‘Matilda’ Star Mara Wilson Reveals Her Surprising Reason for Quitting Hollywood

“Matilda” star Mara Wilson surprised many people when she left Hollywood at a young age because of the tough beauty standards in the industry. She shared her personal struggles, which included body dysmorphia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the loss of her mother. Let’s see what Wilson is doing now and how her views have changed since she stepped away from the spotlight.

Many fans of fantasy-comedy films remember Mara Wilson as the charming young actress who captured hearts in movies like “Matilda” and “Mrs. Doubtfire.” She had great success on screen at an early age, but she made a surprising choice to leave Hollywood when she was still young.

Wilson faced difficulties with the strict beauty standards in the industry, which pushed her to step back from acting and live a more private life. Here’s what happened to the talented actress after she left the public eye.

Mara Wilson’s career started when she was only five years old. She was inspired by her oldest brother, Daniel Ben Wilson, who had begun acting in television commercials. Wanting to follow in his footsteps, young Wilson was eager to try acting herself.

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At first, Mara’s parents were unsure and didn’t want her to pursue acting. However, her determination convinced them, and they eventually agreed to let her try it out.

Not long after, Wilson started appearing in various commercials, including ones for Texaco and Bank of America, which marked the start of her journey in show business.

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Like her mother, Wilson faced struggles in her life, especially as a child star. She shared that even though she was popular, she often felt very lonely.

When she hit puberty, she no longer wanted to be famous and sometimes wished she could just escape from all the attention and publicity.

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The actress often faced harsh comments about her appearance, including her weight and looks, which she found upsetting. Wilson recalled that people would call her “ugly” and say she was “useless now” and that she wasn’t cute anymore. She mentioned, “They said cruel and sexualized things about my body too.”

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At 29, Mara Wilson felt sad when people seemed disappointed that she didn’t look the way they expected her to. She felt rejected, even though she was exhausted from acting and Hollywood had moved on without her. This experience led to a long struggle with body dysmorphia and an unhealthy obsession with her appearance.

She explained, “You think, ‘I’m ugly, I’m fat’ – and there were actual websites and newspapers and movie reviewers saying that about me.” This negativity affected her deeply, making it hard for her to see herself in a positive light.

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Mara Wilson later attended New York University, where she wrote about her mother’s death for the first time. While working as a barista and a nanny, she often feared being recognized and ending up in a “where-are-they-now?” article.

She thought about taking a job in Los Angeles but decided against it, worrying that people would recognize her. Wilson wanted to move past being seen as someone to pity, but she still wondered if others would feel sorry for her because of her past.

15 Pics That Prove Genes Can Be Very Powerful

We all have about 22,000 genes and sometimes we share enough genes with our family to be an almost identical copy of them. Although there may be 50 years between the 2 photos, their faces look the same thanks to the magic of these genes. There are some people who are carbon copies of their relatives, confirmed by their photos that simply blow us away.

Bright Side would like to share with you just how cool our genes can be with some exceptional photos we found.

1. “My mom and sister, both at age 6”

2. “My mom (left) age 4 in 1971. Me (right) age 4 in 2001. I see why people say we look alike.”

3. Grandmother 1941 and granddaughter 1999, same genes

4. “Me, 1992. Mom, 1954.”

5. “Here’s me and my fraternal twin.”

6. “Me on the left (circa ’90s, Canada) and my grand-dad (circa ’40s, Ireland).”

7. “My old man and me at the same age, 35 years apart.”

8. “Me in 1971 and my son in 1994”

9. “My mother at age 21 (L) and me at age 27.”

10. “My father, age 24 in 1951. And 24-year-old me.”

11. “I always knew that my mom and sister looked alike, but seeing them side by side is uncanny.”

12. “My brother (2016) and my grandfather (1948)”

13. “I’ve been told a lot that I look like my Finnish grandma.”

14. “My dad 1958… Me 1988.”

15. “Side-by-side comparison of my identical twin and me.”

Who do you look most like in your family? Share a photo of someone you look like so that we can compare!

Preview photo credit mrobry / Pikabu

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