Why Mara Wilson, Now 37, Stepped Away from Hollywood After ‘Matilda

In the early 1990s, the world fell for the charming Mara Wilson, the child star renowned for her roles in family favorites like *Mrs. Doubtfire* and *Miracle on 34th Street*.

Now 37, Wilson seemed on a path to continued success, but as she grew up, the industry’s perception of her shifted, and she vanished from the spotlight. Reflecting on her departure, she notes, “Hollywood was burned out on me,” adding, “if you’re not cute anymore, if you’re not beautiful, then you are worthless.”

Keep reading to discover what happened to Wilson!

In 1993, five-year-old Mara Wilson captured the hearts of millions with her role as Robin Williams’ youngest child in *Mrs. Doubtfire*. The California-born actress, who had already appeared in commercials, was catapulted to fame in one of Hollywood’s highest-grossing comedies.

“My parents were proud, but they kept me grounded,” Wilson, now 37, shared. “If I ever got too big for my britches and said something like, ‘I’m the greatest!’ my mother would remind me, ‘You’re just an actor. You’re just a kid.’”

Following her big screen debut, Wilson landed the role of Susan Walker in 1994’s *Miracle on 34th Street*—a part famously portrayed by Natalie Wood in the 1947 original.

In an essay for *The Guardian*, Wilson recounts her audition experience: “I read my lines for the production team and told them I didn’t believe in Santa Claus.” She adds a humorous touch, mentioning, “but I did believe in the tooth fairy and had named mine after Sally Field,” a nod to the Oscar-winning actress who played her mom in *Mrs. Doubtfire*.

Following this, Wilson took on the iconic role of the magical girl in 1996’s *Matilda*, sharing the screen with Danny DeVito and his real-life wife, Rhea Perlman.

It was also the same year that her mother, Suzie, lost her battle with breast cancer.

“There was who I was before that, and who I was after that,” Wilson reflects on the profound grief she felt. “She was like this omnipresent thing in my life.” She adds, “I found it kind of overwhelming. Most of the time, I just wanted to be a normal kid, especially after my mother died.”

As a young star, Wilson was exhausted and admits that during her peak fame, she felt “the most unhappy.”

At the age of 11, Wilson reluctantly took on her final major role in the 2000 fantasy adventure film *Thomas and the Magic Railroad*. Reflecting on the experience, she recalls, “The characters were too young. At 11, I had a visceral reaction to [the] script… Ugh, I thought. How cute,” she tells *The Guardian*.

Her departure from Hollywood wasn’t solely her choice. As she entered her teenage years, roles dried up. Wilson found herself transitioning through puberty, moving away from the “cute” image she had once embodied. She describes this period as feeling like “just another weird, nerdy, loud girl with bad teeth and bad hair, whose bra strap was always showing.”

Backstage at @OkaytoSayTX supporting #mentalhealth awareness and destigmatization! pic.twitter.com/IqfFkuRiPj

— Mara Wilson (@MaraWilson) March 8, 2018

“By the time I was 13, compliments about my appearance had become a rarity, and when they did come, they were seldom positive,” she reflects.

Wilson grappled with the intense scrutiny of fame and the difficulties of growing up under the public’s watchful eye. Her evolving image deeply impacted her self-worth.

“I had absorbed this Hollywood notion that if you’re no longer seen as cute or beautiful, you’re essentially worthless. I linked this directly to the decline of my career. Even though I was feeling disillusioned with it all, and Hollywood seemed to have moved on from me, rejection still stings.”

As an author, Wilson channeled her experiences into her debut book, *Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame*, published in 2016.

In this book, she explores a wide range of topics, from her lessons about sex learned on the set of *Melrose Place* to the realization during her teenage years that she was no longer deemed ‘cute’ enough for Hollywood. These essays trace her journey from unexpected fame to a state of contented, though relatively quiet, obscurity.

Having a rad time at #90sCon! pic.twitter.com/WMEEPpIBRr

— Mara Wilson (@MaraWilson) March 11, 2022

Mara Wilson’s reflections on her childhood fame are both poignant and insightful. Her experience highlights the often-unspoken pressures that come with growing up in the spotlight, especially for child actors. It’s fascinating to see how she navigates the expectations placed on her and how they shaped her sense of self-worth and career trajectory. Her honesty about the impact of being labeled “cute” and her surprising shift from a career-driven focus to a more introspective view of herself as an adult offers a deep look into the personal side of fame and identity.

Sharing these insights can definitely spark meaningful conversations about the nature of childhood fame, personal growth, and the challenges of living up to public expectations. It would be great to hear others’ thoughts on this as well—how do they view the pressures faced by child actors and the impact on their later lives?