Contacting Rooney
Information on how to send fanmail to Rooney.
Name Meaning
The history and meaning behing her surname.
Quoting Rooney
A collection of some of her most memorable soundbites.
Birth Name: Patricia Rooney Mara
Professional Name: Rooney Mara
Date of Birth: April 17, 1985
Birthplace: Bedford, New York
Hometown: Bedford, New York
Parents: Timothy Christopher Mara, Kathleen McNulty (née Rooney)
Height: 5’3 (160cm)
Eyes: Green
Hair: Brown
Born and raised in Bedford, NY – a small town located in northeastern Westchester County. Rooney’s parents are Timothy Christopher Mara and Kathleen McNulty (née Rooney). Mara is the vice president of player evaluation for the New York Giants, and McNulty a real estate agent.
Her mother’s family (Rooney) founded the Pittsburgh Steelers, while her father’s side (Mara), founded the New York Giants. Her granduncle, Dan Rooney, was chairman of the Steelers and former American ambassador to Ireland, as well as the architect of the Rooney Rule in football hiring policies.
Is the third of four children. Has two older siblings, Kate and Daniel, and a younger brother, Conor.
Rooney’s family ancestry includes Irish, German and French-Canadian on her father’s side. Her mother’s includes Irish and Italian.
After graduating early from Fox Lane High School in 2003, she visited Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador as part of a four-month study-abroad program with The Traveling School.
When she started acting in 2005 she took her mother’s maiden name as her first name. Rooney has admitted she had never liked her original name, Patricia.
Rooney enrolled in George Washington University but “hated” the frat-party scene there, so transferred to New York University following her freshman year. She starred in two short films by fellow NYU students. “The first one was called La Familia, and I played the daughter of a messed-up family and I had this scene where I screamed at my mom. The other one was Betty Dove and I played the cool, mean girl,” she told Newsweek in 2013.
Studied Psychology, International Social Policy and Non-Profits at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She graduated in 2010.
Considers A Woman Under the Influence, Opening Night and Paper Moon as some of her favorite films.
Would like to work with directors Paul Thomas Anderson and Michael Haneke.
Was set to play the lead role of Emanuel in The Truth About Emanuel, but was replaced by Kaya Scodelario. She remained attached to the project, and received a producer credit.
Was announced as lead alongside Dane DeHaan in 1920s-set musical, Ziggy – directed by Diesel Schwarze. As of 2017, the film is still unreleased, and Mara and DeHaan are no longer attached.
Mara was originally set to play the lead role in Brooklyn, later being replaced by Saoirse Ronan.
Favorite drink is hot toddy – a mixed Irish beverage typically made with a mix of liquor, hot water, honey and spices.
Prior to pursuing an acting career, Rooney worked as a babysitter and a camp counselor.
She prepares for each day in front on the camera by creating specific playlists of songs that fit the day’s shoot.
In addition to being vegan, Rooney also practices a gluten-free diet.
Has a dog named Oskar.
In a 2010 interview with Variety, stated that she would like to emulate the career of Daniel Day-Lewis.
Rooney stated in a 2013 interview with Side Effects director Steven Soderberg that she has a fear of black mambas, heights, the ocean and outer space.
Was considered for the role of Evelyn in Transcendence. Rebecca Hall eventually secured the part.
Was originally attached to Collateral Beauty, alongside Hugh Jackman with director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon at the helm. Ultimately, neither Mara, Jackman or Gomez-Rejon were involved with the film.
Cites Cate Blanchett, Marion Cotillard and Gena Rowlands as her acting inspirations.
Mara is president of Uweza Foundation–an organization dedicated to fighting poverty and providinf critical care and assistance to poverty-stricken children in Kenya’s Kibera slum. She first traveled to Kenya to volunteer in 2006 and volunteered with several Nairobi-based organizations. The following year, she founded Faces of Kibera while studying at New York University. Faces of Kibera and Uweza worked closely on joint projects. In 2011, the two organizations merged.
