• American actress and director Mary Stuart Masterson was born in New York City, USA, on 28 June 1966
• Best known for playing the main character Joon Pearl in the 1993 romantic comedy movie “Benny & Joon”
• Appeared in nearly 60 movies and TV series, winning 6 of her 9 award nominations
• Married thrice, has four children with her current husband Jeremy Davidson
• Net worth estimated at over $3 million
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Who is Mary Stuart Masterson?
American actress and director Mary Stuart Masterson was born in New York City, USA, on 28 June 1966, meaning that Cancer’s her zodiac sign. She’s appeared in nearly 60 movies and TV series, and is perhaps still known best for playing the main character Joon Pearl in the 1993 romantic comedy movie “Benny & Joon”, directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik, and which also starred Johnny Depp and Aidan Quinn. It follows a mentally ill woman who’s fallen in love with an eccentric man, and the film was nominated for four awards.
Education and early life
Mary was raised in Manhattan, New York City, alongside her brother Peter Jr. and sister Alexandra, by their mother Carlin Glynn who’s a former actress, and father Peter Masterson, the late American actor, screenwriter and director.
Mary was only 11 when she made her debut film appearance, playing Kim Eberhart in the 1975 mystery horror “The Stepford Wives”, but had only two roles in the following 10 years, playing Abby Crawford in the 1980 drama movie “City in Fear” and Danni in the 1985 romantic comedy film “Heaven Help Us”.
Mary honed her acting skills at the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center, where she studied together with famous American actors Jon Cryer and Robert Downey Jr.
Upon matriculating in 1984, she enrolled at New York University to study anthropology, but quit after only eight months as she wanted to focus on acting.
Roles in movies
Mary played Susan Wallace in the 1985 drama “Love Lives On”, and some of her film roles in the remainder of the ‘80s were in the 1986 crime drama “At Close Range”, the 1987 romantic war drama “Gardens of Stone”, and the 1989 romantic fantasy comedy “Chances Are”.
In 1991, she portrayed Idgie Threadgoode, one of the lead characters in the critically acclaimed drama “Fried Green Tomatoes”, directed by Jon Avnet, and based on a novel by Fannie Flagg. The film also starred Kathy Bates and Jessica Tandy, and follows a housewife who’s befriended an old woman at a nursing home; it won six of its 20 award nominations, including two Oscar nominations for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jessica Tandy).
Some of Mary’s other notable performances in the ‘90s were in the 1994 romantic action adventure “Bad Girls”, the 1996 mystery thriller “Heaven’s Prisoners”, and the 1999 comedy “The Florentine”.
What marked the 2000s for her was perhaps playing Olga Prior in the drama “The Sisters”, directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman, and based on the play “Tri Sestry” by Anton Chekhov. The film starred Elizabeth Banks, Maria Belo and Erika Christensen, and follows the lives of three siblings after their father’s death; the movie won five of its seven award nominations.
In 2006, Mary played Director in the thriller “The Insurgents”, and she’s since appeared in only three movies: the 2018 biographical crime drama “Skin”, the 2019 crime fantasy “Daniel Isn’t Real”, and the 2022 drama “Isle of Hope”.
Roles in TV series
Mary’s debut TV series role was playing Cynthia Simpson in the 1986 episode “Go to the Head of the Class” of the adventure comedy “Amazing Stories”, and her following role came in 2001, when she starred as Kate Brasher in the eponymous drama created by Stephen Tolkin, and which also starred Rhea Perlman and Hector Elizondo; it follows a single mother of two as she’s working multiple jobs to support her teenage boys.
The 2000s then saw Mary appear in an episode or two of a couple of series, such as the drama “Waterfront”, the crime mystery “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and the romantic comedy “Cupid”.
In 2016 and 2017, she portrayed Congresswoman Jenna Flemming in three episodes of the crime action “NCIS”, and the year 2020 saw her star as Anya Harrison in the biographical crime drama “For Life”, created by Hank Steinberg, and which also starred Indira Varma, Joy Bryant and Tyla Harris. It follows a prisoner who’s become an attorney so that he could overturn his life sentence, and the series won one of its four award nominations.
Mary’s since appeared in only one TV series, playing Eleanor Hirst in 12 episodes of the 2020 crime action “Blindspot”.
DROP THE 'TUDE, MISSY! #Blindspot pic.twitter.com/LKyl68ossW
— Blindspot (@NBCBlindspot) December 31, 2017
Other credits
Mary received special thanks for the 2009 comedy movie “The Open Road”, the 2010 romantic comedy film “Jelly”, and the 2018 biographical crime movie “Skin”.
She has six producing and two directing credits, while some of her most notable producing works were the 2007 romantic comedy movie “The Cake Eaters”, which won four awards, the 2009 drama movie “Tickling Leo” and the 2019 drama film “The Rest of Us”.
Some of Mary’s recent talk-show appearances have been in “Biography”, “Celebrity Page” and “Inglorious Treksperts”.
Awards and nominations
Mary’s won six of her nine award nominations. Some of her wins include a 2007 Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival People’s Choice Award for Best American Indie, a 2008 Ashland Independent Film Festival Audience Award for Dramatic Feature and a 2008 Sedona International Film Festival Discovery Award, all three for “The Cake Eaters”.
Love life and husband
Mary’s married thrice; her first husband was non-celebrity American George Carle Francisco; they exchanged vows in 1990 but divorced two years later.
Mary married her second husband, American screenwriter and director Damon Santostefano in 2000 – their divorce was finalized in 2004.
She met American actor and writer Jeremy Davidson while they were starring alongside in the 2004 production of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, and married in a private ceremony in 2006. Mary gave birth to their son Phineas Bee in October 2009, and their twins Wilder (son) and Clio (daughter) followed in August 2011; in October 2012, she gave birth to their fourth child.
Mary hasn’t mentioned other men whom she’s been with, she’s married to her third husband Jeremy Davidson as of February 2023, and they have four children together.
Interesting facts and hobbies
Mary and famous American actor John Cusack were born on the exact same date.
She revealed in an interview sometime in the ‘80s that she was a huge basketball fan.
Mary began smoking aged 18, as it was necessary for playing Danni in the 1985 movie “Heaven Help Us”; she then became addicted to cigarettes, and it took her 20 years to give it up.
She loves music and is an excellent singer.
Mary’s followed by close 20,000 people on Instagram, and has posted more than 100 pictures and videos onto the network.
Some of the actresses whom she enjoys watching the most are Keira Knightley, Penelope Cruz and Amanda Seyfried, and some of her favorite movies are “Charlotte”, “Official Secrets” and “Colette”.
Height, eyes and wealth
Mary’s age is 56. She has green eyes and blonde hair, is 5ft 4ins (1.63m) tall and weighs about 120lbs (55kgs).
Mary’s net worth’s been estimated at over $3 million, as of February 2023.
