Oscars 2016: Rooney Mara reveals acting inspirations

Rooney Mara is being well recognized for her acting talents this year thanks to her Oscar-nominated performance Carol. But as a part of EW’s Beyond Beautiful series, Mara talked about the actors who inspire her, and how she views the world of acting.

“There’s so many actors that I admire from now and from past actors,” Mara said. “Gena Rowlands is one of them. Cate [Blanchett], I mean I’ve looked up to Cate since I was 13; I’ve seen everything she’s ever been in probably.” Blanchett is Mara’s Oscar-nominated costar in Carol.

Mara went on to describe the struggle of loneliness that goes along with acting, and how she’s been able to combat the feeling.

“It’s not a normal job, it’s not a normal way of living; you’re constantly away from home and away from your family and your friends and your loved ones. It can be very lonely,” she says. “The thing that always helped me was just having a lot of other things in my life that just had nothing to do with acting or with movies that inspired me and that fulfilled me.”

Watch the full video above; check out Mara at the Academy Awards on Sunday beginning at 8 p.m. on ABC.