Beloved ‘90s Child Star Mara Wilson Makes Ultra-Rare Public Appearance: See Her Now

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Mara Wilson was one of the most beloved child stars of the ‘90s with roles in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” “A Simple Wish,” and Matilda.” She ultimately left Hollywood in the early 2000s, but has made rare returns to the spotlight over the years, most recently to support a great cause.

Mara Wilson Makes Rare Public Appearance 

On Wednesday, October 14, Wilson attended Selena Gomez’s fourth annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit at Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California. The event marked a rare public appearance for Wilson, who has mostly preferred to stay out of the public eye. She wore a fitted sequined black dress and styled her dark hair down. Wilson completed the look with bold red lipstick, adding a pop of color to her appearance. She accessorized with a red chain handbag. 

The Rare Impact Fund Benefit raises awareness for mental health, and it was well supported, including by many celebrities. Among this year’s attendees were Gomez’s husband, Benny Blanco, Katy Perry, America Ferrera, Martin Short, Witney Carson, and Bella Kay. The Rare Impact Fund was launched by Gomez in 2020. It has raised $30 million “to support youth mental health organizations and initiatives,” People reports

In an interview with the publication, Gomez said it has been incredible to see the impact of her fund. “Probably actually witnessing what we do, we are so fortunate to have raised 30 million plus already for this fund. And seeing what we’re doing with the communities, with programs, different organizations — it’s beyond my wildest dreams,” she said.

Why Mara Wilson Left Hollywood  

Wilson has made occasional returns to the public eye and worked on entertainment projects. In a 2016 interview with People, via Yahoo, the former child star said she did not like the comments about her appearance while working as a child actor. “I’ve had people tell me, ‘The way that you judge yourself, looks-wise, is on this really strange level.’ Well, it’s because I grew up in Hollywood. I had good experiences there, but I always knew there were girls much prettier than I was, and I knew that I was always competing with them. That has followed me my whole life,” she said.

In a May 2026 interview with People, she reflected on why she left Hollywood and how she is asked why she doesn’t want to return. “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,’” she said. 

One of her latest projects was narrating the book, “Wombat Waiting.” Wilson enjoys voice acting, podcasts, and audiobooks, People notes. “I love that you can be anything,” she said of audiobooks. “I love that you get to play all the characters.” Wilson may have left acting behind, but she has around 70 audiobook credits.

She continued, “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.”