Kate Mara is more than just a familiar face in Hollywood. While you may recognize her from roles in House of Cards, American Horror Story, or movies like The Martian and Fantastic Four, there’s a lot more to this talented actress than meets the eye.
Coming from a family with deep roots in the NFL, Mara’s life has been shaped by both her remarkable heritage and her personal determination to carve out a successful career. Beyond the glitz and glamour of show business, she’s led an interesting life filled with unexpected moments, career challenges, and deep personal convictions.
Whether it’s her surprising connection to football dynasties or her commitment to a vegan lifestyle, Mara continues to intrigue her fans with layers of depth beyond the screen. Here are 10 fascinating things you probably didn’t know about this multi-dimensional star.
#1. Descendant of Football Royalty
Kate Mara comes from not just one, but two football dynasties. Her paternal great-grandfather, Timothy Mara, was one of the founders of the New York Giants, while her maternal great-grandfather, Art Rooney, founded the Pittsburgh Steelers. Her father is also a Giants executive.
This football legacy has even influenced her personal life, including a famous story she shared on Conan in 2016 about breaking up with an ex who accidentally dented the Lombardi Trophy her family received after the Giants’ Super Bowl win.
#2. A Super Bowl Contract Clause
Mara takes her family’s football ties seriously, so much so that she has a clause in her acting contracts allowing her to attend any Super Bowl involving the Giants or Steelers.
This rule was established after she missed the 2006 Steelers-Seahawks Super Bowl due to filming an episode of 24. She described the experience as “torture” and vowed never to miss another family Super Bowl event again.
#3. Childhood Notes to Mom
As a child, Kate Mara was so shy that she would slip her mom little notes asking for things she wanted, ranging from Barbies to, eventually, an agent.
Her mom used to leave her sweet messages on her pillow, which inspired young Mara to communicate through written notes. By age 14, Mara signed with her first agent, which led to her early film role in Random Hearts alongside Harrison Ford.
#4. Almost Cast in Lost
Mara came very close to landing a role on the hit TV show Lost. She was part of the final audition alongside the eventual cast but was the only one who didn’t make the cut.
Despite her disappointment, she also auditioned for Brokeback Mountain around the same time, a role she secured, allowing her to work with Heath Ledger. She later narrowly missed out on iconic roles like Catwoman and Lois Lane, which went to Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams.
#5. Heath Ledger Was Only Four Years Older
In Brokeback Mountain, Kate Mara played Alma Jr., the daughter of Heath Ledger’s character. While the movie made their father-daughter dynamic believable, Mara and Ledger were only four years apart in real life.
Ledger was 25, and Mara was 21 during the filming, yet their on-screen relationship felt entirely authentic.
#6. Her Husband Had to Study the Giants
When Mara started dating actor Jamie Bell, he quickly learned the importance of football in her family. In an interview on The Tonight Show, she revealed that Bell spent an entire night binge-watching a full season of New York Giants games with a friend to familiarize himself with the team’s legacy.
His efforts paid off, and he reportedly knew more about the Giants than Mara herself by the end of it.
#7. Hair Trouble with Fantastic Four
After filming Fantastic Four, Mara eagerly cut her hair short for her next movie. However, she was called back for reshoots, and the solution was to use a blonde wig.
The results were widely criticized, with many viewers mocking her wig as one of the film’s many failings. Mara later acknowledged the issue but also mentioned that the timing of her haircut had forced the wig decision.
#8. Never Met Johnny Depp on Transcendence
In the 2014 film Transcendence, Kate Mara starred alongside Johnny Depp. However, the two actors never shared a scene together.
In a lighthearted confession during an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Mara admitted that she only met Depp while promoting the movie, having no direct interaction with him during the filming process.
#9. A Nerve-Wracking National Anthem Performance
Despite not being a trained singer, Mara has sung the national anthem at New York Giants games on multiple occasions, including a 2005 game honoring her grandfather and the 2006 season opener.
In an interview with Kelly Clarkson, she reflected on the experience, explaining that her grandfather had asked her to perform, and she felt she couldn’t refuse. However, she now admits she doesn’t know how she mustered the courage.
#10. Vegan for the Animals
Mara became a vegan after reading The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder, a decision driven by her growing awareness of animal cruelty.
Although she initially switched to a vegetarian diet in her teens after seeing the harsh realities of animal agriculture, the book solidified her resolve to fully adopt a vegan lifestyle, believing it was important to make the change before a personal health crisis forced her to do so.
