Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), and went on to play Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street (1994), Matilda Wormwood in Matilda (1996), and Lily Stone in Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000). Wilson retired from acting in 2000 and has since focused on writing, but returned to acting in 2012.

Mara Wilson
Wilson in November 2017
Born
Mara Elizabeth Wilson

(1987-07-24) July 24, 1987
Burbank, California, U.S.
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Actress
  • writer
Years active1993–present
RelativesBen Shapiro (cousin)[1]
WebsiteMara Wilson Writes Stuff

Early life

Wilson was born in Burbank, California, on July 24, 1987,[2] the oldest daughter of KTLA 5 News broadcast engineer Mike Wilson and homemaker and Burbank PTA school volunteer Suzie Wilson (née Shapiro; 1953–1996).[3] Her mother was Jewish, while her father is half Irish.[4][5][6] She was raised Jewish[7] and became an atheist when she was 15.[8] She has three older brothers named Danny, Jon, and Joel, and a younger sister named Anna.[9] Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer on March 10, 1995,[10] and died on April 26, 1996. The film Matilda was dedicated to her memory.[11] Wilson later recalled that this affected her passion for acting.[12] Wilson attended Idyllwild Arts Academy near Palm Springs, California. After graduation in 2005, Wilson relocated to New York City, where she continued her studies at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She graduated in 2009.[13] She appeared in her own one-woman show called Weren't You That Girl? while at university.[14]

Career

Acting

Wilson became interested in acting after watching her older brother, Danny, appear in television commercials. Initially, Wilson's parents were disinclined but eventually agreed to let her into acting.[15] After appearing in several commercials for business companies, such as Lunchables, Bank of America, Texaco, and Marshalls, Wilson was invited to audition for the 1993 comedy film Mrs. Doubtfire. Producers were impressed and awarded her the role of Natalie Hillard. The following year, Wilson appeared in the remake of Miracle on 34th Street.[16] In 1994, she was cast in a recurring role as Nikki Petrova on Melrose Place, and played Barbara Barton in the television film A Time to Heal.

Wilson sang "Make 'Em Laugh" at the 67th Academy Awards broadcast on March 27, 1995, with Tim Curry and Kathy Najimy.[17] In 1995, she won the ShoWest Award for Young Star of the Year. Her film work caught the attention of Danny DeVito, and Wilson was cast as the main protagonist, Matilda Wormwood, in the 1996 film Matilda. 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, she starred in A Simple Wish alongside Martin Short.[18] Although Wilson was nominated for three awards, the film mostly received negative reviews by critics.

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; the role was given to Lindsay Lohan after Wilson was deemed too young.[20] In 1999, she portrayed Willow Johnson in the 1999 Disney Channel television film Balloon Farm, based on a fiction book.[21] In 2000, Wilson appeared in the fantasy-adventure family film Thomas and the Magic Railroad, which was her last film as a child actor. Wilson retired from film work shortly afterward.[22] Wilson received a film script for the 2001 film Donnie Darko, but she declined to audition for the film.[23]

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."[24] However, Wilson made a return to acting in the 2015 comedy-drama film Billie Bob Joe.

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?[25][26] In 2016, Wilson made a brief return to television in a Mrs. Doubtfire-inspired episode of Broad City; she played a waitress where the comical Heimlich scene from the movie was reenacted.[27][28] That same year, she also voiced Jill Pill, a writer/director anthropomorphic spider, in season 3 of BoJack Horseman.[29]

Writing

In May 2013, Wilson wrote an article for online magazine Cracked.com, offering her opinion of the delinquency of some former child stars.[30] As of 2013, she worked for Publicolor.[31] Her play Sheeple was produced in 2013 for the New York International Fringe Festival.[32] In an interview that December, Wilson stated that her film acting days are over,[33] and that she is instead focusing on writing.[34] Her book Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame was published on September 13, 2016.[35]

Personal life

At age 12, Wilson was diagnosed with OCD.[36] She has also been diagnosed with ADHD.[37] In 2015, she collaborated with Project UROK, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to aid teens with mental illness.[38] She appeared in a video to discuss the mental illnesses she has experienced, including anxiety, depression, and OCD.[39] She also discussed her history of mental illness on Paul Gilmartin's podcast The Mental Illness Happy Hour.[40]

As of 2013, Wilson resides in Queens, New York.[41] She is bisexual.[42]

In a 2019 interview with the website bi.org, Wilson stated about her sexuality:

I remember thinking to myself when I was young that bisexuality made more sense to me than being straight or being gay. It made more sense to me intrinsically. I thought, "Well, yeah, it makes sense to me that people would be attracted to more than one kind of person." And I remember having that thought, but thinking: "But that's just sort of an abstract thing; that's not a real thought."

And I remember being attracted to girls and having crushes on girls in middle school, and at a really young age, too. I think that when I was like prepubescent, I didn't really realize that they were crushes. In middle school and high school, I would think that they were crushes, but then be like, "No, of course not, it's something else." I would blame it on something else. It took a really long time.

There were also a lot of reasons I didn't identify with it for a really long time. I think [by] the time I was coming of age in the 2000s, there was sort of this idea of: "you're doing it for attention."[43]

In a 2017 NPR interview, The Simpsons voice actor Nancy Cartwright stated that a young Wilson was the inspiration for a character's voice on the episode "Bart Sells His Soul".[44]

Wilson's maternal cousin is right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro.[45][46] Wilson, who is outspokenly liberal, has blocked Shapiro on social media platforms.[47] She stated, "Growing up is great because you get to choose which relatives you want to spend time with and which ones to cut out of your life without any regret."[48]

Filmography
Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1993Mrs. DoubtfireNatalie "Nattie" Hillard
1994Miracle on 34th StreetSusan Walker
1994A Time to Heal Barbara Barton TV film
1996MatildaMatilda Wormwood
1997A Simple WishAnabel Greening
1999 Balloon Farm Willow Johnson TV film
2000Thomas and the Magic RailroadLily Stone
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1992 Melrose Place Nicole "Nikki" Petrova Recurring, 5 episodes
1996 Pearl Samantha Stein Episode: "The Tutor"
1999 Batman Beyond Tamara (voice) Episode: "Mind Games"
2016 Broad City Waitress Episode: "Burning Bridges"
2016 BoJack Horseman Jill Pill (voice) Recurring, 4 episodes, Season 3
2018–19 Big Hero 6: The Series Liv Amara (voice) Recurring
Web
Year Title Role Notes
2012 Nostalgia Critic Herself Episode: "A Simple Wish"[49]
2012 Nostalgia Chick Herself Episode: "Matilda"[50], also writer
2012 Demo Reel Donnie DuPre's wife (voice) Episode: "Lost in Translation (Bromance Version)"
2012 Shut Up and Talk Herself Episode: "Guest: Mara Wilson"
2012 Missed Connection Bitty Episode: "Bad Dates"[51]
2013 Welcome to Night Vale Faceless Old Woman (voice) 10 episodes
2014 Keith and The Girl Herself Episode: "2002: Boobs"[52]
2014 Nostalgia Chick Herself Episode: "Nostalgic Foods of Yore"
2014 Amy Poehler's Smart Girls Herself Episode: "The In Too Steep Tea Party"
2014 Maven of the Eventide Herself Pumpktoberfest Vlogs, Episodes 5 & 12
2014 I Don't Even Own a Television Herself Episode: "016 — Covert Conception (w/ Mara Wilson)"[53]
2015 Keith and The Girl Herself Episode: "2147: Gang Dick"[54]
2015 Gilmore Guys Herself Episode 4.21
2015 That's the Show with Danny Herself Episode: "117: The One with Mara Wilson"[55]
2015, 2017 I Don't Even Own a Television Herself Episodes: "026: Treacherous Love (w/ Mara Wilson)"[56], "081: I'm With the Band (w/ Mara Wilson)"[57]
2016 Mouth Time with Reductress Ruth Hrorgen Mouth Time LIVE! With Mara Wilson[58]
2019 Passenger List N/A Writer of "Cyberspace" (episode 5)

Stage
  • Cinderella (2005)
  • Weren't You That Girl? (2009)
  • What Are You Afraid Of? (2014)

Bibliography
  • Sheeple (2013)
  • Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame (2016)

Awards and nominations
Mara Wilson award nominations
Year Organization Award Work Result
1995 ShoWest Award Young Star of the Year N/A Won[59]
gollark: No, 6052.
gollark: No, that is unlegal. Deploying SCP-6052.
gollark: Also, I figured out how to create a *minor* superweapon, but it only works in creative mode.
gollark: Oh, is that the next version of potatoS?
gollark: It is too late. I had to.

References
  1. Maxwell Yezpitelok (April 2, 2020). "Celebs With (Surprising) Famous Relatives". cracked.com. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  2. Kaufman, Amy (September 15, 2016). "Actress Mara Wilson has a memoir. She's not Matilda anymore". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  3. "SUZIE WILSON, BURBANK SCHOOLS, PTA VOLUNTEER".
  4. @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.
  5. @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.
  6. Mara Wilson Interview Pt. 2 — Running Late with Scott Rogowsky on YouTube
  7. "She's His G–damn Kid Too: Mara Wilson On 'Mrs. Doubtfire' 20th Anniversary". MTV News.
  8. Zachary Stewart (August 7, 2013). "Atheism, 9/11 Conspiracy Theories, and Sheeple with Mara Wilson and Max Reuben". TheaterMania.com.
  9. 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" – via LA Times.
  10. Cerio, Gregory (April 29, 1996). "Lessons in Courage". People. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  11. "Mara Wilson - Matilda Star: 'Danny Devito And Perlman Helped Me When Mum Lost Cancer Battle'". ContactMusic.com. WENN. June 4, 2013.
  12. "Why Hollywood didn't want the child star of Matilda, Mara Wilson". NewsComAu.
  13. Ghert-Zand, Renee (April 18, 2012). "Mara Wilson Hated Being a Movie Star". The Forward.
  14. "Mara Wilson On Child Stardom, Morons Wanting to "Party With Matilda" – NYU Local". NYU Local.
  15. Wilson, Mara (April 22, 2013). "Being Matilda". Theater Mania. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  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". LA Times. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
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  21. Heffley, Lynne (March 27, 1999). "Rip Torn, Mara Wilson Help Keep Disney's 'Balloon Farm' Aloft". LA Times. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
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  32. "Sheeple". NYC Arts. Alliance for the Arts. August 10, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  33. Neumyer, Scott (December 2, 2013). "Mara Wilson Talks Matilda, the Loss of Her Mother, and Quitting Acting". Parade. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  34. 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! Online. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  35. 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.
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  37. 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.
  38. Holmes, Lindsay (October 9, 2015). "Mara Wilson On Dealing With Mental Illness In The Public Eye". Huffington Post. New York City: Huffington Post Media Group. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
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  41. Nelson, Jeff (August 24, 2016). "Mara Wilson: Why Mrs. Doubtfire Star Quit Hollywood over Scrutiny of Her Looks". People.com. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  42. Goldberg, Ariel (September 20, 2017). "'Matilda' is Bi and So Am I: an Interview with Mara Wilson". Medium. San Francisco, California: A Medium Corporation.
  43. "A Conversation With Mara Wilson - Part One". Biorg.
  44. 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.
  45. 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.
  46. "Ep. 411 - Another Day, Another Mass Shooting (at 44.22 minutes in)". Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  47. Shapiro, Ben [@benshapiro] (November 28, 2017). "I believe she blocked me years ago, before I even knew she was on Twitter" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  48. Wilson, Mara [@MaraWilson] (May 8, 2019). "Growing up is great because you get to choose which relatives you want to spend time with and which ones to cut out of your life without any regret" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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  50. "Matilda". Thatguywiththeglasses.com. October 11, 2012. Archived from the original on August 16, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
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  52. "Boobs (Keith and The Girl) – Comedy Talk Show & Podcast". Keith and The Girl. June 25, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  53. "016 -- Covert Conception (w/ Mara Wilson)". i don't even own a television. August 8, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  54. "Gang Dick (Keith and The Girl)". Keith and The Girl. March 16, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  55. "The One with Mara Wilson (That's the Show with Danny)". That's the Show with Danny. March 19, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  56. "026 — Treacherous Love (w/ Mara Wilson)". i don't even own a television. February 25, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  57. "081 — I'm with the Band (w/ Mara Wilson)". i don't even own a television. May 14, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  58. "Episode: "Mouth Time LIVE! With Mara Wilson"". Mouth Time with Reductress. June 1, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  59. Joshua L. Weinstein. "Unconventional kudos nab stars". Variety.
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