Mara Wilson, who turned 38 on July 24, rose to fame as a child star in Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street, and Matilda. But behind her early success, she struggled with Hollywood’s harsh treatment of young actors. “My parents kept me grounded,” Wilson recalls, but by 11, acting made her miserable. After her mother’s death from breast cancer in 1996, the pressures of fame became overwhelming. “When I was very famous, I was the most unhappy,” she admitted.

Her final major role came in Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000), after which she faded from the spotlight. As she entered adolescence, the roles stopped coming. “Hollywood was burned out on me,” she said. “If you’re not cute anymore, you’re worthless.” Now a writer, Wilson reflects on her journey in essays and memoirs like Good Girls Don’t.

She’s candid about losing her mother, facing rejection, and realizing that being “cute” had defined—and limited—her career. “I always thought it would be me giving up acting, not the other way around.”