Kate Mara

Biography:

Kate Mara was born on February 27, 1983, in Bedford, New York, to Timothy Christopher Mara, a scout and vice president of the New York Giants, and Kathleen McNulty Mara (née Rooney). She is the second of four siblings: her older brother Daniel, her younger sister Patricia “Rooney” (also an actress), and her younger brother Conor. Her background is largely Irish, with Italian, German, French-Canadian, and English roots. She comes from a large family with 20 aunts and uncles and about 40 cousins.

She is a great-granddaughter of New York Giants founder Tim Mara and Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. The Mara family has owned the Giants since 1925, while the Rooney family has owned the Steelers since 1933. Her paternal grandparents were Wellington and Ann Mara; Wellington co-owned the Giants until 2005, when leadership passed to his son, John Mara. On her mother’s side, her grandfather Timothy James Rooney has run Yonkers Raceway since 1972. Her granduncle Dan Rooney chaired the Steelers, co-founded The Ireland Funds, and served as U.S. ambassador to Ireland. Her cousin Art Rooney II is currently president and co-owner of the Steelers.

Mara began acting at nine in school productions and community theater. Though shy as a child, she pursued theater training and eventually moved into television. Her first recurring TV role was on Nip/Tuck, followed by appearances on Cold Case, Boston Public, CSI: Miami, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She starred in the pilot Prodigy in 2004, had recurring parts in Jack & Bobby and 24, and later joined Entourage in season six as Eric Murphy’s assistant Brittany. In 2011, she appeared in American Horror Story as Hayden McClaine. From 2012, she gained recognition as Zoe Barnes in Netflix’s House of Cards, earning an Emmy nomination. In 2020, she starred in FX’s A Teacher, playing a teacher in an illicit relationship, also serving as an executive producer.

She debuted on stage in 2003 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, later performing in The Alice Complex. Mara described theater as her original dream, preferring Broadway over film or television in her youth.

Her film career began with Random Hearts (1999), followed by roles in Joe the King and Tadpole. She appeared in Peoples, Urban Legends: Bloody Mary, and The Californians. Her performance as Heath Ledger’s daughter in Brokeback Mountain gained her wider attention. She later appeared in Zoom, We Are Marshall, Full of It, Shooter, Transsiberian, and Stone of Destiny.

In her personal life, Mara dated Max Minghella from 2010 to 2014, briefly dated Elliot Page in 2014, and began a relationship with Jamie Bell in 2015. They married in 2017, and Mara became stepmother to Bell’s son. Together, they have two children, a daughter born in 2019 and a son in 2022. She resides in Los Angeles and Manhattan.

Mara follows a vegan lifestyle, attributing it to her health and love of animals. She has supported the Humane Society and appeared in their Meatless Monday campaign.

A fan of both the Giants and Steelers, she has attended several of their Super Bowl victories and has sung at their games. She even ensures her contracts allow her to attend the Super Bowl if either team makes it.