Take Mara or Kate Mara? Who the House of Cards Actress Is

Take mara is a common misspelling of Kate Mara, the American actress best known as reporter Zoe Barnes on Netflix’s House of Cards. Born on February 27, 1983, in Bedford, New York, she has acted since 1997, with roles in 127 Hours, The Martian, Fantastic Four and Pose, and she is the older sister of actress Rooney Mara.

Mara has worked steadily for nearly three decades, moving between big studio films, indie dramas and prestige TV. In recent years she has also produced her own projects. Here’s what to know about her life and career. You can read more actor biographies on GrandPeoples.com.

Take Mara or Kate Mara: Who Is She?

Kate Mara is an American actress and producer. Her full name is Kate Rooney Mara. She grew up in Bedford, New York, a town in Westchester County north of New York City, and began acting professionally in 1997.

Her film debut came in Random Hearts (1999), and she spent her early career in small parts before breaking through on television. Today she’s known for playing smart, driven women who often carry a hidden edge.

What is Kate Mara’s family background?

Mara comes from one of the best-known families in American football. Her father, Timothy Christopher Mara, worked as an NFL scout and a vice president of the New York Giants. Her mother, Kathleen McNulty Mara, is a member of the Rooney family.

That makes Kate the great-granddaughter of two NFL founders: Tim Mara, who started the Giants, and Art Rooney, who started the Pittsburgh Steelers. Her father’s side has owned the Giants since 1925, and her mother’s side has owned the Steelers since 1933.

Her younger sister is actress Rooney Mara, known for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Carol. The two sisters act together in Bucking Fastard (2026).

What are Kate Mara’s best-known TV roles?

Her biggest TV role is Zoe Barnes in House of Cards, the political drama starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Zoe is an ambitious young Washington reporter who trades favors with a powerful congressman. Mara played her from 2013 to 2014 and returned in 2016.

The part earned her a 2014 Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, as listed on her Television Academy profile.

Her other key TV work includes:

• Shari Rothenberg in season 5 of 24 (2006)
• Hayden McClaine in American Horror Story: Murder House (2011)
• Patty Bowes in Pose (2018)
• Claire Wilson in A Teacher (2020), a limited series she also produced
• Ashley Poet in Class of ’09 (2023)
• Lana in the Black Mirror episode “Beyond the Sea” (2023)
• Nancy in the Apple TV thriller Imperfect Women (2026)

As a producer of A Teacher, she shared an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best New Scripted Series.

If you follow famous actors, our profiles of Paul Michael Glaser and Lauryn Hill cover their stories in the same detail, and the business leader biographies collection on GrandPeoples.com includes Peter Orszag.

What movies has Kate Mara been in?

Mara’s film career mixes awards dramas with big studio releases. Early on, she played Alma Jr., the daughter of Heath Ledger’s character, in Brokeback Mountain (2005). In 2006 she starred as Annie Cantrell in the football drama We Are Marshall.

In 127 Hours (2010), she played Kristi, one of the hikers James Franco’s character meets before his accident. In 2015 she played Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, in Fantastic Four, and astronaut Beth Johanssen in Ridley Scott’s The Martian.

She took the title role in Megan Leavey (2017), the true story of a U.S. Marine and her combat dog. A year later she played Mary Jo Kopechne in Chappaquiddick (2018).

Her more recent films include the comedy Friendship (2024), The Dutchman (2025), which she also executive produced, and The Astronaut (2025), where she plays Sam Walker.

Is Kate Mara married?

Yes. Kate Mara married English actor Jamie Bell, known for Billy Elliot and Rocketman, in July 2017. They have two children together. Their daughter was born in 2019, and Mara announced the birth of their son in November 2022.

What else is Kate Mara known for?

Off screen, Mara is a vegan and has worked with the Humane Society of the United States. In 2015 she appeared in one of the group’s Meatless Monday campaign videos, which encourage people to skip meat one day a week.

She has also moved into producing, starting with A Teacher and continuing with The Dutchman. Producing gives her more say over which stories get made and how they’re told.

Conclusion

Kate Mara is the American actress born on February 27, 1983, in Bedford, New York. She’s best known as Zoe Barnes on House of Cards, a role that earned a 2014 Emmy nomination, and for films like 127 Hours, The Martian and Megan Leavey. She’s Rooney Mara’s older sister, comes from the families behind the Giants and Steelers, and is married to Jamie Bell. More biographies of famous people are available on GrandPeoples.com.

Frequently asked questions

Is “take mara” the same as Kate Mara?

Yes. “Take mara” is a typo for Kate Mara, the actress from House of Cards, The Martian and Fantastic Four. Only one letter is different, and the search is about her and her work.

How old is Kate Mara?

Kate Mara was born on February 27, 1983, so she is 43 years old as of November 2026. She was born in Bedford, New York, and has been acting professionally since 1997, when she was a teenager.

Are Kate Mara and Rooney Mara sisters?

Yes. Rooney Mara is Kate’s younger sister, and both are actresses. They come from the same football family tied to the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, and they appear together in the 2026 film Bucking Fastard.

What did Kate Mara get an Emmy nomination for?

Kate Mara was nominated for a 2014 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. The nomination was for her role as Zoe Barnes, the ambitious political reporter in Netflix’s House of Cards.

Who is Kate Mara’s husband?

Kate Mara’s husband is English actor Jamie Bell, who rose to fame in Billy Elliot (2000). The couple married in July 2017 and have two children, a daughter born in 2019 and a son announced in November 2022.