Kate Mara | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mara in 2024 | |
| Born | Kate Rooney Mara (1983-02-27)February 27, 1983 (age 42) Bedford, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Rooney Mara (sister) |
| Family | |
Kate Rooney Mara (/ˈmɛərə/MAIR-ə;[1] born February 27, 1983[2]) is an American actress. She is known for her work in television, playing reporterZoe Barnes in theNetflix political dramaHouse of Cards (2013–2014; 2016), computer analystShari Rothenberg in theFox thriller series24 (2006), wronged mistressHayden McClaine in theFX miniseriesAmerican Horror Story: Murder House (2011),Patty Bowes in the first season of the FX drama seriesPose (2018), and a teacher involved with an underage student in the FX miniseriesA Teacher (2020).
Mara made her film debut inRandom Hearts (1999). She has since appeared inBrokeback Mountain (2005),We Are Marshall (2006),Shooter (2007),Transsiberian (2008),Stone of Destiny (2008),The Open Road (2009),Transcendence (2014),The Martian (2015),Fantastic Four (2015),Morgan (2016),Megan Leavey (2017),My Days of Mercy (2017),Chappaquiddick (2018), andFriendship (2024).[3][4]
Kate Mara was born on February 27, 1983, inBedford, New York. Her parents are Timothy Christopher Mara, anNFLscout and vice president of theNew York Giants for player evaluation, and Kathleen McNulty Mara (néeRooney).[5] She is the second of four siblings, with one older brother, Daniel; one younger sister, the actressPatricia "Rooney"; and one younger brother, Conor.[6] Her ancestry is Irish, one quarter Italian, and smaller amounts of German, French-Canadian, and English.[7] Her father is one of 11 children, through whom she has 20 aunts and uncles, and 40 cousins.[8][9]
She is a great-granddaughter of both New York Giants founderTim Mara andPittsburgh Steelers founderArt Rooney Sr.[10] Her mother's side of the family has held ownership in the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers football team since its formation in 1933, and her father's side of the family has held ownership in the NFL's New York Giants since its formation in 1925. Her paternal grandparents wereWellington Mara andAnn Mara. Wellington co-owned the Giants football team from 1959 until his death in 2005, and was succeeded by his son (Kate Mara's uncle),John Mara, who is currently President, CEO, and co-owner of the team. Kate Mara's maternal grandfather, Timothy James "Tim" Rooney, has operatedYonkers Raceway inYonkers, New York, since 1972.[11][12] Her granduncle,Dan Rooney, chairman of the Steelers, was a formerUnited States ambassador to Ireland and the co-founder of the charitable organizationThe Ireland Funds. Her first cousin, once removed,Art Rooney II, is the current president and co-owner of the Steelers.
Mara began acting at the age of nine in a school musical. She attended several youth theater-arts schools and appeared incommunity theater and in schoolplays.[13][14] In anEsquire magazine interview, she says she was "painfully shy" growing up, adding she only had one friend.[15]
Mara's first recurring television role was in the FX DramaNip Tuck in alove triangle with her boyfriend Matt McNamara (John Hensley) and another cheerleader (Sophia Bush). Mara also appeared onCold Case,Boston Public,CSI: Miami andCSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Mara was cast as the lead in the 2004The WBpilotProdigy, about a teenagechild prodigy.[16] She had a recurring role on the WB'sJack & Bobby in 2005 and a five-episode arc on theFox TV series24 in 2006, playing computer analystShari Rothenberg. Mara joined the cast of theHBO comedy-dramaEntourage 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.[17] Mara filmed four episodes for the series in 2009.[18] In 2011, she guest starred on theFX horror seriesAmerican Horror Story, asHayden McClaine, a student who becomesDr. Ben Harmon (Dylan McDermott)'s dead mistress, a spirit trapped in the Harmon house. Mara was offered the role byRyan Murphy, her former producer onNip/Tuck.[19]
In 2012, Mara joined the cast ofHouse of Cards, playing the part of Zoe Barnes, an intrepid reporter fromWashington, D.C. who becomes a major ally toFrank Underwood by leaking stories that undermine his rivals.[20] She filmed asecond season of the series, which was released on February 14, 2014. On July 10, 2014, she was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She played a teacher who begins an illicit relationship with an underage student in theFX miniseriesA Teacher (2020). For it, she received anIndependent Spirit Award nomination for Best New Scripted Series as an executive producer.[21]
Mara's stage debut, in 2003, was at theWilliamstown Theatre Festival inJohn Guare'sLandscape of the Body withLili Taylor.[22] Mara starred inThe Alice Complex, a play by Peter Barr Nickowitz, atDixon Place in New York City in 2005, and at theBlank Theatre in Los Angeles in 2006. The production co-starredTony Award-winnerHarriet Harris.[23] In 2006, she toldWFAN radio that theater 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".[24]
Mara made her film debut inRandom Hearts, withHarrison Ford in 1999, directed bySydney Pollack. She played Jessica Chandler, the daughter of acongresswoman (Kristin Scott Thomas). She next appeared in theSundance Film Festival award-winning filmsJoe the King (1999) andTadpole (2002), alongsideSigourney Weaver. Mara co-starred inPeoples (2004), a drama andcoming of age story filmed inLouisville, Kentucky. She starred in thedirect-to-video horror filmUrban Legends: Bloody Mary and appeared withNoah Wyle andIlleana Douglas in the 2005 filmThe Californians. Her supporting role as the daughter ofHeath Ledger's character in theAcademy Award-winning filmBrokeback Mountain that year brought her more widespread critical notice.[13]
Mara signed with theWilliam Morris Agency,[25] and was included on theNew York Daily News list of "10 young actors who have a shot at making it big" at the start of 2006.[26] She appeared inZoom that year as Summer Jones (aka Wonder), a 16-year-old girl withtelekinetic andempathic abilities. She next appeared inWe Are Marshall, starringMatthew McConaughey, which recalled the aftermath of the 1970Marshall University plane crash that took the lives of most of the football team. Mara played cheerleader Annie Cantrell.[27]
In 2007, she appeared in the comedyFull of It withRyan Pinkston forNew Line Cinema. The film later aired on television asBig Liar on Campus. Mara was also featured in an advertising campaign for clothing retailerGap called, "khakis with attitude."[28] She appeared inShooter, athriller about a mastersniper portrayed byMark Wahlberg, lured out of retirement to prevent anassassination.[29] Mara played aKentucky widow, Sarah Fenn, adopting asouthern accent for the role.
Also in 2007, she finished her work in the filmTranssiberian, byBrad Anderson, which takes place on theTrans-Siberian Railway that runs fromChina toMoscow. She spent three months shooting the thriller inVilnius,Lithuania,[8] starting in December 2006. The film also shot on location inBeijing andRussia.[30] Mara played Abby, a 20-year-old runaway from Seattle.[31]
Mara starred in the 2008 filmStone of Destiny, written and directed byCharles Martin Smith, about the theft of theStone of Scone onChristmas Day, 1950. Mara playedKay Matheson, one of four students that removed the stone in aScottish nationalist plot. Theperiod adventure-comedy co-starredBilly Boyd,Robert Carlyle andCharlie Cox.[32] Filming began in June 2007 in locations aroundGlasgow.[33] Mara felt lucky and proud to play a role that was important to people's heritage.[34] She stayed near theBotanic Gardens in the city'sWest End while filming.[35] The film was shown at theEdinburgh andToronto International Film Festivals.[36][37]
In December 2008, Mara appeared inT Takes: Brooklyn 09, a series of 6 improvisedshort films directed by Brody Baker.[38] She starred inThe Open Road as Lucy.[39]
In 2009, Mara filmed the independent comedyPeep World, starringMichael C. Hall,Sarah Silverman andRainn Wilson,[40] and joined the cast ofMarvel'sIron Man 2, making acameo appearance as aU.S. Marshal who servesTony Stark a subpoena.[41] Mara shot theensemble romantic comedyHappythankyoumoreplease inNew 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 actorJosh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother).[18] The film won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at the 2010Sundance Film Festival.[42] In 2010, Mara played hiker Kristi Moore in the survival drama127 Hours, a true story directed byDanny Boyle aboutAron Ralston, a climber trapped whilemountaineering inUtah.[42]
Mara appeared inIronclad (2011), which tells the story of the siege ofRochester Castle byKing John in the year 1215.[43] It is her first film where she speaks in anEnglish accent.[44] Mara appeared in theshort filmTen Year, produced byChanning Tatum to attract financing for a feature film.[45] The full-length feature went into production inAlbuquerque in January 2010, with Mara starring in a large ensemble cast film about a 10-year high school reunion.[46] In 2012, Mara starred inStefan Ruzowitzky's thrillerDeadfall withEric Bana andOlivia Wilde.[47][48] In 2013, Mara starred inBroken Bells video for the songHolding On For Life. Mara appeared inTranscendence (2014), starringJohnny Depp and directed byWally Pfister.[49]
In 2015, she played Sue Storm, theInvisible Woman, in theFantastic Four reboot.[50] In that year, she also had a supporting role as astronaut Beth Johanssen in directorRidley Scott's filmThe Martian. She also starred as Ashley Smith in the movieCaptive.
In 2017, Mara starred inMegan Leavey, playingMegan Leavey, a real-life U.S. marine who bonded with hermilitary working dog. The film was directed byGabriela Cowperthwaite,[51] and released on June 9, 2017.[52]
She also starred alongsideElliot Page inMy Days of Mercy, which she co-produced.[53]
Kate Mara will also star in an upcoming movie calledBucking Fastard, directed byWerner Herzog.[54]
Mara was in a relationship withMax Minghella between 2010 and 2014.[55] In 2014, Mara had a brief relationship with futureMy Days of Mercy co-starElliot Page[56][57] before beginning a relationship with herFantastic Four co-starJamie Bell in 2015.[58] In January 2017, the couple was engaged.[59] On July 17, 2017, the couple announced that they had married.[60] As a result, Mara became the stepmother to Bell's son from his marriage toEvan Rachel Wood. In May 2019, the couple's daughter was born.[61] On November 17, 2022, Mara announced onInstagram that she had given birth to a son the week before. Mara lives inLos Angeles[62] andManhattan.[63][64]
Mara credits hervegan diet and regular workouts for keeping fit.[65] "I'm a massive animal lover, too," she explained. "Being vegan has been so good for me. I never felt better."[66] Mara is one of the faces of theHumane Society of the United States.[67] In 2015, she was featured in one of their campaign videos to promoteMeatless Monday.[68]
As a descendant of the owners of the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, Mara is a fan of both teams;[27][69] she joked, "If I'm mad at my mom, I root for the Giants, and if I'm pissed at my dad, I root for the Steelers."[70] This relationship contributed to her role inWe Are Marshall.[71] Mara has sung at both teams' games,[11][72] and after missing the Steelers' 2006 victory atSuper Bowl XL due to work, her contracts state she can attend if either team goes to the Super Bowl.[71] She was in attendance for the Giants' victory inSuper Bowl XLII, the Steelers' victory the next year inSuper Bowl XLIII, and the Giants' victory inSuper Bowl XLVI.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Joe the King | Allyson | ||
| Random Hearts | Jessica Chandler | |||
| 2002 | Tadpole | Miranda Spear | ||
| 2004 | Time Well Spent | Girl | Short film | |
| Peoples | Jessica | |||
| Prodigy | ||||
| 2005 | Urban Legends: Bloody Mary | Samantha "Sam" Owens | Direct-to-video | |
| Brokeback Mountain | Alma Del Mar Jr. (age 19) | |||
| The Californians | Zoe Tripp | |||
| 2006 | Zoom | Summer Jones / Wonder | ||
| Fireflies | Taylor | |||
| We Are Marshall | Annie Cantrell | |||
| 2007 | Full of It | Annie Dray | ||
| Shooter | Sarah Fenn | |||
| 2008 | Transsiberian | Abby | ||
| Stone of Destiny | Kay Matheson | |||
| 2009 | Big Guy | Kate | Short film | |
| The Open Road | Lucy | |||
| 2010 | Happythankyoumoreplease | Mississippi | ||
| Iron Man 2 | U.S. Marshal | |||
| 127 Hours | Kristi Moore | |||
| Peep World | Meg | |||
| 2011 | Ironclad | Isabel | ||
| Queen of Hearts | Queen of Hearts | Short film | ||
| 10 Years | Elise | |||
| 2012 | Deadfall | Hanna | ||
| 2013 | After the Disco Part One: Angel and the Fool | Helen | Short film | [73] |
| After the Disco Part Two: Holding On for Life | Short film | |||
| 2014 | Transcendence | Bree | ||
| Tiny Detectives | Detective Kate | Short film | ||
| Lennon or McCartney | Herself | Short film | ||
| 2015 | The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards | Lisa | ||
| Fantastic Four | Susan Storm / Invisible Woman | |||
| Man Down | Natalie Drummer | |||
| The Martian | Beth Johanssen | |||
| Captive | Ashley Smith | |||
| 2016 | Morgan | Lee Weathers | ||
| 2017 | Megan Leavey | Megan Leavey | ||
| My Days of Mercy | Mercy Bromage | Also producer | ||
| 2018 | Chappaquiddick | Mary Jo Kopechne | ||
| 2022 | Call Jane | Lana | ||
| 2024 | Friendship | Tami Waterman | [74][75] | |
| 2025 | The Dutchman | Lula | Also executive producer | [76][77][78] |
| The Astronaut | Sam Walker | [79] | ||
| Easy's Waltz | Lucy | |||
| TBA | Bucking Fastard† | Jean Holbrooke | Post-production | [80] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Law & Order | Jenna Erlich | Episode: "Shadow" | |
| 2000 | Madigan Men | Julie | Episode: "White Knight" | |
| Ed | Kelly Kovacs | Episode: "Pretty Girls and Waffles" | ||
| 2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Lori | Episode: "Pixies" | |
| 2003 | Everwood | Kate Morris | 2 episodes | |
| Nip/Tuck | Vanessa Bartholomew | 4 episodes | ||
| Cold Case | Jill Shelby | Episode: "Look Again" | ||
| Boston Public | Helena Gelbke | Episode: "Chapter Seventy-Five" | ||
| 2004 | CSI: Miami | Stephanie Brooks | Episode: "Murder in a Flash" | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Janelle Macklin | Episode: "Formalities" | ||
| 2005 | Jack & Bobby | Katie | 6 episodes | |
| 2006 | 24 | Shari Rothenberg | 5 episodes (season 5) | |
| 2009 | Entourage | Brittany | 4 episodes | |
| T Takes | Kate | 2 episodes | ||
| 2011 | American Horror Story: Murder House | Hayden McClaine | 8 episodes | |
| 2012 | Tron: Uprising | Perl | Voice; 2 episodes | |
| 2013–2014; 2016 | House of Cards | Zoe Barnes | 14 episodes Nominated –Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (2014) | |
| 2014 | Robot Chicken | Various voices | 2 episodes | |
| 2015 | Moonbeam City | Chrysalis Tate | Voice; 10 episodes | |
| 2018 | Pose | Patty Bowes | 6 episodes | |
| 2020 | A Teacher | Claire Wilson | Miniseries; also producer | |
| 2023 | Class of '09 | Amy Poet | Miniseries; Main role | [81] |
| Black Mirror | Lana | Episode: "Beyond the Sea" | [82] | |
| 2025 | Invincible | Becky Duvall | Voice; Episode: "All I Can Say Is I'm Sorry" | [83] |
| TBA | Imperfect Women | Nancy | Upcoming series | [84] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | The Big Lie | Honor Bergin | Voice role | [85] |
| Koz | Becky Kozlowski | Voice role | [86] |
| Year | Title | Artist(s) | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | "Holding On for Life" | Broken Bells | Helen | [87] |
| 2019 | "When Am I Gonna Lose You" | Local Natives | Rich lonely Los Angeles woman | [88] |
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Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
