Former Child Star Mara Wilson's Career Pivot Is So Fitting After Matilda Movie Success

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Mara Wilson was one of the most recognizable child stars of the 1990s — but Nattie from "Mrs. Doubtfire" is all grown up now. Wilson got her start opposite the legendary Robin Williams in the beloved 1993 family film, and subsequently led the 1994 remake of the Christmas classic "Miracle on 34th Street." However, Wilson's most famous role is arguably that of the titular character in 1996's "Matilda," in which Wilson shared the screen (and, occasionally, a real-life home) with Danny DeVito. The child star took an extended hiatus from Hollywood at the turn of the 2000s, with her onscreen roles few and far between in the years since. But while Mara Wilson may not be in movies anymore, you've almost certainly heard her voice. And, coincidentally, her career pivot is rather befitting of the former child star's most beloved role.

One of Matilda's defining characteristics is her insatiable love of reading. In fact, the movie's inciting incident occurs when her horrid father, Mr. Wormwood (DeVito), destroys one of her books. It seems quite serendipitous, then, that after leaving acting behind, Wilson found a new passion for audiobook narration. She acknowledged this parallel herself during an interview with People in May 2026. "All I ever wanted to do was tell stories, write stories and perform stories. [...] So I think that it makes sense to me that my job now is storytelling," Wilson shared.

The former actor's first audiobook gig was a narration of her own memoir, "Where Am I Now?," which was released in 2016. She subsequently narrated the "Welcome to Night Vale" novel "The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home," and went all in from there. Some of Wilson's more recent recordings include "Famous Men" by Julie Buntin and "Fabulous Bodies" by Chuck Tingle.

Mara Wilson has made no secret of the fact that she's not the biggest fan of how Hollywood operates. Nevertheless, during her May 2026 chat with People, the former child star openly acknowledged that people still frequently ask whether she plans to return to the big screen. "And I say, 'Well, look, there aren't always roles for women of my specific age and my specific looks and demographic and everything. And I would really have to change myself a lot to be able to fit into Hollywood's mold and I don't really want to do that,'" Wilson reasoned. Conversely, narrating audiobooks provides her with much more freedom. 

"I love that you can be anything. I love that you get to play all the characters," the "Mrs. Doubtfire" breakout star explained. Indeed, Wilson's final major role before taking her initial leave of absence from acting was in the 2000 movie "Thomas and the Magic Railroad." Her only movie roles since then have been in obscure projects like 2015 indie film "Billy Bob Joe" and the 2021 short "Pre-Emptive Defence." That being said, in keeping with her newfound passion for audiobook narration, Wilson has done a bit of voice acting in some big-name TV shows since dipping her toes back into Hollywood in the 2010s. 

In 2016, Wilson voiced the character of Jill Pill in the Netflix animated series "BoJack Horseman" — a show widely beloved for its cynical and satirical portrayal of Hollywood. Since then, she's also voiced characters in Disney's "Big Hero 6: The Series," YouTube's "Helluva Boss" (later picked up by Amazon), and the indie webseries "Ollie & Scoops." As for live action, the "Matilda" star played a waitress in a 2016 episode of "Broad City."