With quirky, engaging, and sometimes witty performances, Mary Stuart Masterson brings life to even the most normal and regular characters and makes them unique and tough enough. Having been born into a family of people from the arts in New York, the actress turned out to be a recognized face among American stars of those years and gained fame as a person who could play any woman, be it a charming, witty, or funny one.

Early life and beginning of screen career

The future actress was born on June 28, 1966, in New York City. Since Masterson was brought up in a family of actors and filmmakers, her career had certain unusual peculiarities that distinguished her from other actresses of her time, since she preferred to stay away from the traditional image associated with her screen performances.

Right from her very first works for the screen, the actress managed to demonstrate her ability to show different characters in a humorous, sincere way at one moment and be charming, wise, and even vulnerable in the next scenes in her performances, which became characteristic of her entire screen career.

Signature film roles

The film Some Kind of Wonderful, where Masterson appeared, became her breakthrough and is the film by which millions of fans remember this actress. Along with some roles in teen love movies, the performer gained recognition with such screen performances as:

  • appearance in the Kevin Bacon film My Little Girl (1986)
  • breaking through and playing one of the main characters in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
  • performance in the romantic comedy Chances Are (1989)
  • appearance in the ensemble cast of Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
  • starring as a leading lady in Benny & Joon (1993)
  • participation in a western movie Bad Girls (1994)
  • appearing in the film Bed of Roses (1996)

The mentioned films can show the versatility and special approach which the performer adopted to the characters in them. In particular, Some Kind of Wonderful, Fried Green Tomatoes and Benny & Joon have made a reputation of Masterson's talent to appear successfully in touching yet light films.

Directing and recent works

Masterson is not only a talented actress but also a film director whose career started after almost two decades of acting. In addition to acting, her directorial work became more interesting with such film as The Cake Eaters in 2007. The film turned out to be a natural continuation of Masterson's career due to the peculiarities that were characteristic of her work as a film actress. It can be said that, in the case of the performer, it is quite typical that when she performs in a film and acts as director, there appears her special view of things.

Along with the directing activities of Masterson, she also took part in such films as The Lake House (2006), starred in the series Kate Brasher in 2001, and so on. All the performed roles prove the talent of the actress, her desire to remain true to her image, as well as show her skills in other spheres, in particular directing. Thus, Masterson's screen career is full of various experiences.