Mara Wilson: Film Acting is Not Fun

[immature]

Don't know if this belongs in the gossip thread, but it does address Hollywood standards of beauty, a topic that comes up so often here:

'Matilda' Child Star: Film Acting is Not Fun


You may not know her by name, but perhaps that is by design. Nineties child star Mara Wilson has revealed why she quit performing for cameras in a recent blog post: "Here is something no real celebrity will ever tell you: film acting is not very fun." In the post, a seemingly frustrated Wilson discusses her childhood career—she appeared in films such as "Matilda" (1996), "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993) and "Miracle on 34th Street" (1994)—indicating the beauty standard for today's big screen is too contentious for her, and the talent pool is impressive:

I think that there are many much more talented, much more conventionally attractive actresses out there who are taking the roles I would have been offered. To paraphrase the showtune, anything I can do, Anna Kendrick or Ellen Page or Jennifer Lawrence (or any actress from the plethora of actresses waiting to be "discovered") can do better.

Wilson addresses the continued enthusiasm her fans have, many of whom ask her to return to film. She compares her early success to finger painting:

It's flattering, but you haven't finger-painted in years, and it seems like something you did a long, long time ago. You've realized you don't particularly enjoy getting your hands dirty and that there are other outlets for your creative urges. But people are adamant: are you going to finger-paint again? When? Wait, you're not? Why not?... That's what it feels like.

The former child star, now 24, attended New York University and now works as a playwright, according to Us Weekly. And yes, she does still act in theater productions and for voice-over work. But:

...no, you will not ever see me on "Dancing With The Stars." Sorry. How likable is Wilson now?

[pinkbunnyslippers]

She was so cute in movies as a little girl.
I can't say if she is right or wrong for not having fun while doing it. Could have been the directors who were yelling at her or something. Some like it, some don't.
She should have chose a different headshot. No crooked smile, and less bitchy looking. How about a fancy teethy smile? Plus her hairstyle is the same in her younger picture. Update girlfriend!

[NVash]

I just saw Matilda recently and was wondering what happened to her. Seems many celebs go to NYU.

[Gossip Junkie]

Good for her for telling it like it is and not continuing to do something that doesn't make her happy just to feed her ego or for a big paycheck!

[rollo]

Well it depends if you believe she quit the movie industry or the industry quit her!

[stella blue]

How likable is Wilson now?

Very. Nothing wrong at all with not wanting to do the same stuff you did as a kid. Good for her for moving on and doing something that doesn't stress her out as much.

[faithanne]

She should have chose a different headshot. No crooked smile, and less bitchy looking. How about a fancy teethy smile? Plus her hairstyle is the same in her younger picture. Update girlfriend!

Why would she need to do that? She's not making movies anymore and the photo accompanies a piece on how she doesn't fit into Hollywood's beauty standards.

[Brah]

She has the same haircut still I see. But really, she seems like a very well grounded girl, it's great that she stayed away from Hollywood and developed normally and is building a life for herself.

[Novice]

News flash. Not all jobs are interesting. At least you can make a lot of $$$ in film/tv. Imagine having to work for 12-15 hrs a day & coming home covered in oil, greace, etc & then try complaining.

[Laurent]

News flash. Not all jobs are interesting. At least you can make a lot of $$$ in film/tv. Imagine having to work for 12-15 hrs a day & coming home covered in oil, greace, etc & then try complaining.

Thank you! Actors bitching about how long and demanding their jobs are that pay in the 7 figures need to shut the fuck up already. People with a full time job - both outside and inside the home - work upwards of 40 hours a week 52 weeks a year. They don't get to whine about exhaustion and take a month off to lounge in a hospital or bitch about how they need a year off work because they've been working constantly for months. We all work constantly, assholes, and most of us for much less pay and glamour.

These people need to know their fucking audience before they whine about how tough it is to work.

[MrsDark]

Not hot enough to be a leading lady? So fucking what. Character actress has more staying power anyway.

The last two comments are why I love GR: Giving bitchy Hollywood types a reality check since 2005. That should be our tagline. Or something similar.

[NoNoRehab]

I didn't get any sense that she's complaining or bitching. She's just saying it wasn't fun for her and she admits that she's not an outstanding actress or a great beauty so she doesn't have a desire or a reason to act in film anymore. What's wrong with that? Like she wrote, people don't ask other 5 year olds why they don't finger paint anymore.

[MohandasKGanja]

This whole story reminds me of a documentary that has been playing on either HBO or Cinemax lately. I wish I could remember the name, but it's about some hotel in Hollywood that would-be child actors and their parents stay at while trying to get their big break. They have these little kids getting their head shots, and talking to their agents and talking to their parents. And the whole aspirational thing where they have photos on the wall of Alyssa Milano, or some other actor who was marginally less successful and is on some TV show or movie. It was pretty sad.

What is pretty cool about this article, to me, is that Mara Wilson seems to have come through this relatively unscathed and fairly circumspect, and is actually in college studying something and working in something she is really interested in. And she will have her childhood starring role to look back at in a positive way.

[NoNoRehab]

The Hollywood Complex! It's on Netflix and damn, is it super depressing. All those kids and their moms (I don't think a dad was ever seen) and they just keep spending money, money, money on classes, agents, seminars, head shots, etc. etc. and only a tiny tiny fraction will ever do anything.

[MrsDark]

But movies would be so much better if people like her stayed with acting as opposed to vapid no talents who merely looked hot.