Kate Mara's Real Name: Kate Rooney Mara

Quick answer: Kate Mara's real name is Kate Rooney Mara. She was born on February 27, 1983, in Bedford, New York.

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority records Mara, Kate, 1983- with fuller associations to the Rooney and Mara families; biographical sources give full name Kate Rooney Mara, born February 27, 1983, in Bedford, New York. She is a great-granddaughter of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney and New York Giants founder Tim Mara—hence the middle name Rooney. She began acting as a child and teenager in New York before moving into film and prestige television. Mara is the family surname; she does not use a separate stage surname.

Quick facts

• Real name: Kate Rooney Mara
• Known as: Kate Mara
• Born: February 27, 1983, in Bedford, New York
• Known for: Actor
• Notable work: House of Cards, Fantastic Four, The Martian, Brokeback Mountain
• Sources checked: Library of Congress Name Authority

Career highlights

Mara gained wide attention as Zoe Barnes in Netflix's House of Cards. Film credits include Brokeback Mountain, 127 Hours, Fantastic Four (2015), and The Martian. She has also appeared in American Horror Story and other series. She is married to actor Jamie Bell and is the older sister of actor Rooney Mara (born Patricia Rooney Mara)—both sisters carry the Rooney middle name tradition. Professional billing is Kate Mara.

Name notes

Rooney is a documented middle name honoring the maternal/NFL family line, not a stage invention. Do not confuse Kate Mara with her sister Rooney Mara; they are distinct people with related full names. Prefer LOC and major biographies when fan sites swap their credits.

Awards and guild listings use Kate Mara, while family histories stress the Rooney middle name that links her to two NFL founding families—useful for disambiguation from her sister Rooney Mara.

Film festival premieres and Marvel/Fox franchise casting widened her profile after House of Cards, always under Kate Mara for the Bedford-born Kate Rooney Mara.

Early guest spots on network television in New York built the résumé that later supported prestige streaming casting.