Mara Wilson captured hearts in the early 1990s with roles in Mrs. Doubtfire and Miracle on 34th Street. However, as she grew older, Hollywood lost interest. “If you’re not cute anymore, if you’re not beautiful, then you are worthless,” Wilson said. Despite her early fame, Wilson struggled with the pressures of stardom, especially after her mother’s death from breast cancer in 1996. “Most of the time, I just wanted to be a normal kid, especially after my mother died,” she shared.
At 11, she reluctantly took her final major role in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, but by her teenage years, the roles had dried up. “Hollywood was burned out on me,” she noted.