Though it's been almost 25 years since the original 'Matilda' was released, just about everyone recognizes the child actress who played the movie's lead. That's because the adorable Mara Wilson also acted in 'Mrs, Doubtfire,' a remake of 'Miracle on 34th Street,' and other classics of every millennial's childhood.
But once she got older, Mara slipped away from public view, and fans have always wondered where she ended up.
The thing is, Mara Wilson never really left Hollywood. Sure, she backed out of the spotlight, but she's still been pursuing creative projects. The difference is that as soon as she wasn't a "cute" little girl anymore, she stopped getting roles.
However, Mara's not content to be the 'formerly cute' star who lisped her way through movie scenes.
In fact, Mara herself wrote a book about growing up in the spotlight, including the damage it did to her young psyche. The Guardian shared an excerpt of the book where Mara even wrote about losing roles to the younger, "sullen but cute" Kristen Stewart.
After attending casting calls where it didn't seem like anyone was interested in her acting skills, Mara didn't get a callback for over a year. She later attributed the lack of interest to the fact that she was no longer an adorable child star.
Instead, Mara noted, Hollywood would label her as ugly. But the farther she got from the world of being a childhood icon, a role that even Reese Witherspoon struggled with, the more she realized that being cute was not her calling.
Even as an adult, Mara's frequently the subject of "where are they now" articles, and friends (or maybe they aren't so friendly) routinely send her lists of 'what do they look like now' celebs with unsavory comments from the public about her appearance.
Of public perceptions, Mara says, "It is not my job to be pretty, or cute, or anything that someone else wants me to be." Now 33, Mara hasn't forgotten where she came from, but she also recognizes how toxic being in the public eye can be, not just for kids, but women in particular.
Instead of focusing on acting, Mara got behind the camera. As CheatSheet recapped, she "loved to write" from a young age and started writing performance pieces. To her, being in a one-woman show felt "so much more real than being on a set every day."
While she won't be part of the musical remake of 'Matilda,' which promises to feature Ralph Fiennes as the Trunchbull, she wishes the cast well. After all, she's moved on since then, and she's totally fine not being Matilda anymore.