Mara Wilson

July 24, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Mara Wilson, born on July 24, 1987, started as a child actress who played important roles in films from the 90s. She established a writing career during her adult years and returned to acting after a long break, mostly playing roles in web series and animated shows. Join us as we celebrate this actress and writer’s birthday right here!

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Mara Elizabeth Wilson

Birth date:

July 24, 1987

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Leo

Height:

5' 0"

Relationship Status:

Single

Net Worth:

$800 thousand

Background

Mara Wilson has been a prominent name in Hollywood since the 90s, having acted in films since then. A hiatus from acting helped her launch a career in writing and she is back in the industry to show her talent again. The actress was born on July 24, 1987, in Burbank, California. Her zodiac sign is Leo and her ethnicity is Irish-American. Her parents are Suzie and Mike Wilson. She also has four siblings

After appearing in commercials, Wilson auditioned for “Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993). She got the role of Natalie Hillard, the main character’s daughter. She played supporting roles in T.V. shows and films for most of 1995, winning the ShoWest Award’s ‘Young Star of the Year’ for her work. Wilson’s performances caught Danny DeVito’s attention and she was cast as the titular character in “Matilda” (1996), based on Roald Dahl’s famous novel. The film got her nominated for three awards, and she won the Youngstar Award for ‘Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film.’

A year later, she appeared in “A Simple Wish.” The actress appeared in two more films, “Balloon Farm” (1999) and “Thomas and the Magic Railroad” (2000) before taking a long break from acting. She played roles in theater adaptations of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Cinderella.” She went to school and graduated high school in 2005. Wilson attended New York University’s TISCH School of Arts and while there, she hosted a one-woman show, “Weren’t You That Girl?” Wilson wrote a play titled “Sheeple,” which was produced for the New York International Fringe Festival in 2013. In 2016, the actress published a book called “Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame.” In the same year, she hosted her own storytelling show, “What Are You Afraid Of?” and voiced a character in “BoJack Horseman” (2014 to 2020).

The actress-writer is bisexual, having come out in 2016. She is single as of 2022. Wilson is a supporter of mental health and supports Project UROK, an organization that helps teenagers struggling with mental illnesses.

Career timeline

1993

Wilson Makes Her Film Debut

She plays the role of Natalie Hillard in “Mrs. Doubtfire."

1996

An Award-winning Role

Wilson plays the title role in “Matilda,” which wins her the Youngstar Award for ‘Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film.’

2000

Wilson’s Last Film

The actress stars in her final film, “Thomas and the Magic Railroad,” before taking a big break from the industry

2013

Wilson Writes a Play

The writer pens a play, “Sheeple,” which is produced for the New York International Fringe Festival.

2016

She Publishes a Book

Wilson publishes “Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame.”

Why We Love Mara Wilson

She is supportive of mental health
Wilson supports a non-profit organization that helps teenagers who are struggling with mental illnesses. She also opened up about her struggles with mental illnesses, which takes a lot of courage to do.
She isn’t afraid to speak her mind
The actress criticized the media in 2017 for sexualizing actress Millie Bobby Brown’s public image. She has also received a lot of criticism for her opinions, but that hasn’t stopped her from saying what was right.
Wilson follows her heart
She started as an actress but left because she felt it was a tiring job. The break helped Wilson establish herself as a writer, and today, she has a book, a play, and several articles to her credit.

5 Surprising Facts

She was shy as a child
One of the sweetest pieces of evidence of this was during the filming of "Matilda," when Wilson’s character had to dance as she made objects fly around — the actress was conscious to dance in front of the film’s crew.
She is the cousin of Ben Shapiro
The actress is the political commentator, Shapiro’s cousin from her mother’s side, however, they are not on speaking terms due to conflicting views.
Watching her brother prompted her acting dreams
Wilson’s dreams of acting ignited after watching her older brother, Danny Wilson, act in commercials.
She was almost cast in “The Parent Trap”
Wilson was considered for the main role in the movie — the role later went to Lindsay Lohan after Wilson was deemed too young for it.
Wilson inspired an episode of “The Simpsons”
Nancy Cartwright, who plays Bart Simpson on the long-running animated show “The Simpsons,” revealed that a young Wilson inspired an episode of the show called ‘Bart Sells His Soul.’

Mara Wilson FAQs

How old was Mara Wilson when filming “Matilda?”

“Matilda” was released in 1996, and Wilson was nine at the time of filming.

Did Danny DeVito care for Mara Wilson?

Yes. DeVito had a good bond with Wilson, and while her mother was in the hospital during the making of “Matilda,” he and his wife, Rhea Perlman, cared for the young actress.

Does Mara Wilson have autism?

Wilson isn’t on the Autism spectrum but was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder when she was 12 years old. She also has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.