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Mara Wilson Loves NPR

Manya Zuba
/
NPR

Look closely, you might recognize this former child star from her roles in several popular '90s movies including Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street and Matilda.

All grown-up, child actress-turned writer Mara Wilson sat down to talk with Talk of the Nation Host Neal Conan about the pressures of child stardom.

"Childhood stars are a very easy target," says Wilson of the celebrity culture surrounding child stars growing up in the public eye.

Now an adult, she noted that the life of a former childhood star becomes even more of an obstacle as an adult.

"You lose that praise," Wilson said. "You lose what you had. And you are so used to it; it's almost like a drug. And all of a sudden it's like withdrawal."

A graduate of interdisciplinary theatre studies from New York University, Wilson now has her eyes set on her original passion - telling stories and writing plays.

With an appropriate amount of praise for the self-proclaimed 'recovering child star,' we couldn't let her leave without showing us a little love.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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George T. Gary III