‘SO KIND’ 90s child star, now 37, greets fans in rare public appearance decades after leaving Hollywood stardom behind
AS A CHILD, this actress was one of the most sought after stars in the world, with top roles pouring in.
This former actress, now 37, recently thrilled fans in a rare public appearance – decades after leaving Hollywood stardom behind.
The former child star in question is Mara Wilson, who played the titular role of Matilda in the 1996 film.
Now all grown up and a writer, the actress thrilled fans when she appeared at the Comic Con in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Sharing a picture of herself signing autographs, Mara wrote: “First day of #ComicConScotlandAberdeen!
“So many adorable little girls dressed as Matilda, so many kind Scots, and not nearly enough Tunnock’s caramel wafers.
“Come on out tomorrow, Aberdeen!”
BECOMING A CHILD STAR
When it comes to being a child star of the 90s, Mara was at the top of her game.
She got her first big break starring alongside the late Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire in 1993.
After this, Mara also had a big role in the popular Christmas movie, Miracle On 34th Street, which was released the following year
MATILDA FAME
But it was when she landed the leading role of Matilda, Mara really hit the big time.
The movie – based on the novel by Roald Dahl – is one of the most nostalgic films of the 90s for many people of a certain generation.
It told the story of Matilda Wormwood, a little girl underappreciated by her cruel parents and tortured by evil headmistress Miss Trunchbull.
Using her psychic powers she gets her own back on them in many ways and is eventually adopted by caring teacher Miss Honey.
QUITTING HOLLYWOOD
But despite the huge success of the movie, Mara turned her back on acting.
Instead she works as a writer these days and insists it’s something she always wanted to do.
Mara previously said: “Writing was always my secret desire. It was always something that in the back of my head I wanted to do.
“I wrote a lot of stories on the sets of movies. On Matilda, I wrote several.”
She has written for titles including Elle, The New York Times and Vanity Fair and released her memoir – Where Am I Now? – in 2016.
Mara – who was just nine-years-old when Matilda was released – is said to have officially quit acting in 2000.
The former actress later revealed why she turned her back on Hollywood, and said: “The rejection hurt because it had been just such a prominent part of my life for so long.
“It had been the thing that defined me.
“Writing I’d always loved. There’s a saying – ‘If you can live without it, you should’. And I found that I could.”
