Rooney Mara Biography

Rooney Mara photo

Born: April 17, 1985

ROONEY MARA

Date of Birth: April 17, 1985

Rooney Mara's first credits were guest appearances on television shows such as Law & Order: SVU, Women's Murder Club and ER. She appeared in the indie films Dare and The Winning Season, both of which debuted at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and played Francesca in the 2009 Toronto Film Festival entry Tanner Hall, but none of these were released to theaters.

She finally made it to the big screen alongside Michael Cera in Youth in Revolt (2009). Mara also starred in A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Social Network, a film about the founders of Facebook. For her leading role in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), she received her first Academy Award nomination. Next she starred in Side Effects (2013), Her (2013), Pan (2015), and Carol (2015). For her work in the latter movie, in which she plays a young store clerk wooed by an older lesbian (played by Cate Blanchett), Rooney received an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination.

She also starred in the drama Una (2016) opposite Ben Mendelsohn, the true-story drama Lion (2016) alongside Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, and the ensemble drama Song to Song (2017) by Terrence Malick.

Her latest credit was a starring role in the film, Mary Magdalene (2019), alongside boyfriend Joaquin Phoenix. Joaquin and Rooney (both longtime vegans) met while filming the Gus Van Sant film, Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018). They frequently visit animal sanctuaries to lend their support.

Rooney also is the founder of the non-profit organization Faces of Kibera, which provides critical care and assistance to poverty-stricken orphans in Kibera, Kenya.

Rooney and her sister, actress Kate Mara are very close and in 2016, they traveled to Liberia to lend their support to help save 60 chimpanzees who had been abandoned by the New York Blood Center after being used for experiments.

Filmography:

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)
A Ghost Story (2017)
Mary Magdalene (2017)
The Discovery (2017)
Song to Song (2017)
The Secret Scripture (2016)
Lion (2016)
Una (2016)
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Carol (2015)
Pan (2015)
Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013)
Her (2013)
Side Effects (2013)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Tanner Hall (2011)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
The Social Network (2010)
Youth in Revolt (2010)
The Winning Season (2009)
Dream Boy (2008)

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