Mara Wilson explains why lesbians love Matilda

Matilda and Miss Honey

Matilda star Mara Wilson has explained why she thinks lesbians have continued to flock to the 22-year-old film.

The 1996 children’s film about a small girl who learns she has psychic powers has had a firmly established lesbian following for many years.

When recently asked by a fan why she thought so many lesbians loved the adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl book, Wilson replied with a pretty believable theory.

Mara Wilson at an awards ceremony

Mara Wilson in 2017 (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Shorty Awards)

She wrote: “It was one of the few children’s films to show a strong, resilient female character overcome adversity and a family that did not understand her to create her own family and her own happiness through hard work and friendship.

“Also, they all have crushes on Miss Honey.”

Wilson later added: “I am very cool with this, by the way! And I was even before I was out.”

Miss Honey, played by Embeth Davidtz, has indeed been the object of many Matilda fans affections and crushes over the years.


As well as the many people who have had crushes on her, many people have claimed the softly spoken teacher as a lesbian icon in her own right.

Embeth Davidtz, who played Miss Honey (CHRIS DELMAS/AFP/Getty Images)

One fan wrote: “I truly believe Miss Honey from the movie Matilda was a lesbian.”

“Miss Honey from Matilda was a lesbian, I said what I said,” another added.

Mara Wilson came out as bisexual/queer in 2016 in the aftermath of the Orlando massacre.

Sharing a photo of her younger self, she said: “Me at a gay club when I was eighteen. I feel embarrassed looking at it now… being a “straight girl” where I clearly didn’t belong, but I will say, I felt so welcomed.

“I have never had a better experience at a club than I did then. Great music and people. And one of my friends met his partner that night!”.

(Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Shorty Awards)

She continued: “But the LGBTQ community has always felt like home, especially a few years later when I, uh, learned something about myself.

“I *used* to identify as mostly straight. I’ve embraced the Bi/Queer label lately.”

The star explained that she sat on the Kinsey scale at a 2, between 0 being exclusively straight and 6 being exclusively gay.