“Some Kind of Wonderful” and “Fried Green Tomatoes” star Mary Stuart Masterson is no longer chasing Hollywood fame and enjoys a quiet life with her kids and husband on a farm.
She married three times, and only in her last marriage did she dare to embrace motherhood.
At 46, she welcomed her fourth child with her beloved husband.
Mary Stuart Masterson is an American actress and movie director widely known for a few signature roles, which became an essential part of her formal introduction. In 1987, she starred in the romantic drama “Some Kind of Wonderful,” taking on a somewhat unconventional character.
The movie, which rated seven out of ten on IMDb, centered around three lead characters: Keith Nelson, played by Eric Stoltz, Amanda Jones as Lea Thomspon, and Watts, played by Masterson. When Nelson tries to win a date with Jones, the girl of his dreams, he looks toward his best friend and tomboy, Watts, for help and support.
Meanwhile, Jones’ ex-lover is determined to get back at Nelson and keep him away from her. But what makes everything all the more complicated is when Watts starts developing feelings for her best buddy and tries to stop him from chasing after Jones.
After distancing herself from Hollywood, she’s grown her hair and is no longer a tomboy.
It’s been 36 years since Masterson graced the big screen as Watts, a character many might have frowned upon in the 80s.
With her short blonde hair, brilliance at playing drums, excellent dialogue delivery, and tomboy antics, Masterson nailed Watts—a character once referred to as a “tomboy.” The movie, written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch, earned her widespread recognition and praise.
Many of Watts’ classic dialogues are echoed by fans even today. When Nelson told her he was sorry for hurting her, adding how people always hurt those they love, Watts replied, “So when are you going to beat the [expletive] out of Amanda Jones?”
“It’s better to swallow pride than blood” is another of Watts’ signature lines. In another instance, she told her best friend and crush, “Keith… you’re losing it. And when it’s lost, all you are is a loser.”
While reflecting on her tomboy role from the cheesy teenage movie, Masterson shared details about her blonde pixie haircut. She said she had just wrapped up another film where she had dark hair when “Some Kind of Wonderful” came knocking.
The actress admitted she did not dye her hair professionally to a lighter tone from a dark one then, so the color’s intensity broke off. However, when she went to audition for Watts’ role, the director told her he loved it, and eventually, her short, blonde hair became a befitting addition to her look in the film.
Masterson’s portrayal of Watts ended up becoming a pioneering role of gender nonconformity. Despite the movie being slightly underrated compared to the other teen sensations, its lead cast and the complex love triangle established its unique place in people’s hearts.
In addition to playing the tough yet sensitive tomboy with feelings for her best friend in “Some Kind of Wonderful,” Masterson starred in other projects too. She played a tomboy again in “Fried Green Tomatoes,” a 1991 dramedy starring Kathy Bates, Mary-Louise Parker, and Jessica Tandy.
Despite Masterson’s love for privacy, she shared a few details about her first marriage in a rare interview in 1991.
Two years later, in 1993, she appeared in the romantic drama film “Benny & Joon” alongside Jonny Depp, Aidan Quinn, and Julianne Moore.
Masterson, whose first movie role was at 7 in “The Stepford Wives,” once joked that she couldn’t lie about her age after starting as a child star. Today, the actress is 56 and has completely different priorities in life. After distancing herself from Hollywood, she’s grown her hair and is no longer a tomboy.
How Did Mary Stuart Masterson Find Love Again & Discover Her Passion After Personal Setbacks?
Despite Masterson’s desire to have a family, she went through two divorces, about which she’s still private. She was married to her first husband, George Carl Francisco, from 1990 to 1992, then she tied the knot with Damon Santostefano in May 2000, and they divorced in 2004.
While little is known about Masterson’s first husband, her second spouse, Santostefano, is a movie director and screenwriter. He’s best known for directing the independent cult feature, “Last Man Running,” which bagged the Audience Awards at the L.A. Film Festival. He’s also worked on the 1999 movie, “Three to Tango,” and the 2004 title, “Bring It On Again.”
Despite Masterson’s love for privacy, she shared a few details about her first marriage in a rare interview in 1991. The actress revealed her first husband, Francisco, was from Texas, liked being anonymous, and valued his privacy above everything. During his time studying at the University of Texas, they lived in Austin for two years before moving to Galveston Bay.
The third time’s a charm, as Masterson has been happily married to her third husband, Jeremy Davidson, since February 2007. The pair crossed paths in 2004 when they starred together in the stage production of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”
Davidson, 51, is an actor, writer, and director best known for the movies “Windtalker” (2000), “Ticking Leo” (2009), and “Salt” (2010). He was previously married to Shari Berkowitz.
With Davison, Masterson shares four kids, whom she welcomed in three years between the ages of 43 to 46. Their first child, a son named Phineas, was born in October 2009. Two years later, in August, the couple welcomed twins, daughter Clio and son Wilder. Finally, in October 2012, then 46-year-old Masterson gave birth to their fourth child, a son,
Months before the twins’ birth, Davidson shared how balancing family and work was a massive challenge for him. At the time, he was just a father of one looking forward to welcoming the twins. He described his “happy shock” upon learning the delightful news.
Although Masterson had to wait till her 40s to embrace motherhood, the wait was worth it for her and Davidson. In an exclusive interview in 2016, the actress-turned-entrepreneur revealed she and her husband planned to move to a new place to raise their kids.
The duo’s decamping dream and desire to live off the grid enabled them to begin a new chapter of their lives.
The “Fried Green Tomatoes” alum shared how she and Davidson wanted to retrofit their house to save energy by conserving heat and coolness. She said she wished to live off the radar and grow organic food for her large family while ensuring they had a light footprint.
Despite spending all her life in New York, everything changed when she wed Davidson and became a mother. Soon afterward, the pair decided to sell their houses in Brooklyn and Sullivan County.
As a culturally prominent star, Masterson made quite an unusual choice when she and her husband decided to leave Brooklyn and move to upstate New York with their four children ranging between ages 4 and 7 at the time.
“When we first moved to the Hudson Valley full-time, we were so impressed with how interesting our neighbors were,” expressed Masterson in an interview in 2016. At the time, she and Davidson were working on “Good Dirt,” a play narrating the story of real farmers. The mom-of-four called the venture “a tapestry of what it means to be a small-scale American farmer.”
The couple stayed incredibly busy with their parental duties and other joint ventures, balancing both their jobs to the best of their abilities.
When asked why Masterson chose the countryside for her family of six, she said she and her husband wished to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Thereafter, the duo’s decamping dream and desire to live off the grid enabled them to begin a new chapter of their lives.
In an interview in 2017, actress, producer, and director Masterson gave a glimpse into her down-to-earth life as a wife, mother, and homemaker. It was a drizzly afternoon in August when the “At Close Range” star stood in her Hudson Valley house, cleaning beets she had uprooted from her kitchen garden.
She handled the gigantic veggies and sautéed leaves in another pan with garlic, oil, and ponzu sauce. At the same time, the doting mom expressed that her children were very selective and only loved puréed food.
Masterson said she liked growing her own food—from juicy fruits to nutritious vegetables—and planned to raise chickens. Moreover, she shared that she had installed two beehives in the 14-acre area so her family could enjoy a rich honey supply.
Pointing to her character as Idgie Threadgoode, a.k.a. “bee charmer” in “Fried Green Tomatoes,” Masterson said, “I’ve always wanted bees, but ever since ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ I’ve felt like a sham.”
After breakfast, the former actress started cleaning up while her husband and kids headed home from their little trip to the local superstore and library. Upon their return, the family began packing their van for an annual one-week vacation to Brooklyn.
In 2016, she kick-started another exciting program to turn Hudson Valley into a mini-Hollywood arena, enabling and empowering locals to display their talent and skills.
The family of six planned to have a wonderful time visiting parks and museums and enjoying a Broadway screening of “The Lion King” for the first time.
Despite distancing herself from Hollywood and slowing down in her acting career, Masterson took on some work in late 2016 and early 2017. She hesitantly accepted a few new projects, including a rare appearance on the CBS crime drama series “NCIS,” shot in Los Angeles.
However, she refused another TV show in Vancouver, Canada. In August 2017, she mentioned how her three-hour travel to New York City for her recurring character on the NBC series, “Blindspot,” felt exhausting.
Alongside her husband, Masterson launched “Stockade Works” in 2017—a non-profit work-training initiative for local residents. She also founded “Stockade Studios,” a for-profit production house.
The non-profit focused on training people in production works, including lighting and set design. Masterson said she planned to use a warehouse in Kingston, New York, which she was revamping into a movie and technology center with all the added facilities.
Besides these two projects, Masterson said she enlisted the help of talented actors and producers living in the Hudson Valley to lead a letter-writing campaign, hoping to attract more extensive network shows in the area.
Masterson also began a theater company with Davidson, which presented local stories as multimedia readings. In 2016, she kick-started another exciting program to turn Hudson Valley into a mini-Hollywood arena, enabling and empowering locals to display their talent and skills.
In January 2023, sources reported that Masterson had joined the Blumhouse feature film adaptation of “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” Based on the classic video game, the movie was set to start shooting in February 2023.
Despite missing from our television screens, Masterson has been leading a happy and fulfilling life with her beautiful family, and we hope she continues to prosper in love!
