Released in 1996 and directed by one of its stars, Danny DeVito, it has become an all-time family favourite movie – and maintains a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The original Matilda novel came out on October 1, 1988 and is thought to be Roald Dahl’s best-seller – with worldwide sales of over 17 million.
Set in Buckinghamshire (the movie is US-based), it tells the story of a five-and-a-half-year-old girl with a deep love for reading, who is mistreated and neglected by her family.
She soon discovers she has a special set of powers, and – in the absence of any real love from her parents – strikes up a friendship with her teacher, Miss Honey.
So what happened to the stars of the popular movie adaptation?
Mara Wilson as Matilda
Mara retired from acting and has since become a very popular presence on Twitter as she focusses on writing.
She has published her memoir, Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame, and also penned a play called Sheeple, which was performed in New York.
Her final film role was Thomas And The Magic Railroad in 2000, though she has provided voice acting work for BoJack Horseman and the Big Hero 6 series in recent years.
Mara Wilson as Matilda (Image: SG • GETTY)
Danny DeVito as Harry Wormwood (Image: SG • GETTY)
Danny DeVito as Harry Wormwood and Narrator
Director DeVito also starred in and narrated the film; unafraid to be the pathetic villain of the piece.
Currently he stars in It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and continues to have a successful career into his 70s.
He’ll be in Disney’s new Tim Burton-helmed retelling of Dumbo, and is also due to lend his voice to The Only And Only Ivan alongside Angelina Jolie and Sam Rockwell.
Rhea Pearlman as Zinnia Wormwood (Image: SG • GETTY)
Rhea Pearlman as Zinnia Wormwood
Pearlman has long been DeVito’s partner, and they are thought to have reconciled earlier this year after splitting for a second time in 2017.
She was an incredibly renowned actress prior to Matilda, having picked up 10 Emmy Award nominations and four wins for her work on Cheers, plus a record six Golden Globe nominations.
Since then, she’s had a number of roles including – more recently – in the 2016 hit Sing and in the TV smash The Mindy Project. She’s also set to star in upcoming comedy Poms.
Pam Ferris as Trunchbull (Image: SG • GETTY)
Pam Ferris as Miss Trunchbull
Although the story moved from the UK to the US for the movie adaptation of Matilda, Trunchbull stayed English – with Ferris turning in a pitch-perfect performance as the movie’s most fearsome baddie.
She continues to be a British acting legend: she was Sister Evangelina in Call The Midwife until 2016, and has also been in Luther, Midsomer Murders, Gavin and Stacey, Rosemary and Thyme, Where The Heart Is and the Harry Potter franchise – as Aunt Marge.
Soon she can be seen in Holmes and Watson as Queen Victoria; starring opposite Will Ferrell and John C Reilly.
Embeth Davidtz as Miss Honey (Image: SG • GETTY)
Embeth Davidtz as Miss Honey
Matilda was one of Davidtz’s earliest film roles, and she’s still enjoying a long-running career.
She’s played Natasha in Bridget Jones’s Diary, Mary Parker in Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man movies, and Rebecca Pryce in the long-running TV smash Mad Men.
In 2013 she bravely spoke out about her diagnosis with breast cancer, which led to her slowing down her acting work and undergoing a mastectomy. She has since appeared in Ray Donovan and the TV miniseries The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.
Kiami Davael as Lavender (Image: SG • INSTAGRAM)
Kiami Davael as Lavender
Davael did not continue her acting career into adulthood but did enjoy more roles after Matilda, including in the teen comedy Moesha and Grown Ups.
In 2008 she graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Psychology, and is now 32.
Jacqueline Steiger as Amanda Thripp (Image: SG • GETTY)
Jacqueline Steiger as Amanda Thripp
After Matilda, Streiger went on to appear in TV movie The Perfect Wife, the series Judging Amy, and the series Force Push.
She also has a number of producing credits on short films, and also has earned credit as a writer on Force Push and the short the Long Con Mom.
And the others…
Brian Levinson, who played Michael Wormwood, has been out of the public eye almost completely since starring in Matilda – except for one episode of Seinfeld.
It’s a similar situation for Jimmy Karz, who was Bruce Bogtrotter (he was on an episode of ER), but he has gone viral in recent years – as fans heaped praise on his appearance as an adult.
Tracey Walter, who played FBI Agent Bill, is still a very active performer in the public eye; as is Paul Reubens, who was FBI Agent Bob – aka the other ‘speedboat salesman’. He’s been swamped by numerous controversies, and helped to write and star in the Netflix film Pee-wee’s Big Holiday in 2016.
