We all know that time doesn’t stand still, but British viewers were still left stunned when they discovered Mara Wilson was no longer Matilda!
The 29-year-old actress became a household name in the ’90s after starring in a range family hits including, Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street and of course, the film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book, Matilda.
Joining UK talk show host Lorraine, in a live cross from New York to London, the former child star chatted about her new book, Where Am I Now? True Stories Of Girlhood And Accidental Fame.
Mara chatted to Lorraine, promoting her new book.
The 29-year-old was a beloved child star.
The interview, which went for over ten minutes, saw the bubbly brunette recall stories of her childhood and her time in Hollywood.
Mara was particularly moved by one memory, involving her Matilda co-star and on-screen dad, Danny DeVito.
The Hollywood legend had learned that the then-nine-year-old’s mum Suzie was incredibly ill during the filming. Not wanting Suzie to miss out on seeing her daughter in the movie, Danny decided to give her a sneak peek.
Watch Mara talk about Danny in the video player… Article continues below!
In 2013 Matilda castmates Mara Wilson, Rhea Perlman, Danny Devito chatted to Matt Lauer on Today USA.
“I never knew this but he took the film, as it was almost completed, and showed it to my mother when she was in the hospital so she could get a chance to see it,” Mara revealed, adding that her mum passed away before the movie was officially released.
“That was very heartening because she really loved it, she really loved the book, she used to read the book out loud to children at my brother’s school and that’s when I fell in love with the book.
“Our whole family loved it so much, it was really a family tradition, a family affair and it just makes me so heart-warmed to know that she was involved until the end.”
The 29-year-old went on to admit, “Sometimes I think I should have stopped acting after Matilda, because I would have been going out on a high note, and I didn’t have my mother there.”
Following her appearance, fans burst onto Twitter, sharing their excitement of seeing the former child star back on their screens.
“OMG! It’s so good to see @MaraWilson who played #matilda with @DannyDeVito on @ITVLorraine. She looks so differnt! Loved that movie though!,” an excited fan tweeted.
“Ahhh. It’s Matilda all grown up!” one person penned, while another quipped, “Can’t believe it was you that played Matilda, are you still acting?”
Despite her long break from the spotlight, Mara is clearly a beloved identity. Though she did admit to Lorraine that as a child she didn’t quite grasp that she was famous.
Then and now: Mara still has her trademark smile.
“Yes, I never meant to become famous,” she said.
“I was five years old, I didn’t know what it was to become famous. I only knew Robin Williams because he was the genie in Aladdin.”
Laughing, she joked,”I was completely out of my depth!”
“It was just sort of seen as something I could do like so many other kids in southern California, because when you grow up in LA, a lot of kids act, the same way they would play football. It’s sort of seen as a hobby.”
Much like her Matilda persona, these days Mara has turned to her love of words and is an avid author and playwright.
Watch Mara’s adorable interview from 1994, where she chats about how she fell into acting!
