Back in the early 1990s, Mara Wilson enchanted audiences as a lovable child star. Known for her captivating roles in hit family films like Mrs. Doubtfire and Miracle on 34th Street, Mara quickly became a household name.
Despite her early success, Mara, who celebrated her 37th birthday on July 24, decided to step away from Hollywood. As she grew up, she felt she lost the “cute” factor that had once defined her roles, prompting her to leave the spotlight.
“Hollywood felt over me,” she reflects, feeling that the industry often equates beauty with worth. “If you’re no longer cute or deemed beautiful, it’s like you become invisible.”
In 1993, at just five years old, Mara won over countless fans when she starred as the youngest child of Robin Williams’ character in Mrs. Doubtfire. This was a monumental opportunity for the young talent from California, who began her career in commercials before landing a part in one of the highest-grossing comedies in cinema history.
“My parents kept me grounded amidst all the excitement. If I ever got ahead of myself, like saying, ‘I’m the greatest!’, Mom would remind me, ‘You’re just an actor. You’re just a kid,’” shares Mara, now in her late thirties.
Following her debut, she captured audiences’ hearts as Susan Walker in the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street, reprising a role originally played by Natalie Wood. In a candid essay for The Guardian, Mara recalls her audition process, commenting, “I delivered my lines but confessed to the casting team that I didn’t believe in Santa.” She cheekily added, “I did, however, believe in the tooth fairy and had nicknamed mine Sally Field,” in honor of her Mrs. Doubtfire mom.
Tackling Adversity
Mara’s career continued to soar with her iconic performance as Matilda in the 1996 film alongside Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman. Despite professional success, it was a challenging time personally, as her mother, Suzie, succumbed to breast cancer that same year.
The loss left a profound impact on Mara. “I was not fully aware of who I was before and after losing Mom,” she shared, reflecting on her grief and her desire for normalcy. “It was quite overwhelming, and amidst all, I yearned to just be a regular kid, especially after my mother passed away.”
Amidst the peak of her career and fame, Mara has admitted to feeling exhaustion and unhappiness. At 11, she played her final significant movie role in Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000), yet felt a personal disconnect from her character, thinking, “Ugh, how cute,” she humorously recalled in her piece for The Guardian.
Rejection and Reinvention
Mara’s eventual departure from the acting world wasn’t entirely her choice. As she transitioned into her teenage years, roles became scarce, with Hollywood seeming to forget the “cute” child star as she matured.
“Becoming just another awkward, nerdy girl with braces and frizzy hair was tough.” she reflects. “By age 13, no one called me cute anymore, and no one mentioned my appearance positively.”
Dealing with the harsh spotlight and the hurdles that came with growing up publicly, Mara found herself wrestling with societal pressures and those of the entertainment industry. Backstage, she continued to support initiatives for mental health awareness.
“I absorbed the Hollywood notion that worth was tied to cuteness and beauty. Despite feeling burned out from showbiz, the sting of rejection was real,” she admits, tying Hollywood’s perception to her stepping away from acting.
Crafting a New Narrative
Now a published author, Mara transitioned her storytelling talents off-screen, publishing her first book, Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame, in 2016. Through her writing, she explores her unique experiences, from her discovery of sex on the set of Melrose Place to realising Hollywood no longer found her “cute.”
Mara also penned the memoir Good Girls Don’t, reflecting on her life as a young actor under pressure.
“The pursuit of cuteness left me miserable,” Mara wrote in The Guardian. “I always imagined I’d leave acting on my terms, not be discarded by the industry.”
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