Kate Mara (born February 27, 1983) is an American television and film actress. Beginning acting in her hometown of Bedford, New York, she moved from the stage to her first film, Random Hearts (1999). Notable roles include appearances in Academy Award-winner Brokeback Mountain and on Fox television series 24. Included on the New York Daily News list of "10 young actors who have a shot at making it big" at the start of 2006, she has since appeared in the feature films We Are Marshall and Shooter.

Kate graduated high school a year early. She was accepted at the prestigious NYU Tisch School of the Arts but deferred for 3 consecutive years due to acting and singing. She is the great-granddaughter of the founder of the New York Giants, Timothy Mara and Art Rooney, founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers. She often sings the national anthem at Giants home games.