Kate Mara
Encyclopedia
Kate Mara is an American television and film actress. Beginning acting in her hometown of Bedford, New York
, she moved from the stage to her first film, Random Hearts
(1999). Her notable roles include appearances in the Academy Award
-winning film Brokeback Mountain
(2005), playing the daughter of Heath Ledger
's character, and on the Fox
television series 24
, as computer analyst Shari Rothenberg. She has since appeared in the feature film
s We Are Marshall
(2006), Shooter (2007), Transsiberian
(2008), Stone of Destiny
(2008), and The Open Road
(2009). Mara joined the cast of the HBO series Entourage
for its sixth season, and appeared in Iron Man 2
, Happythankyoumoreplease
and 127 Hours
. In 2011 she starred in Ironclad
.
, the daughter of Timothy Christopher Mara, a scout
for the New York Giants
, and Kathleen McNulty (née
Rooney). Mara is of Italian (from her maternal grandmother) and Irish
descent; her family name used to be O'Mara. She has one older brother, Daniel, and two younger siblings, Patricia Rooney Mara, an actress, and Conor. Mara wanted to be an actress since seeing Les Misérables
at a young age; she said she "fell in love with Broadway
and musicals
", and grew up watching movie musicals on television and going to Broadway shows with her mother. She was especially a fan of Judy Garland
's films. Mara began acting at the age of nine in a school musical, and attended several youth theater-arts schools, and appeared in community theater
and in school plays
. Mara described herself to Esquire
magazine as "painfully shy" while growing up, and said she only had one friend.
Beginning at a young age, Mara continually asked her mother to help her get an agent
.
Mara's mother got the name and address of a management company, sent in a photograph, and Mara signed with her first agent, beginning her professional career at the age of 14. Mara's first audition was for the television drama Homicide: Life on the Street
. She did not get the role, but knew from then on that she just wanted to act. Mara was accepted into the Tisch School of the Arts
at New York University
to study musical theater and graduated from Fox Lane High School
a year early. Mara felt pressure from her parents to go to college
, but was already getting work as an actress, so she deferred for three or four years before deciding not to go. Mara moved to Manhattan
in order to act full time.
in 1997. She went on to guest star on numerous television series, including Madigan Men
, Ed
and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
. Mara landed two recurring roles in 2003, as Kate on Everwood
, an 18-year-old who is impregnated by her piano teacher and then gets an abortion, and as Vanessa on Nip/Tuck
, a bisexual cheerleader involved in a love triangle
with her boyfriend Matt McNamara
(John Hensley
) and another cheerleader (Sophia Bush
). Mara also appeared on Cold Case, Boston Public
, CSI: Miami
and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
that year.
Mara was cast as the lead in the 2004 WB
pilot Prodigy, about a teenage child prodigy
. She had a recurring role on the WB's Jack & Bobby
in 2005, and a 5 episode arc on the Fox series 24
in 2006, playing computer analyst Shari Rothenberg. Mara joined the cast of the HBO series Entourage
for the series' sixth season in 2009. She played Brittany, Eric "E" Murphy
(Kevin Connolly)'s assistant at his talent-management company, and a potential love interest. Mara filmed four episodes for the series in 2009. She also guest-starred on the FX series American Horror Story
in 2011.
Mara debuted theatrically in 2003 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
in John Guare’s
Landscape of the Body
with Lili Taylor
. Mara starred in The Alice Complex, a play by Peter Barr Nickowitz, at Dixon Place
in New York City in 2005 and at the Blank Theatre in Los Angeles in 2006. The production co-starred Tony Award
-winner Harriet Harris. Mara told WFAN
radio in 2006 that doing more theater work is a "dream" because it was "all I really wanted to do as a kid. I didn't care about movies or tv, I just wanted to do Broadway".
with Harrison Ford
in 1999, directed by Sydney Pollack
. She played Jessica Chandler, the daughter of a congresswoman (Kristin Scott Thomas
). She next appeared in the Sundance Film Festival
award-winning films Joe the King
(1999) and Tadpole
(2002), alongside Sigourney Weaver
. Mara co-starred in Peoples (2004), a drama and coming of age
story filmed in Louisville, Kentucky
. She starred in the direct-to-video
horror film Urban Legends: Bloody Mary
, and appeared with Noah Wyle
and Illeana Douglas
in The Californians
in 2005. It was her supporting role as the daughter of Heath Ledger
's character in the Academy Award
-winning Brokeback Mountain
that year however, that brought her more widespread attention.
Mara signed with the William Morris Agency
, and was included on the New York Daily News
list of "10 young actors who have a shot at making it big" at the start of 2006. She appeared in the superhero movie Zoom
that year, with Tim Allen
and Courteney Cox
, playing Summer Jones (aka Wonder), a 16-year-old girl with telekinetic
and empathic
abilities. She next appeared in We Are Marshall
, starring Matthew McConaughey
, which recalled the aftermath of the 1970 Marshall University
plane crash that took the lives of most of the football team. Mara played fictional cheerleader Annie Cantrell. It was a script that she responded to emotionally because of her football background.
In 2007, Mara appeared in the comedy Full of It
with Ryan Pinkston
for New Line Cinema
. The film later aired on television as Big Liar on Campus. Mara was also featured in an advertising campaign for clothing retailer Gap
called, "khakis with attitude." She appeared in Shooter, a thriller about a master sniper
lured out of retirement to prevent an assassination
, based on the novel Point of Impact
. Mara played Kentucky
widow Sarah Fenn, the love interest of Mark Wahlberg
's character's partner, and then Wahlberg's character himself. She adopted a southern
dialect for the role. Director Antoine Fuqua
immediately felt Mara was right for the part when she auditioned.
Also in 2007, Mara finished the film Transsiberian
by Brad Anderson
, which takes place on the Trans-Siberian Railway
that runs from China
to Moscow
. The cast included Woody Harrelson
, Ben Kingsley
, Eduardo Noriega
and Emily Mortimer
. Mara spent three months shooting the thriller in Vilnius, Lithuania, starting in December 2006. The film also shot on location in Beijing
and Russia
. Mara played Abby, a 20-year-old runaway
from Seattle, a character she described to MoviesOnline as "dark", "mysterious", "sort of goth
", and did not talk much. Transsiberian premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
in January 2008.
Mara starred in the 2008 film Stone of Destiny
, written and directed by Charles Martin Smith
, about the theft of the Stone of Scone
on Christmas Day, 1950. Mara played Kay Matheson, one of four students that removed the stone in a Scottish nationalist plot. The period
adventure-comedy co-starred Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle
and Charlie Cox
. Filming began in June 2007 in locations around Glasgow
, including Film City studio and Arbroath Abbey
. Mara employed a Scottish accent for the role, which she found very difficult to master. Mara felt lucky and proud to play a role that was important to people's heritage. She stayed near the Botanic Gardens
in the city's West End while filming, and attended the film's premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival
in Fountainbridge
, Edinburgh
on June 21, 2008. The film closed the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival
on September 13, 2008.
In December 2008, Mara appeared in T Takes: Brooklyn 09, a series of 6 improvised short films directed by Brody Baker, in association with The New York TImes' T magazine. Mara starred in The Open Road
, alongside Jeff Bridges
, Justin Timberlake
, and Mary Steenburgen
, playing Lucy, the girlfriend of Timberlake's character, Carlton. Filming began in Hammond, Louisiana
in February 2008, and continued in Memphis, Tennessee
and elsewhere in the southern United States
.
In 2009, Mara filmed the independent comedy Peep World
, starring Michael C. Hall
, Sarah Silverman
and Rainn Wilson
, and joined the cast of Marvel
's Iron Man 2
, making a cameo appearance
as a U.S. marshal
. Mara also shot the ensemble romantic comedy happythankyoumoreplease
in New York City
in July 2009. She plays a waitress and aspiring singer named Mississippi, in a story about six single New Yorkers in their 20s. The film was written and directed by Josh Radnor
, the star of the CBS
television comedy How I Met Your Mother
. The film won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival
. In 2010, Mara appeared in the survival drama 127 Hours
, directed by Danny Boyle
, starring alongside James Franco
and Amber Tamblyn
. Mara plays a hiker in the film, a true story about Aron Ralston
, a climber trapped while mountaineering
in Utah
.
Mara appeared in Ironclad
(2011), which tells the story of the siege of Rochester Castle
by King John
in the year 1215. It is her first film where she speaks in an English accent
. Mara appeared in the short film Ten Year
, produced by Channing Tatum
to attract financing for a feature film. The full-length feature went into production in Albuquerque in January 2010, with Mara starring in a large ensemble cast that includes Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson
, Brian Geraghty
, Justin Long
, Anthony Mackie
, Scott Porter
, Lynn Collins
, Chris Pratt
and Oscar Isaac
. The film is about a 10-year high school reunion, and was directed by Jamie Linden
.
Mara will star with Forest Whitaker
, Bruce Willis
and Malin Åkerman
in the independent drama Catch .44, written and directed by Aaron Harvey. The project began shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana
on July 11, 2010. As of May 2011, Mara was shooting the crime drama Blackbird
in Montreal
, alongside Olivia Wilde
, Sissy Spacek
, Kris Kristofferson
and Treat Williams
.
.
and the Pittsburgh Steelers
. As the direct descendant of the Giants' Tim
and Wellington Mara
as well as the Steelers' Art Rooney
, she is a fan of both teams, and the relationship contributed to her being cast in We Are Marshall. Mara has sung at both teams' games and, after missing the Steelers' victory at Super Bowl XL
due to work, her contracts state that if either team goes to the Super Bowl, she can attend. She was in attendance for the Giants' victory in Super Bowl XLII
and the Steelers' victory the next year in Super Bowl XLIII
.
Bedford (town), New York
Bedford is a town in Westchester County, New York, USA. The population was 17,335 at the 2010 census.The Town of Bedford is located in the northeastern part of Westchester County, and contains the three hamlets of Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, and Katonah...
, she moved from the stage to her first film, Random Hearts
Random Hearts (film)
Random Hearts is a 1999 film adaption of the novel of the same name. It is directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas.-Plot:...
(1999). Her notable roles include appearances in the Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning film Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback Mountain is a 2005 romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee. It is a film adaptation of the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx with the screenplay written by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry...
(2005), playing the daughter of Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
's character, and on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television series 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
, as computer analyst Shari Rothenberg. She has since appeared in the feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
s We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and...
(2006), Shooter (2007), Transsiberian
Transsiberian (film)
Transsiberian is a 2008 thriller directed by Brad Anderson, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and began its theatrical release on July 18, 2008 in New York City....
(2008), Stone of Destiny
Stone of Destiny (film)
Stone of Destiny is a 2008 British-Canadian adventure/comedy film directed by Charles Martin Smith. It stars Charlie Cox, Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle, Kate Mara and Brenda Fricker....
(2008), and The Open Road
The Open Road
The Open Road is a 2009 comedy-drama film written and directed by Michael Meredith. It stars Justin Timberlake, Kate Mara, Jeff Bridges and Mary Steenburgen and was produced by Anchor Bay Entertainment. Country singer Lyle Lovett and Harry Dean Stanton are also among the cast...
(2009). Mara joined the cast of the HBO series Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
for its sixth season, and appeared in Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
, Happythankyoumoreplease
Happythankyoumoreplease
happythankyoumoreplease is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by Josh Radnor in his directorial debut. The film stars Radnor, Malin Åkerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Michael Algieri, Pablo Schreiber, and Tony Hale, and it tells the story of a group of young New Yorkers, struggling to...
and 127 Hours
127 Hours
127 Hours is a 2010 biographical adventure drama film co-written, produced and directed by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco as mountain climber Aron Ralston, who became trapped by a boulder in Robbers Roost, Utah in April 2003....
. In 2011 she starred in Ironclad
Ironclad (film)
Ironclad is a 2011 action film directed by Jonathan English. Written by English and Erick Kastel, based on a screenplay by Stephen McDool, the cast includes Paul Giamatti, James Purefoy, Brian Cox, Mackenzie Crook, Jason Flemying, Derek Jacobi and Kate Mara. The film chronicles the siege of...
.
Early life
Mara was born and raised in Bedford, New YorkBedford (town), New York
Bedford is a town in Westchester County, New York, USA. The population was 17,335 at the 2010 census.The Town of Bedford is located in the northeastern part of Westchester County, and contains the three hamlets of Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, and Katonah...
, the daughter of Timothy Christopher Mara, a scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Kathleen McNulty (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Rooney). Mara is of Italian (from her maternal grandmother) and Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
descent; her family name used to be O'Mara. She has one older brother, Daniel, and two younger siblings, Patricia Rooney Mara, an actress, and Conor. Mara wanted to be an actress since seeing Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
at a young age; she said she "fell in love with Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
", and grew up watching movie musicals on television and going to Broadway shows with her mother. She was especially a fan of Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
's films. Mara began acting at the age of nine in a school musical, and attended several youth theater-arts schools, and appeared in community theater
Community theatre
Community theatre refers to theatrical performance made in relation to particular communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community...
and in school plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
. Mara described herself to Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
magazine as "painfully shy" while growing up, and said she only had one friend.
Beginning at a young age, Mara continually asked her mother to help her get an agent
Talent agent
A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
.
Mara's mother got the name and address of a management company, sent in a photograph, and Mara signed with her first agent, beginning her professional career at the age of 14. Mara's first audition was for the television drama Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
. She did not get the role, but knew from then on that she just wanted to act. Mara was accepted into the Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
to study musical theater and graduated from Fox Lane High School
Fox Lane High School
Fox Lane High School is a public secondary school located in the town of Bedford, New York. It is named after the road, Fox Lane, that begins just to the side of the school's driveway. Fox Lane is considered to be one of Westchester County's top public high schools, noted for its commitment to...
a year early. Mara felt pressure from her parents to go to college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, but was already getting work as an actress, so she deferred for three or four years before deciding not to go. Mara moved to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in order to act full time.
Television and stage roles
Mara's first television role was in the drama Law & OrderLaw & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
in 1997. She went on to guest star on numerous television series, including Madigan Men
Madigan Men
Madigan Men is an American television comedy that premiered on ABC in the U.S. on October 6, 2000. The show performed poorly in the ratings and among critics and was canceled on December 18, 2000.-Cast:*Gabriel Byrne as Ben Madigan...
, Ed
Ed (TV series)
Ed is an NBC television program co-produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated, NBC Productions, and Viacom Productions that aired from 2000 to 2004....
and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
. Mara landed two recurring roles in 2003, as Kate on Everwood
Everwood
Everwood is an American drama television series that initially aired in the United States on The WB. The series is set in the fictional small town of Everwood, Colorado, and was filmed in Ogden, South Salt Lake, and Draper, Utah, except the series pilot which was filmed in Canmore, Alberta,...
, an 18-year-old who is impregnated by her piano teacher and then gets an abortion, and as Vanessa on Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
, a bisexual cheerleader involved in a love triangle
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
with her boyfriend Matt McNamara
Matt McNamara
Matthew "Matt" McNamara is a fictional character on the American television series Nip/Tuck, portrayed by John Hensley.-Character history:...
(John Hensley
John Hensley
John Carter Hensley II is an American actor. His film appearances have included Peoples, Fifty Pills, Teeth, and Shutter.-Filmography:-External links:*...
) and another cheerleader (Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush
Sophia Anna Bush is an American actress, director and spokesperson. She currently stars in the CW television series One Tree Hill where she portrays Brooke Davis. Bush is additionally known for her film portrayals in the 2007 remake The Hitcher, John Tucker Must Die and The Narrows.-Early...
). Mara also appeared on Cold Case, Boston Public
Boston Public
Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...
, CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
that year.
Mara was cast as the lead in the 2004 WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
pilot Prodigy, about a teenage child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
. She had a recurring role on the WB's Jack & Bobby
Jack & Bobby
Jack & Bobby is an American television series that aired on The WB network. It featured two brothers, one of whom would become President of the United States, serving from 2041 to 2049...
in 2005, and a 5 episode arc on the Fox series 24
24 (season 5)
Season Five, also known as Day 5 of the television series 24 premiered on January 15, 2006 and aired its season finale on May 22, 2006.The Season Five storyline starts and ends at 7:00 a.m. It is the same time frame as the previous season....
in 2006, playing computer analyst Shari Rothenberg. Mara joined the cast of the HBO series Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
for the series' sixth season in 2009. She played Brittany, Eric "E" Murphy
Eric Murphy
Eric "E." Murphy is a fictional character on the comedy-drama television series Entourage. He is played by Kevin Connolly.-Fictional character biography:...
(Kevin Connolly)'s assistant at his talent-management company, and a potential love interest. Mara filmed four episodes for the series in 2009. She also guest-starred on the FX series American Horror Story
American Horror Story
American Horror Story is a horror-drama television series created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The series centers on the Harmon family: Ben, Vivien and their daughter Violet, who move from Boston to Los Angeles after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair...
in 2011.
Mara debuted theatrically in 2003 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
Williamstown Theatre Festival
The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a regional summer stock theatre on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, founded in 1954 by Williams College news director, Ralph Renzi, and drama program chairman, David C. Bryant. The theatre was conceived as a way to use the Adams...
in John Guare’s
John Guare
John Guare is an American playwright. He is best known as the author of The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, and Landscape of the Body...
Landscape of the Body
Landscape of the Body
Landscape Of The Body is a two-act play by John Guare, written in 1977.-Synopsis:The play is episodic and non-linear, as it travels back and forth in time. The plot centers around a woman named Betty, whose son, Bert, was recently murdered and decapitated in lower Manhattan. The first and last...
with Lili Taylor
Lili Taylor
Lili Anne Taylor is an American actress notable for her appearances in such award-winning indie films as Mystic Pizza, Say Anything..., Short Cuts and I Shot Andy Warhol, and the acclaimed TV show Six Feet Under....
. Mara starred in The Alice Complex, a play by Peter Barr Nickowitz, at Dixon Place
Dixon Place
Dixon Place is an Obie Award winning, Off-Off Broadway New York City theater devoted exclusively to presenting original pieces of theater, dance, performance art and literature that are works in progress.-History:...
in New York City in 2005 and at the Blank Theatre in Los Angeles in 2006. The production co-starred Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winner Harriet Harris. Mara told WFAN
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
radio in 2006 that doing more theater work is a "dream" because it was "all I really wanted to do as a kid. I didn't care about movies or tv, I just wanted to do Broadway".
Film career
Mara's film debut was in Random HeartsRandom Hearts (film)
Random Hearts is a 1999 film adaption of the novel of the same name. It is directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas.-Plot:...
with Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
in 1999, directed by Sydney Pollack
Sydney Pollack
Sydney Irwin Pollack was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he later taught acting...
. She played Jessica Chandler, the daughter of a congresswoman (Kristin Scott Thomas
Kristin Scott Thomas
Kristin A. Scott Thomas, OBE is an English actress who has also acquired French nationality. She gained international recognition in the 1990s for her roles in Bitter Moon, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The English Patient....
). She next appeared in the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
award-winning films Joe the King
Joe the King
Joe the King is a 1999 drama film, written and directed by Frank Whaley, based largely on his own childhood and the childhood of his brother. It stars Noah Fleiss, Val Kilmer, Karen Young, Ethan Hawke, John Leguizamo, Austin Pendleton, Camryn Manheim, Max Ligosh and James Costa...
(1999) and Tadpole
Tadpole (film)
Tadpole is a 2002 American romantic comedy film directed by Gary Winick and written by Heather McGowan and Niels Mueller. It stars Sigourney Weaver, Bebe Neuwirth, Aaron Stanford, John Ritter, Robert Iler, and Kate Mara.-Plot:...
(2002), alongside Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
. Mara co-starred in Peoples (2004), a drama and coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
story filmed in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. She starred in the direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
horror film Urban Legends: Bloody Mary
Urban Legends: Bloody Mary
Urban Legends: Bloody Mary is a 2005 horror film starring Kate Mara, Robert Vito, Tina Lifford, Jeff Olson, Tamala Jones, Michael Gregory Coe, and Ed Marinaro....
, and appeared with Noah Wyle
Noah Wyle
Noah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
and Illeana Douglas
Illeana Douglas
Illeana Douglas is an American actress, director, screenwriter, and producer.-Background:Douglas is a granddaughter of the actor Melvyn Douglas and his first wife, artist Rosalind Hightower, and has said that her grandfather's performance in Being There, in particular, was influential on her own...
in The Californians
The Californians
The Californians is a 2005 independent drama film from Hart Sharp Films starring Noah Wyle.-Cast:*Noah Wyle as Gavin Ransom*Illeana Douglas as Olive Ransom*Kate Mara as Zoe Tripp*Cloris Leachman as Eileen Boatwright*Joanne Whalley as Luna...
in 2005. It was her supporting role as the daughter of Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
's character in the Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback Mountain is a 2005 romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee. It is a film adaptation of the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx with the screenplay written by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry...
that year however, that brought her more widespread attention.
Mara signed with the William Morris Agency
William Morris Agency
WME is the largest talent agency in the world, with offices in Beverly Hills, New York City, Nashville, London, and Miami. WME represents elite artists from all facets of the entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, music, theatre, publishing, and physical production...
, and was included on the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
list of "10 young actors who have a shot at making it big" at the start of 2006. She appeared in the superhero movie Zoom
Zoom (film)
Zoom is a comedy-superhero film released on August 11, 2006. It is based upon the children's book Amazing Adventures from Zoom's Academy by Jason Lethcoe...
that year, with Tim Allen
Tim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
and Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox
Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
, playing Summer Jones (aka Wonder), a 16-year-old girl with telekinetic
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
and empathic
Empathy
Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certain amount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion. The English word was coined in 1909 by E.B...
abilities. She next appeared in We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and...
, starring Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
, which recalled the aftermath of the 1970 Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
plane crash that took the lives of most of the football team. Mara played fictional cheerleader Annie Cantrell. It was a script that she responded to emotionally because of her football background.
In 2007, Mara appeared in the comedy Full of It
Full of It
Full of It is a 2007 comedy directed by Christian Charles. It was released in the US on March 2, 2007, and aired on ABC Family under the title Big Liar on Campus on September 16, 2007. The movie is rated PG-13 for "sexual content, drug references, teen partying, and crude humor" by the MPAA...
with Ryan Pinkston
Ryan Pinkston
Ryan James Pinkston is an American actor and model.-Life and career:Pinkston was born in Silver Spring, Maryland of Greek descent. Before he became an actor, he was involved in karate competitions, having been inspired by watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers...
for New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
. The film later aired on television as Big Liar on Campus. Mara was also featured in an advertising campaign for clothing retailer Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
called, "khakis with attitude." She appeared in Shooter, a thriller about a master sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
lured out of retirement to prevent an assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
, based on the novel Point of Impact
Point of Impact
Point of Impact is a 1993 thriller novel by award-winning author Stephen Hunter.-Plot introduction:The plot revolves around a former Vietnam sniper named Bob Lee Swagger or Bob 'the Nailer'. This character is loosely based upon the real Vietnam sniper and Marine Corps legend Carlos Hathcock...
. Mara played Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
widow Sarah Fenn, the love interest of Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
's character's partner, and then Wahlberg's character himself. She adopted a southern
Southern American English
Southern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to most of Texas and Oklahoma.The Southern dialects make...
dialect for the role. Director Antoine Fuqua
Antoine Fuqua
Antoine Fuqua is an American film director. He directed the film Training Day as well as Tears of the Sun, King Arthur, Shooter and Brooklyn's Finest...
immediately felt Mara was right for the part when she auditioned.
Transsiberian (film)
Transsiberian is a 2008 thriller directed by Brad Anderson, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and began its theatrical release on July 18, 2008 in New York City....
by Brad Anderson
Brad Anderson (film director)
Brad Anderson is a film director. A director of thriller and horror films and television projects, he is best known for having directed The Machinist , starring Christian Bale, as well as producing and directing several installments of the FOX science-fiction series Fringe.-Early life:Anderson was...
, which takes place on the Trans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
that runs from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. The cast included Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
, Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
, Eduardo Noriega
Eduardo Noriega (Spanish actor)
Eduardo Noriega Gómez is a Spanish film actor, perhaps best known for his roles in two Alejandro Amenábar films, the multiple Goya Award-winning Tesis and Open Your Eyes . He also starred in The Wolf...
and Emily Mortimer
Emily Mortimer
Emily Kathleen A. Mortimer is an English actress. She began performing on stage, and has since appeared in several film and television roles, including Scream 3, Match Point, Lars and the Real Girl, and Shutter Island....
. Mara spent three months shooting the thriller in Vilnius, Lithuania, starting in December 2006. The film also shot on location in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Mara played Abby, a 20-year-old runaway
Runaway youth
A runaway is a minor or a person under an arbitrary age, depending upon the local jurisdiction, who has left the home of his or her parent or legal guardian without permission, or has been thrown out by his or her parent and is considered by the local authorities to lack the capacity to live under...
from Seattle, a character she described to MoviesOnline as "dark", "mysterious", "sort of goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
", and did not talk much. Transsiberian premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
2008 Sundance Film Festival
The 2008 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 17, 2008 to January 27 in Park City, Utah. It was the 24th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival. The opening night film was In Bruges and the closing night film was CSNY Déjà Vu.-Films:...
in January 2008.
Mara starred in the 2008 film Stone of Destiny
Stone of Destiny (film)
Stone of Destiny is a 2008 British-Canadian adventure/comedy film directed by Charles Martin Smith. It stars Charlie Cox, Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle, Kate Mara and Brenda Fricker....
, written and directed by Charles Martin Smith
Charles Martin Smith
Charles Martin Smith is an American film actor, writer, and director.-Early life:Smith was born in Van Nuys, California. His father, Frank Smith, was a film cartoonist and animator, while his uncle Paul J. Smith was an animator as well as a director for the Walter Lantz Studios...
, about the theft of the Stone of Scone
Stone of Scone
The Stone of Scone , also known as the Stone of Destiny and often referred to in England as The Coronation Stone, is an oblong block of red sandstone, used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland and later the monarchs of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom...
on Christmas Day, 1950. Mara played Kay Matheson, one of four students that removed the stone in a Scottish nationalist plot. The period
Period piece
-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...
adventure-comedy co-starred Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
and Charlie Cox
Charlie Cox
Charlie Cox is an English actor.-Life and career:Cox, the youngest of five children, was born in London, England and raised in East Sussex, the son of Trisha and Andrew, who is a publisher...
. Filming began in June 2007 in locations around Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, including Film City studio and Arbroath Abbey
Arbroath Abbey
Arbroath Abbey, in the Scottish town of Arbroath, was founded in 1178 by King William the Lion for a group of Tironensian Benedictine monks from Kelso Abbey. It was consecrated in 1197 with a dedication to the deceased Saint Thomas Becket, whom the king had met at the English court...
. Mara employed a Scottish accent for the role, which she found very difficult to master. Mara felt lucky and proud to play a role that was important to people's heritage. She stayed near the Botanic Gardens
Glasgow Botanic Gardens
Glasgow Botanic Gardens is an Arboretum and public park located in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. It features several glasshouses, the most notable of which is the Kibble Palace. The gardens were created in 1817, and run by the Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow , and were intended to supply...
in the city's West End while filming, and attended the film's premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival
Edinburgh International Film Festival
The Edinburgh International Film Festival is an annual fortnight of cinema screenings and related events taking place each June. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival...
in Fountainbridge
Fountainbridge
Fountainbridge is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, a short distance west of the city centre, adjoining Tollcross to the east, Bruntsfield to the south, Dalry to the west and Haymarket to the north....
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
on June 21, 2008. The film closed the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival
2008 Toronto International Film Festival
The 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This 33rd annual festival was from September 4 to September 13, 2008...
on September 13, 2008.
In December 2008, Mara appeared in T Takes: Brooklyn 09, a series of 6 improvised short films directed by Brody Baker, in association with The New York TImes' T magazine. Mara starred in The Open Road
The Open Road
The Open Road is a 2009 comedy-drama film written and directed by Michael Meredith. It stars Justin Timberlake, Kate Mara, Jeff Bridges and Mary Steenburgen and was produced by Anchor Bay Entertainment. Country singer Lyle Lovett and Harry Dean Stanton are also among the cast...
, alongside Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, and Mary Steenburgen
Mary Steenburgen
Mary Nell Steenburgen is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Lynda Dummar in Jonathan Demme's Melvin and Howard, which earned her an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.-Early life:...
, playing Lucy, the girlfriend of Timberlake's character, Carlton. Filming began in Hammond, Louisiana
Hammond, Louisiana
Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University...
in February 2008, and continued in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and elsewhere in the southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
.
In 2009, Mara filmed the independent comedy Peep World
Peep World
Peep World is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Barry W. Blaustein and starring an ensemble cast, including Ron Rifkin, Lesley Ann Warren, Ben Schwartz, Michael C. Hall, Sarah Silverman, Rainn Wilson, Kate Mara, Judy Greer, Stephen Tobolowsky, Taraji P...
, starring Michael C. Hall
Michael C. Hall
Michael Carlyle Hall is an American actor whose television roles include David Fisher on the HBO drama series Six Feet Under and Dexter Morgan on the Showtime series Dexter. In 2009, Hall won a Golden Globe award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role in Dexter.-Early life:Hall was born in...
, Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman is a Jewish American comedian, writer, actress, singer and musician. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion....
and Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
, and joined the cast of Marvel
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, originally Marvel Films, is an American television and motion picture studio based in Manhattan Beach, California. Marvel Studios is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, a self-contained part of the The Walt Disney Company conglomerate....
's Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
, making a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as a U.S. marshal
United States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
. Mara also shot the ensemble romantic comedy happythankyoumoreplease
Happythankyoumoreplease
happythankyoumoreplease is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by Josh Radnor in his directorial debut. The film stars Radnor, Malin Åkerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Michael Algieri, Pablo Schreiber, and Tony Hale, and it tells the story of a group of young New Yorkers, struggling to...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in July 2009. She plays a waitress and aspiring singer named Mississippi, in a story about six single New Yorkers in their 20s. The film was written and directed by Josh Radnor
Josh Radnor
Joshua Michael "Josh" Radnor is an American actor, director, and writer, best known for portraying the main character Ted Mosby on the popular, Emmy Award-winning CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, for which he has received worldwide fame and recognitions.He made his writing and directorial debut...
, the star of the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television comedy How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
. The film won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. In 2010, Mara appeared in the survival drama 127 Hours
127 Hours
127 Hours is a 2010 biographical adventure drama film co-written, produced and directed by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco as mountain climber Aron Ralston, who became trapped by a boulder in Robbers Roost, Utah in April 2003....
, directed by Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
, starring alongside James Franco
James Franco
James Edward Franco is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author, painter, performance artist and instructor at New York University. He left college in order to pursue acting and started off his career by making guest appearances on television series in the 1990s...
and Amber Tamblyn
Amber Tamblyn
Amber Rose Tamblyn is an American actress and poet. She first came to national attention in her role on the soap opera General Hospital as Emily Quartermaine, followed by a starring role on the prime-time series Joan of Arcadia portraying the title character...
. Mara plays a hiker in the film, a true story about Aron Ralston
Aron Ralston
Aron Lee Ralston is an American mountain climber and inspirational public speaker. He is widely known for having survived a 2003 canyoneering accident in Utah in which he was forced to amputate his own right arm with a dull pocketknife in order to free himself from a dislodged boulder.The incident...
, a climber trapped while mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
Mara appeared in Ironclad
Ironclad (film)
Ironclad is a 2011 action film directed by Jonathan English. Written by English and Erick Kastel, based on a screenplay by Stephen McDool, the cast includes Paul Giamatti, James Purefoy, Brian Cox, Mackenzie Crook, Jason Flemying, Derek Jacobi and Kate Mara. The film chronicles the siege of...
(2011), which tells the story of the siege of Rochester Castle
Rochester Castle
Rochester Castle stands on the east bank of the River Medway in Rochester, Kent, England. The 12th-century keep or stone tower, which is the castle's most prominent feature, is one of the best preserved in England or France. Located along the River Medway and Watling Street, Rochester was a...
by King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
in the year 1215. It is her first film where she speaks in an English accent
English language in England
The English language in England refers to the English language as spoken in England. These forms of English are a subsection of British English, as spoken throughout Great Britain. Other terms used to refer to the English language as spoken in England include:...
. Mara appeared in the short film Ten Year
Ten Year
Ten Year is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by Jamie Linden as his directorial debut.-Premise:A group of friends reunite at their high school reunion, each with their own unbelievable revelation story since they separated. Marty and Jake are best friends and promise to remain in contact, even...
, produced by Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum
Channing Matthew Tatum is an American actor and film producer. He began his career as a fashion model and appearing in television commercials for Pepsi and Mountain Dew before turning to film roles...
to attract financing for a feature film. The full-length feature went into production in Albuquerque in January 2010, with Mara starring in a large ensemble cast that includes Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
, Brian Geraghty
Brian Geraghty
Brian Timothy Geraghty is an American film and television actor, best known for his role in the Academy Award winning film The Hurt Locker.-Early life:Geraghty was born in Toms River Township, New Jersey, and is of Irish ancestry...
, Justin Long
Justin Long
Justin Jacob Long is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Galaxy Quest, Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, Live Free or Die Hard, He's Just Not That into You, Drag Me to Hell, and Youth in Revolt, and his personification of a Mac in Apple's "Get a...
, Anthony Mackie
Anthony Mackie
Anthony Mackie is an American actor. He has been featured in feature films, television series and Broadway and Off-Broadway plays, including Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Drowning Crow, McReele, A Soldier's Play, and Talk, by Carl Hancock Rux, for which he won an Obie Award in 2002.In 2002 he featured...
, Scott Porter
Scott Porter
Matthew Scott Porter , better known as Scott Porter, is an American actor and occasional singer known for his role as Jason Street in the NBC television drama Friday Night Lights. His character was injured during a football game in the pilot episode and became a paraplegic...
, Lynn Collins
Lynn Collins
Viola Lynn Collins , better known as Lynn Collins, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Kayla Silverfox in the live-action film X-Men Origins: Wolverine.-Life and career:...
, Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt
Christopher Michael "Chris" Pratt is an American actor, best known for his roles as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott in the television series Everwood, the recurring character Winchester "Ché" Cook in season 4 of The OC, Andy Dwyer in the television series Parks and Recreation and for portraying...
and Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac
-Personal life:Isaac was born in Guatemala to a Guatemalan mother, Maria Estrada Nicolle, and a Cuban pulmonologist father, Oscar Gonzalo Hernandez. He was raised in Miami, Florida. While in Miami, he played lead guitar and sang vocals for his band "The Blinking Underdogs"...
. The film is about a 10-year high school reunion, and was directed by Jamie Linden
Jamie Linden (writer)
Jamie Linden is an American screenwriter best known as the writer of 2006 film We Are Marshall. Also known as the writer of 2010 film Dear John.-Early life:...
.
Mara will star with Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
, Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
and Malin Åkerman
Malin Akerman
Malin Maria Åkerman is a Swedish–Canadian actress and model. She was born in Stockholm, Sweden and moved to Canada at the age of two. As a child, she appeared in several television commercials before going on to win a modelling contract at age sixteen...
in the independent drama Catch .44, written and directed by Aaron Harvey. The project began shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
on July 11, 2010. As of May 2011, Mara was shooting the crime drama Blackbird
Blackbird (2012 film)
Blackbird, previously titled Kin, is an upcoming crime drama film directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, from a screenplay by Zach Dean. It stars Olivia Wilde, Kate Mara, Charlie Hunnam and Eric Bana....
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, alongside Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde is an American actress and fashion model. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including roles in the serial-drama The O.C. and The Black Donnellys. She portrayed Dr...
, Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek is an American actress and singer. She came to international prominence for her for role as Carrie White in Brian De Palma's 1976 horror film Carrie for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination...
, Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
and Treat Williams
Treat Williams
Richard Treat Williams is a Screen Actors Guild Award–nominated American actor and children's book author who has appeared on film, stage and television...
.
Personal life
Mara has stated that she comes from a "huge" family. Her father was one of 11 children. She has 22 aunts and uncles and 40 cousins. She lives in Los Angeles, having resided there on and off since around 2003. Her younger sister, Patricia, (known professionally as Rooney Mara) lived with her temporarily after relocating to Los Angeles in 2007. Mara travels back to New York when her schedule allows and has stated, "If I could live in New York, I would", specifying that she likes "the cold... the rain" and "miss[es] it"; she also stated that she likes "not needing plans" in New York. Mara tries to spend the football season in New York when she can. She dated producer and director McG, with whom she worked on We Are Marshall. In July 2008, she was linked to Stone of Destiny co-star Charlie CoxCharlie Cox
Charlie Cox is an English actor.-Life and career:Cox, the youngest of five children, was born in London, England and raised in East Sussex, the son of Trisha and Andrew, who is a publisher...
.
NFL ties
Mara's family owns the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. As the direct descendant of the Giants' Tim
Tim Mara
Timothy James "Tim" Mara was the founder and administrator for the New York Giants of the National Football League. The Giants', under Mara, would win NFL championships in 1934, 1938, and 1956 and divisional titles in 1933, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1958, 1959.-Early life:Mara was born into poverty...
and Wellington Mara
Wellington Mara
Wellington Timothy Mara was the co-owner of the NFL's New York Giants from 1959 until his death, and one of the most influential and iconic figures in the history of the National Football League. He was the younger son of Tim Mara, who founded the Giants in 1925...
as well as the Steelers' Art Rooney
Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...
, she is a fan of both teams, and the relationship contributed to her being cast in We Are Marshall. Mara has sung at both teams' games and, after missing the Steelers' victory at Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
due to work, her contracts state that if either team goes to the Super Bowl, she can attend. She was in attendance for the Giants' victory in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
and the Steelers' victory the next year in Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
.
Filmography
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Law & Order Law & Order Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,... |
Jenna Erlich | TV Series, episode: "Shadow" |
| 1999 | Joe the King Joe the King Joe the King is a 1999 drama film, written and directed by Frank Whaley, based largely on his own childhood and the childhood of his brother. It stars Noah Fleiss, Val Kilmer, Karen Young, Ethan Hawke, John Leguizamo, Austin Pendleton, Camryn Manheim, Max Ligosh and James Costa... |
Allyson | |
| 1999 | Random Hearts Random Hearts (film) Random Hearts is a 1999 film adaption of the novel of the same name. It is directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas.-Plot:... |
Jessica Chandler | |
| 2000 | Madigan Men Madigan Men Madigan Men is an American television comedy that premiered on ABC in the U.S. on October 6, 2000. The show performed poorly in the ratings and among critics and was canceled on December 18, 2000.-Cast:*Gabriel Byrne as Ben Madigan... |
Julie | TV Series, episode: "White Knight" |
| 2000 | Ed Ed (TV series) Ed is an NBC television program co-produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated, NBC Productions, and Viacom Productions that aired from 2000 to 2004.... |
Kelly Kovacs | TV Series, episode: "Pretty Girls and Waffles" |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... |
Lori | TV Series, episode: "Pixies" |
| 2002 | Tadpole Tadpole (film) Tadpole is a 2002 American romantic comedy film directed by Gary Winick and written by Heather McGowan and Niels Mueller. It stars Sigourney Weaver, Bebe Neuwirth, Aaron Stanford, John Ritter, Robert Iler, and Kate Mara.-Plot:... |
Miranda Spear | |
| 2003 | Everwood Everwood Everwood is an American drama television series that initially aired in the United States on The WB. The series is set in the fictional small town of Everwood, Colorado, and was filmed in Ogden, South Salt Lake, and Draper, Utah, except the series pilot which was filmed in Canmore, Alberta,... |
Kate Morris | |
| 2003 | Nip/Tuck Nip/Tuck Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy... |
Vanessa Bartholomew | TV Series, 4 episodes |
| 2003 | Cold Case | Jill Shelby | TV Series, episode: "Look Again" |
| 2003 | Boston Public Boston Public Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place... |
Helena Gelbke | TV Series, episode: "Chapter Seventy-Five" |
| 2004 | Peoples | Jessica Anderson | |
| 2004 | CSI: Miami CSI: Miami CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.... |
Stephanie Brooks | TV Series, episode: "Murder in a Flash" |
| 2004 | Prodigy | TV movie | |
| 2004 | Time Well Spent | Girl | Short film |
| 2004 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Janelle Macklin | TV Series, episode: "Formalities" |
| 2005 | Jack & Bobby Jack & Bobby Jack & Bobby is an American television series that aired on The WB network. It featured two brothers, one of whom would become President of the United States, serving from 2041 to 2049... |
Katie | TV Series, 6 episodes |
| 2005 | Urban Legends: Bloody Mary Urban Legends: Bloody Mary Urban Legends: Bloody Mary is a 2005 horror film starring Kate Mara, Robert Vito, Tina Lifford, Jeff Olson, Tamala Jones, Michael Gregory Coe, and Ed Marinaro.... |
Samantha Owens | Direct-to-video |
| 2005 | Brokeback Mountain Brokeback Mountain Brokeback Mountain is a 2005 romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee. It is a film adaptation of the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx with the screenplay written by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry... |
Alma Jr., age 19 | |
| 2005 | The Californians The Californians The Californians is a 2005 independent drama film from Hart Sharp Films starring Noah Wyle.-Cast:*Noah Wyle as Gavin Ransom*Illeana Douglas as Olive Ransom*Kate Mara as Zoe Tripp*Cloris Leachman as Eileen Boatwright*Joanne Whalley as Luna... |
Zoe Tripp | |
| 2006 | 24 24 (TV series) 24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration... |
Shari Rothenberg | TV Series, 5 episodes |
| 2006 | Zoom Zoom (film) Zoom is a comedy-superhero film released on August 11, 2006. It is based upon the children's book Amazing Adventures from Zoom's Academy by Jason Lethcoe... |
Summer Jones / Wonder | |
| 2006 | Fireflies | Taylor | |
| 2006 | We Are Marshall We Are Marshall We Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and... |
Annie Cantrell | |
| 2007 | Full of It Full of It Full of It is a 2007 comedy directed by Christian Charles. It was released in the US on March 2, 2007, and aired on ABC Family under the title Big Liar on Campus on September 16, 2007. The movie is rated PG-13 for "sexual content, drug references, teen partying, and crude humor" by the MPAA... |
Annie Dray | |
| 2007 | Shooter | Sarah Fenn | |
| 2007 | Sydney White Sydney White Sydney White is a 2007 teen comedy film starring Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton, and Matt Long, and based on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.-Plot:... |
Girl | |
| 2008 | Transsiberian Transsiberian (film) Transsiberian is a 2008 thriller directed by Brad Anderson, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and began its theatrical release on July 18, 2008 in New York City.... |
Abby | |
| 2008 | Stone of Destiny Stone of Destiny (film) Stone of Destiny is a 2008 British-Canadian adventure/comedy film directed by Charles Martin Smith. It stars Charlie Cox, Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle, Kate Mara and Brenda Fricker.... |
Kay Matheson | |
| 2008 | Big Guy | Kate | Short film |
| 2008 | T Takes: Brooklyn '09 | Kate | Video short series |
| 2009 | The Open Road The Open Road The Open Road is a 2009 comedy-drama film written and directed by Michael Meredith. It stars Justin Timberlake, Kate Mara, Jeff Bridges and Mary Steenburgen and was produced by Anchor Bay Entertainment. Country singer Lyle Lovett and Harry Dean Stanton are also among the cast... |
Lucy | |
| 2009 | Entourage Entourage (TV series) Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons... |
Brittany | TV Series, 4 episodes |
| 2010 | Happythankyoumoreplease Happythankyoumoreplease happythankyoumoreplease is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by Josh Radnor in his directorial debut. The film stars Radnor, Malin Åkerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Michael Algieri, Pablo Schreiber, and Tony Hale, and it tells the story of a group of young New Yorkers, struggling to... |
Mississippi | |
| 2010 | Iron Man 2 Iron Man 2 Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon... |
U.S. Marshal | Cameo |
| 2010 | Peep World Peep World Peep World is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Barry W. Blaustein and starring an ensemble cast, including Ron Rifkin, Lesley Ann Warren, Ben Schwartz, Michael C. Hall, Sarah Silverman, Rainn Wilson, Kate Mara, Judy Greer, Stephen Tobolowsky, Taraji P... |
Meg | |
| 2010 | 127 Hours 127 Hours 127 Hours is a 2010 biographical adventure drama film co-written, produced and directed by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco as mountain climber Aron Ralston, who became trapped by a boulder in Robbers Roost, Utah in April 2003.... |
Kristi | |
| 2011 | Ironclad Ironclad (film) Ironclad is a 2011 action film directed by Jonathan English. Written by English and Erick Kastel, based on a screenplay by Stephen McDool, the cast includes Paul Giamatti, James Purefoy, Brian Cox, Mackenzie Crook, Jason Flemying, Derek Jacobi and Kate Mara. The film chronicles the siege of... |
Lady Isabel | |
| 2011 | Ten Year Ten Year Ten Year is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by Jamie Linden as his directorial debut.-Premise:A group of friends reunite at their high school reunion, each with their own unbelievable revelation story since they separated. Marty and Jake are best friends and promise to remain in contact, even... |
||
| 2011 | American Horror Story American Horror Story American Horror Story is a horror-drama television series created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The series centers on the Harmon family: Ben, Vivien and their daughter Violet, who move from Boston to Los Angeles after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair... |
Hayden | TV Series, 6 episodes |
| 2012 | Blackbird Blackbird (2012 film) Blackbird, previously titled Kin, is an upcoming crime drama film directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, from a screenplay by Zach Dean. It stars Olivia Wilde, Kate Mara, Charlie Hunnam and Eric Bana.... |
Hanna |