Matilda is one of those movies that people of all ages have watched and loved. Even today, a lot of people watch or rewatch the movie, and it is considered a timeless classic.
One of the most popular faces from the movie, however, looks a lot different 30 years on. Keep reading to know more.
When Roald Dahl’s book was adapted to the screen as Matilda, the movie immediately became a massive hit. The 1996 movie directed by the famed Danny DeVito, who also starred in the movie as Matilda’s father, Mr Wormwood. The movie follows the life of a little girl named Matilda Wormwood (played by Mara Wilson), who has telekinetic powers and lives with a family that does not understand her.
She is then sent off to attend Crunchem Hall Elementary School, where Matilda meets her teacher, Miss Honey, and comes into the sight of the terrifying principal of the school, Miss Trunchbull.
Mara Wilson later did not appear in many films, another cast member who has a completely different life today is Jacqueline Steiger. If you have seen the film, you remember Steiger. She played the blonde-haired little girl who wears her hair in pigtails. Miss Truncbull, however, is not a big fan and hence grabs her by the pigtails and swings her around before launching her across the playground.
No one who has seen the heartstopping scene will forget it. Steiger however continued to act appearing in projects such as Dennis the Menace Strikes Again and An American Rhapsody. She also appeared in various television roles and commercials.
As she grew older, she took on roles behind the camera, which included adult production coordinator, writer, and web actor.
Now she owns Magic Hour Content, which, according to her website, is an educational firm that creates curriculum and video content for nonprofits and small creative businesses.
She is active on Instagram, where she shares her life and travels.
In 2013, Steiger was among several castmates who reunited for a 21-minute documentary about Matilda. In the documentary, Ferris and Jimmy Karz (who played the role of Bruce Bogtrotter) re-enacted their famous cake-eating scene from the film.
Steiger and Ferris also re-enacted the pigtail launching scene. She opened up about how the scene was filmed, largely using her own hair, aside from a few extensions.
She recalled how the scene was filmed with her in a ‘body cast’ and a harness when she was ‘hooked up to the crane’ which lifted her in the air. She recalled her feelings while filming the scene, “I loved it. I was nine years old and I got to fly.”
Do you remember Jacqueline Steiger from the Matilda films? Let us know in the comments section on Facebook. Share this with other fans of the iconic film!
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