Mara Wilson
| Mara Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mara Elizabeth Wilson July 24, 1987 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress (1991 – 2000), Playwright, Stage Actress, Voice Actress, Writer |
| Years active | 1993 – present |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Parents | Michael "Mike" Wilson Suzie Wilson(deceased) |
| Website | |
| www.marawilsonwritesstuff.com | |
Mara Elizabeth Wilson (born July 24, 1987) is an American former child actress, stage actress, voice actress, playwright, and writer. She is best known for her roles as Nattie Hillard in "Mrs. Doubtfire" and Matilda Wormwood in "Matilda". Mara's first acting job was in a Lunchables commercial.[1] Mara's parents refused to let her go into acting at first.[2]
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Personal life [edit]
Mara Wilson was born in Los Angeles, California, into a Jewish family. Her parents are Mike Wilson and the late Suzie Shapiro Wilson. She has three older brothers, Danny, Jon, and Joel, and a younger sister, Anna.[3] Mara's mother was diagnosed with Breast cancer on March 10, 1995. By the time the doctors found the cancer it was too late.[4] Suzie Wilson died while Mara was filming "Matilda". The movie was dedicated to Suzie's memory. Mike has since remarried. In 2005, Wilson graduated from Idyllwild Arts Academy.[5] She is a 2009 graduate of New York University's[6] Tisch School of the Arts. In an interview she stated that she does not want to be a celebrity,[7] although she did add that she was considering doing a small film, just not mainstream films. Wilson explained that she quit film acting because she did not find it enjoyable, and prefers stage acting.[8]
Career [edit]
After watching Danny act in commercials Mara had interest in film acting at the age of 5. Wilson's film debut was in the 1993 hit "Mrs. Doubtfire" which is based on the Anne Fine novel Madame Doubtfire followed by the 1994 remake of "Miracle on 34th Street". In 1994, Wilson had a recurring role as Nikki Petrova on the prime time soap opera "Melrose Place" and played Barbara Barton in the television film "A Time to Heal". In 1995, she won the ShoWest Award for "Young Star of the Year." Her performances in those films caught the attention of Danny DeVito and led to her being cast as Matilda in "Matilda", adapted from the popular children's book Matilda (novel) by Roald Dahl. Wilson won a Young Artist Award for her role in "A Simple Wish" in "Best Performance in a Feature Film Leading Young Actress" and a Young Star Award for Matilda in "Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film." She was twice nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for both Matilda and A Simple Wish. In 1999, she played Willow Johnson in the 1999 Disney Channel television film "Balloon Farm". Mara auditioned for the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, but she was considered to be too young for the role.[9] Her appearance in the 2000 film "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" was her last major film role to date. Once "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" was completed Mara decided to focus on school instead of film acting.
Wilson sang "Make 'Em Laugh" at the 67th Academy Awards telecast on March 27, 1995, with Tim Curry and Kathy Najimy.[10]
In January 2012, Wilson appeared briefly in one episode of a web series called "Missed Connection" in the role of Bitty. In 2012, Wilson addressed recurrent fan questions regarding her acting career via her blog. Within the same year, Wilson made special appearances on internet review shows for That Guy with the Glasses.
Mara works for Publicolor and is hoping to break into young adult novels.[11]
Filmography [edit]
Film [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Mrs. Doubtfire | Natalie "Nattie" Hillard | |
| 1994 | Miracle on 34th Street | Susan Walker | |
| A Time to Heal | Barbara Barton | TV movie | |
| 1996 | Matilda | Matilda Wormwood | Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film Nominated—Young Star Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film |
| 1997 | A Simple Wish | Anabel Greening | Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film Nominated—Young Star Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film |
| 1999 | Balloon Farm | Willow Johnson | TV movie |
| 2000 | Thomas & the Magic Railroad | Lily Stone | Nominated—Young Star Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film |
Television [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Melrose Place | Nicole "Nikki" Petrova | 5 Episodes |
| 1996 | Pearl | Samantha Stein | Episode: "The Tutor" (season 1 episode 11) |
| 1999 | Batman Beyond | Tamara (voice) | Episode: Mind Games (season 2 episode 10) |
Internet [edit]
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Nostalgia Critic | Herself | Episode: "A Simple Wish" [12] |
| Nostalgia Chick | Episode: "Matilda" [13] | ||
| 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"[14] Filmed in 2011 |
Awards [edit]
1995 – ShoWest Award – Young Star of the Year[15]
Stage [edit]
"Cinderella" (2005)
References [edit]
- ^ Young Mara Wilson Builds A Fairy-Tale Film Career
- ^ Being Matilda
- ^ 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.
- ^ Lessons in Courage
- ^ "Theatre Alumni". Idyllwild Arts Academy. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
- ^ "What happened to the original Matilda? As the hit musical dominates Olivier awards, former child star Mara Wilson". Daily Mail. 17 April 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- ^ Grudnik ov, Karina (January 19, 2009). Mara Wilson On Child Stardom, Morons Wanting to “Party With Matilda”. NYULocal.
- ^ Child Star Mara Wilson: Why I Quit Film Acting
- ^ Mara Wilson Reviews Matilda the Musical
- ^ Archerd, Army (March 14, 1995). Oscars plan to 'Make 'em Laugh'. Variety.
- ^ Where Are They Now? #1: Mara Wilson
- ^ http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/35109-a-simple-wish
- ^ http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/team-nchick/nostalgia-chick/36832-matilda
- ^ http://www.comediva.com/missed-connection-bad-dates#synopsis
- ^ Mara Wilson Awards
^ "Atop the Forth Wall- Psychoman #1 ". That Guy With The Glasses. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
External links [edit]
|
- 1987 births
- Living people
- American bloggers
- American child actresses
- American child singers
- American female singers
- American film actresses
- American musical theatre actresses
- American soap opera actresses
- American television actresses
- American voice actresses
- Actresses from Los Angeles, California
- Jewish American actresses
- Tisch School of the Arts alumni
- People from Burbank, California
- Young Artist Award winners
- 20th-century American actresses
- Writers from Los Angeles, California
- Women writers from California
