Mara Wilson

Mara Elizabeth Wilson is an American playwright and author and former child actress. She is best known for appearing in films such as "Mrs. Doubtfire", "A Simple Wish", the 1994 remake of "Miracle on 34th Street", and "Matilda". She is currently into stage acting and is planning to write young adult novels.

She played Lily in Thomas and the Magic Railroad. Before meeting Britt Allcroft and agreeing to take the role, she did a lot of research on both the television series and Allcroft.

Mara's book titled "Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame" was released on 13 September 2016.

Films

 * "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993)
 * "Miracle on 34th Street" (1994)
 * "A Time to Heal" (1994)
 * "Matilda" (1996)
 * "A Simple Wish" (1997)
 * "Balloon Farm" (1999)
 * "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" (2000)
 * "Billie Bob Joe" (2015)

Television

 * "Bob" (1993)
 * "Melrose Place" (1993)
 * "Pearl" (1996)
 * "Batman Beyond" (1999)
 * "Demo Reel" (2012)
 * "Broad City" (2016)
 * "BoJack Horseman" (2016)
 * "Big Hero 6: The Series" (2018)

Major awards and nominations
A Simple Wish (1997) Matilda (1996) Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000) A Simple Wish (1997) Matilda (1996) Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000)* Nominated - YoungStar Award, Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film A Simple Plot (1997) Matilda (1996)
 * Nominated - Saturn Award, Best Performance by a Younger Actor/Actress
 * Nominated - Saturn Award, Best Performance by a Younger Actor
 * Won - ShoWest Award, Young Star of the Year
 * Nominated - Young Artist Award, Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress
 * Won - Young Artist Award, Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress
 * Nominated - Young Artist Award, Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress
 * Nominated - YoungStar Award, Best Young Actress/Performance in a Motion Picture Comedy
 * Won - YoungStar Award, Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film

Trivia

 * Mara recalls watching Shining Time Station as a child, prior to her casting as Lily.
 * Mara's mother, Suzie Wilson, passed away only a few years before Thomas and the Magic Railroad was released, when Mara was only 9. As a result, Mara passed on a number of scripts until she read the script for Thomas and the Magic Railroad and had such a visceral reaction to it she agreed to audition, and ultimately took the role after meeting with Britt Allcroft. She describes the film as having been one of the most fun movies she worked on due to the atmosphere of the set and getting to visit Toronto and the Isle of Man. However, she also recalls the experience of going through puberty while making the film, coupled with her still mourning the death of her mother, influenced her decision to retire from acting.
 * According to a 2016 Twitter Q&A, Mara's favourite engine is James.
 * She was also fascinated with Alec Baldwin's voice provided for James in the fifth series.
 * In an interview for the Thomas and the Magic Railroad Blu-ray re-release in 2020, Mara recalled being disappointed with the changes between the shooting script and the finished film, remarking that most of her scenes with Peter Fonda that developed Lily and Burnett's relationship were cut.
 * Thomas and the Magic Railroad was Mara's last film role as a child actor before becoming a writer.