Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Mara Wilson Opens Up About The Trauma Of Being Sexualized As A Child Actor In Hollywood

Mara Wilson now; Mara Wilson in 1996
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Lambda Legal; Derek Storm/FilmMagic/Getty Images

The actor, who rose to fame in films like 'Mrs. Doubtfire' and 'Matilda,' discussed the 'lasting damage' of creepy adult fans and the 'world at large.'

Mara Wilson, who became a big-screen success at only six years old for her breakout role in Mrs. Doubtfire, recently opened up about the trauma of being sexualized in Hollywood as a child actor.

Wilson told The Guardian:


"I don't think you can be a child star without there being some kind of lasting damage."
"The thing that people assume is that Hollywood is inherently corrupt, and there's something about being on film sets that destroys you. For me, that was not necessarily true."
"I always felt safe on film sets... I think that's because I worked with a lot of really wonderful directors, who were used to working with children."

And while she was safe on set and her parents ensured she worked only in children's movies, she wasn't protected from the outside world.

The Matilda star revealed she "was still sexualized" by adults even though protective precautions were in place.

"I had people sending me inappropriate letters and posting things about me online."
"I made the mistake of Googling myself when I was 12 and saw things that I couldn't unsee."

She continued:

"People don't realize how much constantly talking to the press as a child weighs on you."

Wilson shared that journalists would ask her - a seven-year-old - about mature topics such as French kissing and which actors she considered to be "sexiest."

She also shared the trauma that stemmed from the world's expectation of her to be like her 1996 character Matilda.

"I saw that [fans] were disappointed that I wasn't as smart, pretty, nice, as they expect you to be. I think they were expecting me to be Matilda, and she's wonderful, but she's not real."
"She's brilliant in every single way. She's smart, and kind and powerful."
"Then they met me, this nerdy, awkward teenager who got angry sometimes, but couldn't even channel her anger into powers. I was never going to live up to that."

The Miracle on 34th Street star revealed Hollywood "was kind of done" with her when she hit puberty.

When she was 12, a director asked her to wear a sports bra to flatten her breasts.

"It affected me for a very long time because I had this Hollywood idea that if you're not cute any more, if you're not beautiful, then you are worthless."
"Because I directly tied that to the demise of my career. Even though I was sort of burned out on it, and Hollywood was burned out on me, it still doesn't feel good to be rejected."
"For a long time, I had this kind of dysmorphia about the way that I looked and I obsessed about it too much."

Many took to Twitter to express their disgust.



And while people on social media were upset over Wilson's treatment and sexualization as a child actor, sadly, some were not surprised.


And several expressed their hopes that Wilson is doing okay now considering all she went through as a child.


Wilson decided to take time off from acting and enrolled in a performing arts boarding school, which she paid for with her own earnings.

There, she found a love for writing, which is what she predominately focuses on currently. In 2016, she penned a memoir Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame.

Wilson also does voice acting work but is unsure if she will return to TV or film.

"I don't know if they really iknow what to do with a short, curvy, Jewish brunette."
"I don't want anybody telling me, 'You need to lose 30 pounds and get a nose job."

Now, it's on her terms.

"I defined myself for so long by the media's terms, by Hollywoods terms instead of defining myself by my own goals, my own relationships, my own life."

More from Entertainment/tv-and-movies

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less