Culture

Matilda star Mara Wilson opens up about her sexuality

Jun 14 2016
Written by Nick Duffy

Matilda star Mara Wilson has opened up about her sexuality, in wake of the Orlando massacre.

At least 49 people were killed and 53 were injured in the shooting at the Pulse gay club in Orlando over the weekend.

With more than a hundred now confirmed dead or injured, the shooting is the worst in American history.

In wake of the tragedy, former child actress Mara Wilson – best known as the childhood star of Roald Dahl adaptation Matilda – spoke about her own sexuality.

Sharing a photo of her younger self, she said: “Me at a gay club when I was eighteen. I feel embarrassed looking at it now… being a “straight girl” where I clearly didn’t belong, but I will say, I felt so welcomed.

“I have never had a better experience at a club than I did then. Great music and people. And one of my friends met his partner that night!”.

She continued: “But the LGBTQ community has always felt like home, especially a few years later when I, uh, learned something about myself.

“I *used* to identify as mostly straight. I’ve embraced the Bi/Queer label lately.”

Referring to the Kinsey scale – which ranges from 0 (exclusively straight) to 6 (exclusively gay) she said: “Let me put it this way: I’m a 2.”

Wilson is often noted as an example of a well-adjusted former child star, and has spoken about LGBT issues and sexual health in the past.

Last year she tore into the film ‘Stonewall’ for its central white, gay, male characters and supposed lack of diversity.

She said: “Has anyone told [director] Roland Emmerich that Stonewall wasn’t one of the parties at his house exclusively for young, fit, white, gay men.
“Go ahead and have your parties, but don’t try to alter history.

“It’s just sad… Emmerich has said it was the studios that made him change it, buuuuut somehow I’m not buying it.”