Kate Mara: More Than Just a Hollywood Star, She’s a Force of Nature
Kate Mara exudes a focused intensity, a quality that seems to emanate from her even as she navigates the opulent surroundings of Claridge’s, a phone charger in hand. Her presence is undeniably New York, a persona honed by her upbringing just north of the bustling city she now calls home with her husband, British actor Jamie Bell, and their three children. Despite her polished, all-white ensemble and professional demeanour, the 43-year-old actor possesses a disarming candour, a vulnerability that quickly endears her. “It’s 90 per cent rejection still to this day,” she admits with a laugh, recounting the constant hustle of the industry. “I’ll see something and ask, ‘Oh, how come I never got that script?’ And my agent will say, ‘We tried. They’re not interested.’”
Yet, for every door that remains closed, countless others have swung wide open for Mara, marking her as a consistent and respected presence in Hollywood. Her career trajectory began at the tender age of 19 with a pivotal role as Heath Ledger’s daughter in the critically acclaimed Brokeback Mountain (2005). This was followed by her iconic turn in House of Cards, where her character’s ambition led to a dramatic encounter with Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood. Over the years, Mara has graced the screen in a string of high-profile projects, including 24, 127 Hours, The Martian, Iron Man 2, and Entourage, solidifying her reputation as a formidable talent. Her signature fiery red hair, currently styled in a chic shoulder-length cut, has become an instantly recognisable hallmark.
Her latest venture, Apple TV+’s Imperfect Women, represents another significant “yes” in her illustrious career. The series sees Mara star alongside Kerry Washington and Elisabeth Moss as part of a trio of best friends whose lives are irrevocably altered when one of them is murdered. Mara takes on the complex role of Nancy, a glamorous socialite whose carefully constructed façade is threatened by a dark past and destructive impulses. The character of Nancy offers a richly layered performance opportunity, a challenge that Mara, known for her ability to convey tightly coiled emotional intensity, embraces. However, it was also the prospect of collaborating with Washington and Moss that drew her to the project. “Even two female leads is rare, so to have three is unheard of,” Mara explains. “And then for it to be two actors who I’ve admired and who have been acting as long as I have, that’s a rare opportunity.”
The shared experience of motherhood among the lead actresses proved to be a profound bonding element. “I haven’t had that many experiences where I’m on set and the other actors have children necessarily, especially other females,” Mara shares. “So that’s a really special thing; you don’t feel quite as alone in that pull of wanting to be at home but wanting to do a great job at work.” The production’s commitment to an all-female directorial team further enhanced the experience. “I’ve been acting since I was 14, and I think I worked with one female director in the first 20 years.”
Mara’s own journey to this point is marked by a singular drive that saw her forgo a place at the prestigious Tisch School of Performing Arts at 19. Instead, she packed her bags and moved to Los Angeles, accompanied only by her Boston terrier, driven by an unwavering ambition. “I was very confident,” she recalls. “At least in my dream. I don’t know if I necessarily thought, ‘This will definitely happen for me’ – but I knew I was going to try, no matter what. I was very motivated and would have done anything to get there. To work as hard as I possibly could.”
Life in Bedford, her picturesque hometown which also counts Martha Stewart as a resident, was steeped in a different kind of passion: sports. In a fascinating twist of fate that reads like a Hollywood script, the Mara family boasts ownership stakes in the New York Giants, while her mother’s side of the family is connected to the Pittsburgh Steelers. “I support both teams,” Mara states diplomatically. Her husband, Jamie Bell, has fully embraced the American football culture, becoming a devoted New York Giants fan. “Jamie lives and breathes the New York Giants – and me and the kids, whether we like it or not, live and breathe Arsenal,” she laughs, lamenting the seemingly endless English football season.
The Mara family legacy extends beyond the sports arena. Alongside her sister Rooney, acclaimed for her roles in Carol and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Kate is forging a different kind of dynasty – one in the acting world. Both sisters have found partners in fellow actors, with Kate married to Jamie Bell and Rooney engaged to Joaquin Phoenix. “I can’t imagine being married to someone who’s not an actor,” Kate muses. “It’s such a specific experience.”
Later this year, the sisters will share the screen for the first time in Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard. They will portray identical twins whose minds are so intertwined that they share thoughts and dreams, and, predictably, fall for the same man. The experience of working together was one of profound comfort and connection. “To put it plainly, it felt like home,” Mara reflects. “You have all this shared history to draw from. It’s impossible to make up; it’s so deep, and there’s nothing like it. I can’t imagine doing that role with somebody else.”
Sisterly Bonds and Shared Dreams
While not twins themselves, Kate and Rooney Mara possess an almost telepathic understanding, a phenomenon often attributed to their shared upbringing. “It was funny, when we were filming, we would randomly test each other to think of a number and not tell the other one to see if we thought of the same number,” Kate recounts. Their uncanny synchronicity was a constant source of amusement and surprise. “All the time! So creepy.”
The sisters’ collaboration on Bucking Fastard comes after years of waiting for the perfect project. “We’d been sent things over the years that weren’t right for various reasons,” Kate explains. “One of the main reasons being that, you know, again, it’s rare to find a script that has two leads that are both female, and both interesting. We really did have to wait to find something that had equal opportunity.”
When Kate, already an established actor at 22, saw her sister embark on her own acting journey, there was no hint of rivalry. “I was just excited that she was going to be doing the same thing as me,” she asserts. “I wouldn’t say it was ever competitive between us – I don’t think she would say that either – but we were up for similar roles, for sure. Not all the time, but often enough.” Any perceived competition was mitigated by their distinct artistic identities. “I felt that we were so different in so many ways that if one of us got a role, it just wouldn’t have made sense for the other person anyway. So it wasn’t that complicated.”
Conversations with Kate Mara reveal an artist whose on-screen prowess is underpinned by an unyielding determination off-screen. The rejections she has faced are viewed not as setbacks, but as an intrinsic part of the acting profession. “That was going to be a reality no matter what; I was always most confident in knowing that was what I wanted to do the most,” she states. “It can still hurt, for sure, but my perspective has changed a lot over the years, and having kids and a family, I have things that are more important to me and that fulfil me in another way. So it definitely hurts less, matters less, but no, it can definitely still be brutal.”
Looking ahead, Mara harbours aspirations for the Broadway stage, a long-held dream sparked by childhood trips to the theatre with her mother. “Back then I couldn’t care less about TV or movies, but then I moved to LA and lived there for 22 years, so Broadway wasn’t a possibility,” she explains. “Now that I’ve moved back to New York, I’ve realised that the dream is still alive and well. I’d love to do it just as much now as I did when I was nine.” She expresses a keen interest in collaborating with Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, a pairing that promises to be as compelling as it is inevitable.
Imperfect Women is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
