Mara Wilson and Ben Shapiro are two famous personalities who have made their mark in different fields. Wilson is a former child star who acted in movies like Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street, and Matilda. She is now a writer and a voice actress. Shapiro is a conservative political commentator, columnist, author, and media host. He is the founder of The Daily Wire and the host of The Ben Shapiro Show.
But did you know that these two celebrities are actually related? Yes, you read that right. Mara Wilson and Ben Shapiro are first cousins on their maternal side. Their grandfather was Nat Mayer Shapiro, a renowned visual artist who had two children: Suzie and David Shapiro. Suzie was Wilson’s mother, while David was Shapiro’s father.
How They Grew Up Differently
Despite being cousins, Wilson and Shapiro had very different upbringings and experiences. Wilson was born in Burbank, California, in 1987. She developed an interest in acting at a young age and starred in several commercials before landing her first movie role in Mrs. Doubtfire in 1993. She went on to act in other films until 2000, when she decided to take a break from Hollywood and focus on her education.
Wilson attended Idyllwild Arts Academy and later graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She also performed in her own one-woman show called Weren’t You That Girl? while in college. She returned to acting in 2012, mainly in web series and voice roles. She also published her memoir, Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame, in 2016.
Shapiro was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1984. He was a prodigy who skipped two grades and graduated from high school at the age of 16. He then attended UCLA and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in political science. He also became the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the US at the age of 17. He then went to Harvard Law School and graduated cum laude in 2007.
Shapiro worked as a lawyer for a few years before becoming a full-time media personality. He joined Breitbart News as an editor-at-large in 2012 and left in 2016 after a dispute with the management. He then founded The Daily Wire, a conservative news and opinion website, where he serves as editor emeritus. He also hosts The Ben Shapiro Show, a daily political podcast and radio show that reaches millions of listeners.
Why They Don’t Get Along
You might think that being cousins would make Wilson and Shapiro close or at least cordial to each other. However, that is not the case. The two have very different political views and ideologies, and they have publicly clashed on several occasions.
Wilson identifies as a leftist Jew who supports progressive causes such as LGBTQ+ rights, feminism, racial justice, and environmentalism. She is also an atheist who does not believe in organized religion. She has criticized Shapiro for his conservative views and his support for Donald Trump.
Shapiro identifies as an Orthodox Jew who follows traditional values and principles. He is also a staunch critic of the left-wing agenda and its impact on culture, society, and morality. He has accused Wilson of being ignorant and intolerant of his beliefs.
The two have also exchanged jabs on social media, especially on Twitter. For example, in 2019, after a violent attack on a synagogue in New York, Shapiro tweeted that every synagogue should have armed guards and trained members to defend themselves. Wilson replied that she did not think more guns were the solution and that she wished for more dignity and justice in the world.
The two have also made it clear that they do not have any contact with each other outside of their occasional online spats. Wilson has said that she does not consider Shapiro as part of her family and that she has disowned him due to his views. Shapiro has said that he does not care about Wilson’s opinions and that he has no interest in talking to her.
The Bottom Line
Mara Wilson and Ben Shapiro are cousins by blood, but they are worlds apart by choice. They have taken different paths in life and have developed opposing perspectives on various issues. They do not get along or communicate with each other, except to express their disagreements or disdain.
Is Mara Wilson related to Ben Shapiro? The answer is yes, but it does not mean much to either of them.
