Mara Wilson Reflects on Her Time as Matilda

Mara Wilson’s portrayal of the titular character in the 1996 film ‘Matilda’ remains one of her most iconic roles to date. The actress, who also starred in ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ and ‘Miracle on 34th Street,’ has spoken candidly about the experience of playing Matilda and the lasting impact it has had on her life.

At the Fanboy Expo in Tennessee, Wilson discussed the possibility of a ‘Matilda’ sequel and why she initially felt uneasy about being associated with the character.

“People always ask me about doing a ‘Matilda 2,’ and that could be possible,” Wilson said, according to an interview with People magazine. The actress acknowledged that while a sequel might be feasible, she questioned how it would be achieved.

One potential storyline that has been floated is the idea of Matilda’s daughter inheriting her mother’s powers. However, Wilson expressed concerns about this direction, stating that Matilda’s abilities come from her experiences with adversity and her determination to educate herself and form meaningful connections with others.

“I think Matilda’s powers come from her adversity,” Wilson explained. “They come from the bad things that she went through, and the whole point is that she overcame these things. And she found power in educating herself and in making friends with these people who were really lovely.”

She continued, “And so I don’t think Matilda would raise her daughter to be in a position where she developed those powers to protect herself.”

Wilson also pondered the idea of who would be suitable for Matilda to marry and have children with, musing, “Who’s good enough for Matilda? Matilda’s such an awesome character that I can’t imagine who she would marry and have kids with, you know?”

Mara Wilson’s Initial Reaction to Being Called ‘Matilda’

Before starring in ‘Matilda,’ Wilson had already gained recognition for her roles in ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ and ‘Miracle on 34th Street.’ However, after playing the iconic character, people began to refer to her by Matilda’s name, which initially annoyed her.

“I used to be a little annoyed when people would call me Matilda because I was like, ‘No, I’m Mara. It felt almost a little bit like being called by your sister’s name — your much cooler, smarter sister’s name. And I was like, oh, no, I’m not as cool as she is,” Wilson recalled.

She drew parallels with Carrie Fisher’s experience of being associated with Princess Leia, noting that Fisher once said, “I feel like me and Princess Leia have kind of merged over the years,” and Wilson stated that she “sort of feels like that too.”

“I feel like Matilda has been a character that I looked up to, and Matilda would do things that I do. She would talk about mental health. She would talk about books. She would be working. She would be writing, she would be loving books and doing stuff for public libraries and things like that. And I do all of those things. Those things are very important to me,” Wilson explained.

She continued, “So Matilda has really taught me a lot of good lessons. And I think I’ve become a lot like her in my own way.”

As Wilson grew older, she began to appreciate the character’s influence on her life and the positive impact it has had on her values and actions.