Mara Wilson
| Mara Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 24, 1987 Burbank, California, US |
| Residence | Queens, New York City, US |
| Occupation | Actress, screenwriter, author |
| Years active |
|
| Relatives | Ben Shapiro (cousin) |
| Website | www |
Mara Wilson (born July 24, 1987) is an American actress, screenwriter and author. Her best known roles as an actress include Natalie Hillard in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street (1994), and Matilda Wormwood in Matilda (1996).
Since retiring from film acting, Wilson is a writer.
Wilson was born in Burbank, California, on July 24, 1987. She is the daughter of Mike Wilson, a television broadcast engineer, and the late Suzie Shapiro Wilson, a homemaker. Wilson's mother was Jewish, and her father is of part Irish descent. She was raised Jewish and became an atheist when she was 15. She has three older brothers named Danny, Jon, and Joel and a younger sister named Anna. Wilson's cousin is political commentator Ben Shapiro. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer on March 10, 1995, and died on April 26, 1996, after the filming of Matilda. The movie was released after her death and was dedicated to Suzie's memory. After her mother died, Wilson lost some of her passion for acting.
Wilson became interested in acting after watching her oldest brother Danny act. Mara's parents refused to let her act, but they eventually reluctantly agreed to let her go into acting. After acting in commercials for Lunchables, Bank of America, Texaco, and Marshall's, Mara was invited to audition for the 1993 comedy film Mrs. Doubtfire and won the part of Natalie Hillard. This was followed by the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street. In 1994, she had 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 telecast on March 27, 1995, with Tim Curry and Kathy Najimy. 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 Wormwood in Matilda. She then went on to star in A Simple Wish alongside Martin Short.
...
Wikipedia