OGEFASH’S CELEBRITY FOCUS- MARA WILSON
She does look familiar right? Our celebrity focus for this month is Mara Wilson; the child actor in the movie- Matilda. I can practically tell you that people know her more as Matilda than her real name- Mara Wilson. Mara was born on the 24th of July, she is in her early 30’s and she says she is not thinking of getting married anytime soon. Mara makes good chocolate chip cookies. She says ‘I’m a good baker, but I am a terrible cook.”
Though Mara Wilson hardly acts and may not be the usual face you see on your screen as she in the early 2000’s went back to school. However, after graduating from Idyllwild School of arts and music (2005), John Burroughs High School (2005) and from New York University [2009], Mara opted for another career.
Remember how she used to love reading in the movie- Matilda? Well, Mara Wilson is not only a book reader but a proficient book writer as well. She is the author of the book “Where am I now”
Concerning her acting career, Mara says on her personal blog that “I don’t have any plans to pursue film acting. It’s not my “thing” anymore, if it ever was.
Mara Wilson’s acting career started at the age of five. She took interest in acting desiring to be like her brother who is also in the field. However, as a young child, her parents were reluctant to release her into the movie industry, after so many pleas, they reluctantly let her go for her passion. Sadly, her mother died of breast cancer when she was on set of the 1996 movie- Matilda; perhaps the reason her interest in acting reduced.
Mara Wilson was just nine years old when she acted the movie- Matilda. She had always had interest in acting even though she believes it is time consuming as they (actors) have to redo a particular tole till the director is well pleased.
According to her- she gets to act a role in a way that pleases the director even if it doesn’t please her.
You all remember the terrific 1998 movie “Parent trap?” Well Mara Wilson actually auditioned for a role in the movie. She was meant to play dual roles of ‘Annie and Hallie’, but she did not get the role because as at that time, she was said to be too young for that role. The role was given to actress- Lindsay Lohan.
Mara also did not get picked in the cast of the movie – “The safety of objects”. She auditioned for the role of Sam Jennings, but the role was eventually given to Kristen Stewart (she acted as Bella in the twilight series) neither did she get the role of Sam’s friend known as Sally as it was given to Charlotte Arnold.
Mara turned down the role of Samantha in the 2001 movie- Donnie Darko. In an interview on Nostalgia Critic, she expressed strong dislike for the 2008 series (Sorry Mara, but I am a great lover of this movie, I totally love it! Can’t count how many times I have watched it along with the beauty and the beast series).
Mara is currently a full time writer. Check out her personal blog at http://marawilsonwritesstuff.com/ .The play ”Sheeple” written by her was produced in 2013 for the New York International Fringe Festival. She lives in New York and is involved with New York storytelling and comedy
Mara Wilson’s movies
• Played Natalie Hillard in the 1993 movie Mrs. Doubtfire
• Played Susan Walker in the 1994 remake movie Miracle on 34th Street
• Played in the 1994 movie A Time to Heal
• Played Matilda Warmwood in the 1996 movie Matilda
• Played Anabel Greening in in the 1997 movie A simple wish
• Played Lily Stone in in the 2000 movie Thomas and the Magic Railroad
• She also starred in other movies like Melrose Place (1994), A time to heal (1994), Pearl (1996), The tutor (1999), Batman Beyond (Tamara’s voice- 1999), Mind games (1999), Balloon farm (1999), Broad city, Burning Bridges, BoJack Horseman(Jill Pill’s voice- 2016)
AWARDS
Mara Wilson won the ‘Young Artist Award’ for her role in the 1997 movie ”A Simple Wish”, a Young Star Award for ”Matilda”
References: Wikipedia, Mara Wilson’s website