Kate Mara

Kate Mara established a versatile career across film and television, making her feature film debut in 1999 in Sydney Pollack’s Random Hearts opposite Harrison Ford, followed by appearances in independent features Joe the King (1999) and Tadpole (2002). Her early television work included guest spots on Law & Order, Nip/Tuck, and CSI: Miami. Mara garnered critical attention for her supporting role in Ang Lee’s Academy Award-winning film Brokeback Mountain (2005), marking a significant milestone in her career. Following her critical success, Mara expanded her profile with a recurring role as computer analyst Shari Rothenberg in the fifth season of the Fox TV series 24 (2006).

She delivered significant supporting performances in films including Shooter (2007) alongside Mark Wahlberg, Transsiberian (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010) with Robert Downey Jr., and 127 Hours (2010). Mara’s prominence grew significantly with her role as Zoe Barnes in the Netflix political drama House of Cards, a character she inhabited from 2013 to 2014 and again in 2016, earning her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2014. She received recognition for her performance as Hayden McClaine in American Horror Story: Murder House (2011). She then transitioned into lead film roles, starring as the Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four (2015), and portraying astronaut Beth Johanssen in Ridley Scott’s The Martian (2015), which grossed over $630 million worldwide.

Mara starred as the titular U.S. Marine in the biographical drama Megan Leavey (2017), which garnered critical praise for her portrayal. She also co-produced the drama My Days of Mercy (2017). Mara served as an executive producer for the miniseries A Teacher (2020), a role that earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best New Scripted Series.