“Hollywood Wasn’t Fun Anymore”
In interviews, Mara has said bluntly:
“When you lose your mom at 8 years old, the idea of pretending to be someone else just isn’t appealing.”
Her next projects — A Simple Wish (1997), Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000) — underperformed.
By 2000, she retired from on-screen acting entirely.
There was no scandal, no rehab, no mugshot — just burnout and grief.
Hollywood, she’s explained, “wasn’t made for kids who grew up.”
Directors wanted her to stay tiny, cute, and frozen in time. When puberty hit, roles dried up overnight.
Instead, she chose school. Real friends. Stage work.
And the space to breathe.