Mara Wilson has put to rest a rumour that has followed her for years, clarifying that Danny DeVito never legally adopted her, even though many fans came to believe he had.
The 38-year-old actor, writer and playwright, widely recognised for starring in 1996’s Matilda, spoke about her connection with DeVito during a Fanboy Expo Knoxville panel on July 12, as reported by People.
Wilson said DeVito, who portrayed Harry Wormwood and directed the film, is someone she thinks of as “my favorite uncle”.
“Matilda means the most to me because I had a lot to do. It was a big responsibility. I was the title character,” Wilson told the panel. “It was difficult at times, I was also going through a hard time, but as I told you, Danny DeVito did not literally adopt me, that’s a myth, but he did take very good care of my family.”
The longtime bond between Wilson and DeVito was shaped in part by a painful period during production. While Matilda was being filmed, Wilson’s mother, Suzie Wilson, was undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with breast cancer. For Wilson, who was only seven at the time, the production became tied to an extremely difficult chapter in her life. Suzie died in April 1996, just three months before the film’s theatrical release, and DeVito later dedicated Matilda to her.
During that time, DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman, who also appeared in the movie, gave significant support to Wilson and her family.
“[DeVito] really helped me and my family when we were going through something terrible,” Wilson said. “And they were very loving and kind, and I made so many lifelong friends on that.”
Even with the sadness surrounding that period, Wilson said making the film was not without joyful memories.
“There were also days where it felt like summer camp, and I am still friends with the people that I worked on it with today,” she told the panel, adding that she considers herself ‘lucky’ to have worked alongside ‘a lot of really great people in Hollywood.’
She also remembered one birthday while filming, when the crew surprised her with a cake designed to look like Matilda’s signature red hair ribbon.
Adapted from Roald Dahl’s well-known children’s novel, Matilda tells the story of a bright young girl who learns to stand up for herself despite an unhappy home environment. Since arriving in cinemas in July 1996, it has remained a favourite for generations of viewers.
After her years as a child actor, Wilson largely moved away from traditional screen acting. In recent years, she has focused on writing, voice work, audiobook narration and podcast appearances, and she continues to speak publicly about topics including child stardom, online abuse and endometriosis awareness. Earlier this year, she also returned to her former middle school in Burbank to help educate students about endometriosis.