Kate Mara is a renowned American actress, whose impressive career has spanned over two decades. Her early beginnings in the industry saw her starring in the Netflix political drama House of Cards, where she played the role of Zoe Barnes, and appearing in the Fox TV series 24, where she portrayed computer analyst Shari Rothenberg.
Mara's filmography boasts a wide range of critically acclaimed movies, including Brokeback Mountain, We Are Marshall, Shooter, Transsiberian, Stone of Destiny, The Open Road, Transcendence, and Fantastic Four, where she played the iconic role of the Invisible Woman. Her versatility as an actress is further demonstrated by her appearances in the FX horror mini-series American Horror Story, where she played the character of Hayden McClaine.
Mara's film debut was in Random Hearts, a 1999 drama directed by Sydney Pollack, where she shared the screen with the legendary Harrison Ford. In 2015, she starred in The Martian, a sci-fi film directed by Ridley Scott, and played the role of Ashley Smith in the movie Captive. Her other notable roles include Morgan, Megan Leavey, and My Days of Mercy.
Born in Bedford, New York, Mara is one of four children of Kathleen McNulty (Rooney) and Timothy Christopher Mara, the executive of the New York Giants football team. Her younger sister, Rooney Mara, is also an actress. Mara's family has a rich sports history, with her grandfathers Wellington Mara and Timothy Rooney being prominent figures in the NFL and horse racing respectively. Her great-grandfather, Art Rooney Sr., founded the Pittsburgh Steelers football franchise.
Mara's ancestry is a blend of Irish, German, French-Canadian, and Italian heritage. She graduated from high school a year early and was accepted into the prestigious NYU Tisch School of the Arts, although she deferred her admission for three consecutive years.
