Friday Familiar Faces: Kate Mara
Welcome to a semi-regular weekly feature here at Movies With Abe! There are plenty of actors out there who people recognize by face but can’t identify because they just don’t tend to get the leading roles. There is a fantastic book (and website) dedicated to this phenomenon, appropriately titled “Hey! It’s That Guy” and touting the fantastic J.T. Walsh as the ultimate recognizable everyman.
This series will spotlight an actor or actress who has recently turned in a notable or scene-stealing performance and showcase some of their best cinematic appearances. More than other any feature, this series will merge the worlds of television and film as needed to highlight a performer’s best and most recognizable work.
Where you’ve seen her most recently: As Dylan McDermott’s malevolent mistress on “American Horror Story.”
Where you might have first seen her: Guest-starring roles as a pregnant teenager on “Everwood,” a bisexual cheerleader on “Nip/Tuck,” and Jack’s girlfriend Katie on “Jack and Bobby.”
Other notable appearances: Mark Wahlberg’s best ally in “Shooter,” the mysterious female half of a young couple in “Transsiberian,” a U.S. marshal in "Iron Man 2," one of the women that James Franco meets before his fall in “127 Hours,” and Ben Schwartz’s determined assistant in the underrated “Peep World.” On TV, she played an analyst on season five of “24” and Eric’s assistant on season six of “Entourage.”
What you might expect from her: A charming and often disarming presence, usually in an innocent role that ends up requiring more from her than it initially seems. While her younger sister Rooney catapulted to fame with an Oscar-nominated starring role in the American version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” Kate tends to have smaller roles that stand out in more independent films and TV series.
