Matilda star Mara Wilson recalls Danny DeVito's amazing impact during tough times
Mara Wilson has revealed how Danny DeVito "really helped" her family when they were going through a "terrible" experience away from the cameras during Matilda.
Mara Wilson has recalled Danny DeVito helping her family through "something terrible" during Matilda.
The 38-year-old actress has reflected on her experience as a child star on the set of the 1996 classic, which was based on Roald Dahl's iconic children's book, and her 81-year-old castmate was a huge source of support for Mara and her loved ones off-screen.
Speaking at Fanboy Expo Knoxville, she said: "[Danny] really helped me and my family when we were going through something terrible.
"And they were very loving and kind, and I made so many lifelong friends on that.
“And yes, there were hard days, but there were also days where it felt like summer camp, and I am still friends with the people that I worked on it today.”
Danny directed Matilda and played Harry Wormwood, the father of Mara's title character, while his then-wife Rhea Pearlman played her mother, Zinnia.
During production, Mara's real life mother Suzie Wilson was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent treatment.
She died in April 1996, which was just three months before Matilda was released, leading to Danny dedicating the film in her honour.
Mara said: "I call him my favourite uncle. Matilda means the most to me because I had a lot to do.
"It was a big responsibility. I was the title character.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Mara described her experience on set as "wonderful".
She added: “We filmed during the summer, so I had a birthday on the set, and they gave me a cake in the shape of Matilda’s red hair ribbon, and I had a really wonderful time working on it.”
Mara - who also appeared in 1993's Mrs Doubtfire and 1994's Miracle on 34th Street - previously revealed she "always felt safe" on film sets, despite the struggles of fame and life as a child star in the public eye.
Writing for The Guardian, she said: "From ages five to 13, I was a child actor.
"And while as of late we’ve heard many horror stories about the abusive things that happened to child actors behind the scenes, I always felt safe while filming."
