Who is Rooney Mara? Bio, Age, Family, Career & Net Worth 2025

Rooney Mara is a American actress born on April 17, 1985, in Bedford, New York. She is 41 years old and comes from a family with Irish, German, French-Canadian, and Italian roots. Her father worked as an executive for the New York Giants, and her mother’s family founded the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rooney Mara is married to actor Joaquin Phoenix, and the couple has two children, born in 2020 and 2024. She is the third of four children. No reliable figure is published for her net worth. She earned her degree from New York University in 2010.

She gained attention in The Social Network in 2010, earned an Academy Award nomination for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2011, and won the Cannes Best Actress award and a second Academy Award nomination for Carol in 2015. She oversees the Uweza Foundation, a charity supporting children and families in Kibera, Nairobi.

Quick Bio / Wiki

Who Is Rooney Mara

Rooney Mara is an American actress. Her full name is Patricia Rooney Mara. She was also credited early in her career as Tricia Mara. She works in both independent films and large studio films. She is known for playing quiet, intense characters. Her roles often carry deep emotion with few words.

Rooney Mara first gained wide attention in The Social Network in 2010. She then played Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2011. That role earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In 2015, she played Therese Belivet in Carol. That role won her the Cannes Best Actress award and a second Academy Award nomination.

Rooney Mara also works as a producer. She co-founded Hiraeth Collective, a vegan clothing line. She oversees the Uweza Foundation. The foundation supports children and families in Kibera, Nairobi. Her work in film and charity has made her one of the most respected actresses of her generation.

Rooney Mara keeps her private life private. She rarely gives interviews about her home life. She is married to actor Joaquin Phoenix. The couple has two children. They live a low-key life away from the spotlight when they are not working.

Early Life

Rooney Mara was born on April 17, 1985, in Bedford, New York. Bedford is a town in Westchester County, north of New York City. She grew up there with her family. She is the third of four children. She has an older brother named Daniel. She has an older sister named Kate, who is also an actress. She has a younger brother named Conor.

Her father is Timothy Christopher Mara. He worked as a senior vice president of player personnel for the New York Giants. Her mother is Kathleen McNulty Rooney. She worked as a part-time real estate agent. The Mara family is linked to the New York Giants. The Rooney family is linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Her family background joins two famous American football families.

Rooney Mara comes from a family with Irish, German, French-Canadian, and Italian roots. She grew up in a close family home. As a child, she watched classic films and musical theatre. Those early interests shaped her love of acting. Her older sister’s acting work also showed her the world of film from a young age.

Rooney Mara attended Fox Lane High School in Bedford. She finished high school in 2003. After high school, she joined the Traveling School program. She spent four months traveling in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The trip gave her a wider view of the world. It also shaped her interest in social causes.

After the trip, Rooney Mara enrolled at George Washington University. She studied there for one year. She then transferred to New York University. She joined the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She studied psychology, international social policy, and nonprofit organizations. She earned her BA degree in 2010. During her time at NYU, she appeared in student films. She started to audition for major roles at age 19.

How Old Is Rooney Mara

Rooney Mara is 41 years old. She was born on April 17, 1985. She turned 41 on April 17, 2026. Her star sign is Aries. She was born in Bedford, New York, in the United States. She holds American nationality.

Her age is often listed wrong on older web pages. Some old pages still show her as 39 or 40. Those pages were written before her birthday in 2026. The correct age in 2026 is 41. She will turn 42 on April 17, 2027.

Rooney Mara started her screen career at a young age. She was 20 years old when she made her screen debut in 2005. She was 25 years old when The Social Network came out in 2010. She was 26 years old when The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo came out in 2011. She was 30 years old when Carol came out in 2015. Her career has now run for two decades.

Career

Rooney Mara began her acting career with small roles in television and independent films. She made her screen debut in Urban Legends: Bloody Mary in 2005. She was credited in that film as Patricia Mara. She then worked in television. She appeared in an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit in 2006. She also appeared in Women’s Murder Club, The Cleaner, and ER.

Her first feature film work came with Dream Boy in 2008. She then took her first starring film role in Tanner Hall in 2009. She also appeared in Dare, The Winning Season, and Youth in Revolt in 2009. These early roles built her name in independent film. Directors noticed her calm screen presence and her focus.

In 2010, Rooney Mara appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street. The same year, she played Erica Albright in The Social Network. The film told the story of the creation of Facebook. Her short opening scene set the tone for the whole film. The role brought her to a wide audience for the first time.

In 2011, Rooney Mara played Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The film was directed by David Fincher. It was based on the novel by Stieg Larsson. Her performance as the computer hacker earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. It also earned her Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. The role changed her career. It made her a leading actress in Hollywood.

In 2013, Rooney Mara had two major releases. She played Emily Taylor in Side Effects. She played Catherine Klausen in Her. Her was directed by Spike Jonze. It starred Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role. Both films earned strong reviews. They showed her range across very different kinds of stories.

In 2015, Rooney Mara played Therese Belivet in Carol. The film was directed by Todd Haynes. It starred Cate Blanchett alongside her. Her performance won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. The award was shared. The role also earned her a second Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Supporting Actress. Carol is now seen as one of the key films of her career.

In 2016, Rooney Mara appeared in several films. She voiced characters in the animated film Kubo and the Two Strings. She played Lucy in Lion. She appeared in Una and The Secret Scripture. Lion told the true story of a man searching for his birth family. Her role as Lucy added warmth to the film. She won the AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress for Lion.

In 2017, Rooney Mara appeared in The Discovery, A Ghost Story, and Song to Song. A Ghost Story was a quiet, unusual film. She played a woman grieving her husband. The film used very little dialogue. It showed her skill at silent, emotional acting.

In 2018, Rooney Mara played the title role in Mary Magdalene. She appeared again with Joaquin Phoenix in Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot. She also narrated the documentary Dominion. In 2021, she appeared in Nightmare Alley. In 2022, she appeared in Women Talking. In 2024, she appeared in La Cocina. In 2026, she appeared in Bucking Fastard at the Venice Film Festival.

Rooney Mara also works behind the camera as a producer. She co-founded Hiraeth Collective in 2018. The brand makes vegan shoes, clothing, and accessories. It focuses on ethical and sustainable fashion. The brand reflects her personal values. She is vegan, like her husband.

Rooney Mara Career Timeline

Work and Filmography

Key Roles

Full Filmography

Television Work

Awards and Highlights

Rooney Mara has won major awards and earned nominations at the top film awards in the world. She has two Academy Award nominations. She won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. She won the AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her awards record shows a career built on strong performances rather than box office fame.

Awards and Nominations

Her two Academy Award nominations came five years apart. The first was for a lead role. The second was for a supporting role. Few actresses earn nominations in both categories so early in a career. Her Cannes win for Carol placed her among the top film actresses of her generation.

Physical Appearance

Rooney Mara is known for her dark hair and pale skin. She often wears simple, dark clothes at public events. Her style is quiet and classic. She does not follow loud fashion trends. Her red carpet looks are often minimal and elegant.

Her height is not printed in this blog. Published height values for her conflict across web pages. Some pages print one value and other pages print a different value. No single value can be settled with confidence. The height detail is left out rather than printing a value that may be wrong.

Rooney Mara changed her look for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She cut her hair short and dark for the role. The look became famous. After the film, she returned to her natural longer hair. Her screen image is often calm and serious. That image matches the roles she picks.

Partner

Rooney Mara is married to actor Joaquin Phoenix. They married in 2024. They worked together on Her in 2013. They worked together again on Mary Magdalene in 2018 and Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot in 2018. Their work together grew into a personal bond.

Joaquin Phoenix is an American actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Joker. He is known for intense, committed performances. He shares Rooney Mara’s interest in animal rights and vegan living. The couple supports charity work together. They keep their relationship private. They rarely speak about their home life in public.

Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix have two children together. Their first child was born in 2020. Their second child was born in 2024. The couple has not shared many details about their children in public. They protect their children’s privacy. That choice fits their low-key way of life.

Family

Rooney Mara comes from one of the most famous sports families in America. Her father’s family, the Mara family, is linked to the New York Giants. Her mother’s family, the Rooney family, is linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both families have owned their football teams for generations. Her father worked as a senior vice president of player personnel for the New York Giants. Her mother worked as a part-time real estate agent.

Rooney Mara is the third of four children. Her older brother is Daniel Mara. Her older sister is Kate Mara. Her younger brother is Conor Mara. Kate Mara is also an actress. She is a different actress with her own career and her own roles. The two sisters are often named together because they share a famous family name. Their careers stand apart.

The Mara and Rooney families have deep roots in American football. The family link gives Rooney Mara a rare background for a film actress. She did not follow her family into sports. She chose acting instead. Her charity work also sets her apart from the sports world. She built her own path in film and social causes.

Net Worth and Income

No reliable figure is published for Rooney Mara’s net worth. Web pages that print a net worth figure for her disagree with each other. Some pages print one figure. Other pages print a very different figure. No figure comes from a public disclosure by Rooney Mara herself. This blog does not print any net worth figure for her. Any page that prints a single figure for her wealth is printing a guess, not a fact.

Rooney Mara earns her living from her film career. She works as an actress in films. She also works as a producer. She co-founded a vegan clothing line. Her income comes from these three areas. No salary figure for any single film is printed here. Film salaries for her roles are not publicly disclosed in a reliable way.

Income Sources

Her family background is sometimes mixed up with her own wealth. Her family has links to two football teams. That family wealth is not her personal net worth. The two must not be merged. Her own money comes from her film work and her business.

Social Media

Rooney Mara has no confirmed social media handle from her own official links. No handle is printed in this blog. Many fan pages and database pages list handles in her name. Those handles are not confirmed as hers. Some belong to fan accounts. Some belong to other people. Printing an unconfirmed handle would send readers to the wrong account.

Rooney Mara is known for staying off social media. She does not run a public personal account that has been confirmed. Fans who want news about her work should follow film news and festival coverage. Her charity work is covered through the Uweza Foundation. Her fashion brand, Hiraeth Collective, has its own public presence.

Hobbies and Facts

Rooney Mara is vegan. Her vegan life shapes her food choices and her fashion brand. Hiraeth Collective makes vegan shoes and clothes. The brand avoids animal products. It focuses on ethical and sustainable fashion.

Rooney Mara cares about charity work. She oversees the Uweza Foundation. The foundation supports empowerment programs for children and families in Kibera, Nairobi. Kibera is a large informal settlement in Kenya. The foundation’s work covers education and support for families. Her charity work began before her film fame grew. It remains a core part of her life.

Rooney Mara traveled widely as a young student. She spent four months in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia with the Traveling School program. The trip came right after high school. It gave her a direct view of life in South America. It shaped her interest in social causes and nonprofit work. Her college studies in psychology, international social policy, and nonprofit organizations match that interest.

Rooney Mara studied at two universities. She spent one year at George Washington University. She then moved to New York University. She finished her degree at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2010. She acted in student films while she studied. She started auditioning for major roles at age 19.

Rooney Mara was credited as Tricia Mara early in her career. She later used Rooney Mara as her professional name. Rooney is her middle name. It comes from her mother’s family name. Her full name joins both family names. Patricia Rooney Mara carries the Mara name from her father and the Rooney name from her mother.

Rooney Mara appeared at the Venice Film Festival in 2026 for Bucking Fastard. She has walked many festival red carpets. Cannes stands out because she won Best Actress there for Carol. She keeps a low profile between films. She picks roles with care. She often waits for scripts that challenge her.

Why Rooney Mara Is Famous

Rooney Mara is famous for her acting. Her role as Lisbeth Salander made her a star. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo showed her power as a lead actress. Her role in Carol showed her skill in a quiet love story. Her role in The Social Network showed her skill in a short but vital scene. These three roles form the core of her fame.

Rooney Mara is also famous for her choice of roles. She picks independent films and bold stories. She works with top directors. She has worked with David Fincher, Todd Haynes, Spike Jonze, and Terrence Malick. Her film list mixes studio films with art films. That mix gives her a rare standing in Hollywood.

Rooney Mara is known for her charity work too. The Uweza Foundation links her name to children and families in Kibera, Nairobi. Her vegan fashion brand links her name to ethical fashion. Her family links her name to American football history. These strands together make her a public figure beyond film.

Her legacy is still growing. She has two Academy Award nominations. She has a Cannes Best Actress award. She has a long film list across two decades. She has a charity and a fashion brand. She has done all this while keeping her private life private. Her career shows that quiet acting and careful choices can build lasting fame.

FAQs

Q1: Who is Rooney Mara?

Rooney Mara is an American actress. Her full name is Patricia Rooney Mara. She is known for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, Carol, Her, Side Effects, and Lion. She has two Academy Award nominations and a Cannes Best Actress award.

Q2: How old is Rooney Mara?

Rooney Mara is 41 years old. She was born on April 17, 1985, in Bedford, New York. She turned 41 on April 17, 2026.

Q3: What is Rooney Mara net worth?

No reliable figure is published for Rooney Mara’s net worth. Web pages disagree on a figure, and no figure comes from a public disclosure by her. This blog does not print a net worth figure for her.

Q4: Who is Rooney Mara married to?

Rooney Mara is married to actor Joaquin Phoenix. They married in 2024. They have two children together, born in 2020 and 2024.

Q5: How many children does Rooney Mara have?

Rooney Mara has two children. Her first child was born in 2020. Her second child was born in 2024.

Q6: What was Rooney Mara’s breakthrough role?

Her breakthrough role was Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2011. The role earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Q7: What award did Rooney Mara win at Cannes?

Rooney Mara won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for Carol in 2015. The award was shared. The role also earned her a second Academy Award nomination.

Q8: Where was Rooney Mara born?

Rooney Mara was born in Bedford, New York, in the United States. She grew up in Bedford with her family.

Q9: Who are Rooney Mara’s parents?

Her father is Timothy Christopher Mara. He worked as a senior vice president of player personnel for the New York Giants. Her mother is Kathleen McNulty Rooney. She worked as a part-time real estate agent.

Q10: What is Rooney Mara’s education?

Rooney Mara studied for one year at George Washington University. She then transferred to New York University. She studied at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study and earned her BA degree in 2010.

Q11: What charity does Rooney Mara support?

Rooney Mara oversees the Uweza Foundation. The foundation supports children and families in Kibera, Nairobi. It runs empowerment and education programs.

Q12: Does Rooney Mara have a confirmed social media account?

No confirmed social media handle for Rooney Mara comes from her own official links. No handle is printed in this blog. Many pages list handles in her name, but none is confirmed as hers.

Conclusion

Rooney Mara is an American actress with a career that spans two decades. She was born on April 17, 1985, in Bedford, New York. She is 41 years old. She studied at New York University and earned her degree in 2010. She made her screen debut in 2005. She gained wide attention in The Social Network in 2010. She earned her first Academy Award nomination for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2011. She won the Cannes Best Actress award and a second Academy Award nomination for Carol in 2015.

Rooney Mara is married to Joaquin Phoenix. They have two children, born in 2020 and 2024. Her family links her to the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Her charity work links her to children and families in Kibera, Nairobi. Her fashion brand links her to vegan and ethical fashion. No reliable figure is published for her net worth. No social media handle is confirmed for her. Her height is left out because published values conflict.

Rooney Mara stands out for quiet, careful acting and bold role choices. Her film list runs from independent films to major studio films. Her awards record shows two Academy Award nominations and a Cannes win. Her work in charity and fashion shows a life beyond film. She remains one of the most respected actresses of her generation.