It’s unlikely that you haven’t heard about the 1995 film Waterworld, directed by Kevin Reynolds. However, if you do know about it, it’s probably not for good reasons as it was one of Hollywood’s biggest flops.
But it wasn’t all bad. One standout performance was the child who played Enola, Tina Majorino. The cute little girl captured our hearts as Enola and we’ve been waiting for her to grace the big screen ever since.
What ever happened to this precious girl and did she make her mark in Hollywood? You may be surprised to know that she went on to act in some of your favorite television series.
Screenshot from “Waterworld” (1995)
You’ll have to continue reading to find out what roles she has appeared in throughout the years! We bet you didn’t even recognize Tina Majorino.
Big Break in Hollywood
Like many Hollywood actresses, Tina Majorino’s career began with playing roles in television commercials.
She thrived in the ’90s, starring in her first television show Camp Wilder in 1992. Just two short years later, she was featured in her first movie When a Man Loves a Woman. She played Meg Ryan’s daughter, who deals with the aftermath of a family affected by alcoholism. That same year, she also starred in Corrina, Corrina with Whoopi Goldberg, playing a girl whose mother had passed away and a nanny comes to help the family out.
Screenshot from “Corrina, Corrina” (1994)
She continued starring in a couple of other films before she seemed to take a break from Hollywood.
90s Child Actress
But those weren’t the only 90s roles Majorino starred in. In her next film, Andre, she helps rescue a baby seal. Her co-star Keith Carradine (who plays her father) told the Los Angeles Times, “Tina’s a major talent, no doubt about it. There’s a certain focus she has that belies her age. She’s a very centered, very focused little girl. It’s amazing to me that someone who’s nine can be so sure of what she wants to do.”
She was in two more films before she disappeared from Hollywood; she starred in Waterworld and Alice in Wonderland.
Screenshot from “Andre” (1994)
So why did this young successful actress take a long break from the spotlight?
Waterworld
Majorino’s next role was as Enola in Waterworld in 1995. The action film, starring Kevin Costner, takes place in the future, after the world is submerged underwater and the polar ice caps have melted, an injured mariner fights starvation and helps a woman (played by Jeanne Tripplehorn) and girl (Enola) onto dry land.
Screenshot from “Waterworld” (1995)
Unfortunately, although the film happened to be the most expensive film made at the time, costing $175 million to make, the story was, in lack of better words… a mess. The New York Times referred to it as “the most wasteful feat of one-upmanship in Hollywood history.”
Tina Majorino as Enola
Tina Majorino wasn’t the first choice to play Enola in Waterworld, Anna Paquin was originally offered the role.
However, this didn’t stop Majorino from stealing the spotlight in every scene she appeared in. In fact, she told Newsweek in 2015 that people recognize her most from her role in Waterworld, “It’s the film I get recognized the most for! It’s always funny for me now that I’m an adult. People are like, ‘You look exactly the same.’”
Int eh same interview, she told the magazine that her co-star Kevin Costner started calling her “jellyfish” because she was stung so many times during filming, “I was stung seven times, to the point where Kevin Costner was calling me ‘Jellyfish.’ It seemed like anytime we were in the water for extended periods of time I was stung.”
Screenshot from ” Waterworld” (1995)
So why did Jellyfish take a break?
Her Next Role
Before taking a leave from Hollywood, Majorino starred in one last role; NBC’s TV movie adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Also part of the cast was Ben Kingsley, Gene Wilder, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robbie Coltrane.
Even though she acted alongside some of the industry’s brightest stars, Majorino held her own as Alice. She told The Morning Call, “I’m not threatened or intimidated by people who have won all kinds of awards. I just think of them as fellow actors and we’re all trying to do a good job.”
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But this role meant more to her than the experience of starring with Hollywood A-listers. Keep reading to find out how this role impacted her life.
“Alice in Wonderland”
Alice in Wonderland gave Majorino the opportunity to visit Europe for the first time; she lived in London for three months while the film was being shot.
The young actress connected with fellow co-star Robbie Coltrane. She said he was fun to work with and in an interview with The Morning Call she referred to him as a “wild [man] who know[s] how to keep things light and airy.” All in all, it seemed like Majorino was on her way to become a huge star.
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So, what happened, and why did she take a break after this role?
A Break From Hollywood
Majorino’s break from Hollywood lasted five years; and started at the age of thirteen. Majorino told The Daily Emerald, “I think … the best decision I ever made for myself was taking that time off to get to know myself so that if I ever did decide to come back, I could be strong enough and grounded enough to know what’s really important and what’s not.”
But, Majorino did come back and she took on different types of roles than she did in the 90s.
Screenshot from “Waterworld” (1995)
You probably didn’t even realize that the girl who starred in some of your favorite film and television series of the 2000s was the same girl who played Enola in Waterworld.
2000s Party Life
That wasn’t the only reason Majorino took a break from the limelight. During an interview with Stephanie DuBois via Netscape, she said she didn’t want to be part of the Hollywood party scene that so many famous celebrities like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan were becoming known for during the 2000s.
Image by Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images (53009425)
“There are a lot of young actresses not setting very good examples and there should be some that show us that that’s not really how it’s done. It definitely gives you a different perspective on life when you actually have a life outside of your work … because of the temptations in this business you have to have some kind of reality that you can fall back on instead of just always living in this world of make-believe — because that’s really what it is.”
A Humble Star
“People know they have seen me somewhere, but they don’t know where. They think I’m their next-door neighbor. I don’t tell them. I don’t need them to know who I am,” Majorino told The Los Angeles Times back in 1994.
But soon enough, Majorino was actually back in the game and in 2004 she starred in one of her most famous roles to date.
Image by @tinamajorino / IG
Do you know what film she was in?
“Napoleon Dynamite”
If you guessed Napoleon Dynamite you were right! At the age of 18, Majorino played the part of Deb, a cute, yet awkward teenage girl who ends up having a crush on Napoleon.
She told Rolling Stone that she was drawn to the part because she wanted to take on a challenge; Majorino was previously viewed as a dramatic actress, being type-casted in serious, darker roles.
Screenshot from “Napoleon Dynamite” (2004)
“The fact that Jared would even let me come in and read really appealed to me. Even if I didn’t get the role, I just wanted to see what it was like to audition for a comedy, as I’d never done it before.”
Deb
When Majorino reminisced about her role of Deb with the Daily Mail in 2014, she said “I read Napoleon Dynamite and instantly I was like, ‘I don’t even care if I get it, I have to audition for this movie!… [Napoleon Dynamite] was a huge lesson for me in following my gut. It was pure magic and 100% reignited my love of filmmaking.”
Screenshot from “Napoleon Dynamite” (2004)
We know that Napoleon Dynamite is a huge success today, but how did it do at the box office?
The Impact of “Napoleon Dynamite”
Did you know that the film’s budget was only $400,000 and that it has made about $45 million?
It only took 22 days to make the movie!
Why was the movie so successful?
Image by Snap Stills/Shutterstock (2139439c)
For one, it’s autobiographical. Jared Hess, the film’s director, told Rolling Stone that Majorino’s character is loosely based on his wife. “Her mom made her a dress when she was going to a middle school dance and she said, ‘I hadn’t really developed yet, so my mom overcompensated and made some very large, fluffy shoulders.’ Some guy dancing with her patted the sleeves and actually said, ‘I like your sleeves … they’re real big.'”
Threatening Allergy
Do you remember the scene when Deb is in the cafeteria eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? In reality, you probably didn’t know that Majorino has a life-threatening peanut allergy.
Image by Picture Perfect/Shutterstock (514593z)
Talking about food, every dish presented in the opening credits of the movie was later eaten by a character. This included eggs, tater tots, nachos, corndogs, hamburgers, lemon dogs, etc. Three people worked to show these items and the opening shot ended up being reshot because the executives at Fox didn’t like the actor’s hands being in the shots. Instead, a hand model was used to reshoot some of the shots.
“Napoleon Dynamite” the Animated Series
Napoleon Dynamite was so successful that Fox turned it into an animated series with original director Jared Hess.
You may have not heard of it because it was only on for a brief period of time, six episodes to be exact. It did, however, reunite the original cast as they all appeared in the series.
The audience didn’t receive it well. The New York Times said the series steers away from the original, “The humor is in a completely different, broader style, with punch lines instead of grace notes. (It’s not that the jokes are more obvious; it’s that there are jokes.)”
Screenshot from “Napoleon Dynamite” (2012)
What did Majorino think of the animated series?
The Success of “Napoleon Dynamite”
No one thought that Napoleon Dynamite would become the cult classic it is today. Even Majorino was skeptical, she told MovieWeb. “I just remember being on set and all of us just being like, ‘Man, we think this is so funny! Let’s hope that the rest of the world thinks that it’s funny, too.; It’s a shock to see how well it’s done but definitely a good one.”
Image by Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock (514446dy)
But what did Majorino think about the script for Napoleon Dynamite when she first read it?
No Regrets
Even though the show was short-lived, Majorino doesn’t regret signing board. In an interview with HitFix she said the series gave the cast the ability to be funny in another outlet, “We can be outlandish if we want to and it doesn’t matter. It’s not going to tarnish the first thing that we did.”
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What was the actress’s next big move?
“Veronica Mars”
After Napoleon Dynamite, Majorino decided to move on to TV, and her next credit was with co-star Kristen Bell in Veronica Mars, as Cindy “Mac” Mackenzie.
Did you know this role was created with Majorino in mind?
Screenshot from “Veronica Mars” (2004)
Rob Thomas, the show’s writer, met Majorino when she was 11-years-old! The Texas Monthly reported that after reading one of his books, Rats Saw God, Majorino contacted him for help with a book report. Majorino asked him “What do you want to do next?” and he told her he was “hoping to transition into the TV and film business.” In true modest Majorino fashion, she told him she had been in some films before. The two decided they would work together in the future, and the rest is history.
Cindy “Mac” Mackenzie
Thomas kept his promise and he contacted her for the role of Cindy “Mac” Mackenzie in Veronica Mars. She told the Texas Monthly that “he’s just one of the rare people in Hollywood that means it when he tells you something.”
Image by @tinamajorino / IG
When recalling her role as Mac, Majorino told The Daily Emerald that she could relate to the character “We’re both really into technology. I’m kind of geeky like that. I like computers and all of the gadgets and that kind of stuff.”
“Big Love”
At the same time she was in Veronica Mars, Majorino was filming Big Love, a TV show about a polygamist Mormon man and his family. Majorino played Heather, a devout Mormon and the best friend of one of the daughters. She eventually becomes a daughter-in-law to the family.
Image by Picture Perfect/Shutterstock (837298c)
Did you know that the actress has also appeared in a couple of well-known music videos?
Lifehouse’s “Blind” Music Video
Majorino starred in two music videos, the first being for Lifehouse’s “Blind” in 2005. She played a teenage goth who lives with an abusive father; she witnesses her father sleeping around with many women. She watches Lifehouse perform on TV and she ends up being part of a crowd at their concert. She then wakes up from what appears to be a dream and her father changes the channel. After this, she decides she’s had enough and she ends up leaving the house.
Screenshot from “Lifehouse – Blind” via YouTube
What other videos did she star in?
Important Subject Matter
You might recognize Majorino from P!nk’s 2011 “F—in’ Perfect” music video.
Did you know that she was a huge P!nk fan before she was asked to be in the video?
Screenshot from “P!nk – F***in’ Perfect” via YouTube
Majorino told Access Hollywood that “her people just called up my manager and said, ‘She has 30 minutes to give us an answer.’ And I just said, ‘Yes, I’ll do it.’ I just really believe in the message of the song and I think that she’s such a brave woman and that she’s really super talented. And I love that she has the strength to put out messages like that, regardless of what people think. And I think it’s an important subject matter.”
“F***in’ Perfect”
Majorino’s role in “F—in’ Perfect” was of a girl who’s constantly brought down and told she isn’t enough. The girl struggles with emotional and mental health issue until she discovers she is “perfect” the way she is. Based on her impressive resume, Majorino was ideal for the role and the video director, Dave Meyers, couldn’t have agreed more.
Image by @tinamajorino / IG
He told PopCrush that “just looking at her credits… she just has that sort of indie, off-the-mainstream-path angle about her. We both got excited about her and thought Tina would be a perfect fit.”
Selective About Her Roles
Veronica Mars may have ended in 2007, but creator and writer Rob Thomas wasn’t finished working with Majorino. He offered her another part in one of his series iZombie, but she rejected the role.
Majorino told Stumped Magazine that she’s selective when she picks the parts she wants to play. “The exciting thing for me with any project is the prospect of being challenged in some sort of way,” she said. “Whether it’s a big budget project or whether it’s a low budget project, it doesn’t really matter on what scale it is to me if it’s got good character fibers. That’s pretty much what I base my decisions on.”
Image by @tinamajorino / IG
What other roles have you seen Majorino in?
Grey’s Anatomy
You may remember that Majorino had a short-lived recurring role in everyone’s favorite medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy. Her character, Heather “Mousey” Brooks, interned at the hospital and lasted only 22 episodes.
So, what happened to Dr. Brooks?
Many of you probably already know this Dr.’s fate, but for those of you who don’t, like many other characters on the show, she was killed off. After her character passes away, the other characters have trouble recalling stories about her to tell her mother. Margaret Lyons from Vulture said she didn’t even know who the character was and that Dr. Brooks was a “nothing character.”
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Why did Grey’s Anatomy creator killed her off?
Heather “Mousey” Brooks
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2018, when Ellen Pompeo was asked how the writers pick who to kill off, she said, “you only get killed off when your behavior is bad. If you’re a nice actor, you die nice.”
Dr. Brooks was electrocuted from a generator…
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Luckily, it didn’t take Majorino long to take on her next role.
“Legends”
Her next role was in the show Legends which is based off a book by Robert Littell. The show was about an undercover agent (Sean Bean) who turns into different people based on the cases he’s solving and starts wondering who he really is. Majorino plays a member of his Deep Cover Operations Team.
Screenshot from “Legends’ (2014)
When asked about her role she told TNT, “What’s awesome about the show is the whole question behind it that drives it is, ‘Who are we really,’ so it’s kind of an exciting thing to me because … really anybody on the show could turn into anyone … You could start off playing one person and end up playing something very different.”
Most Recent Role
Majorino’s most recent role was in 2017-2018 in Scorpion. She was in the final season of the show which is about Walter O’Brien (Elyes Gabel), a genius computer hacker whose team helps police solve crimes around the world. Her character, Florence, is a chemist who moves next door to Walter’s team. She doesn’t always get along well with the team.
Screenshot from “Scorpion” (2014)
Even though the show had positive reviews, it was cancelled in 2018 and Majorino’s short time in it was over.
Where Was Mac in the “Veronica Mars” Revival?
Veronica Mars‘ last season ended in 2007 and there was a 2014 Kickstarter-backed film. In 2019, a revival was made and many of the original cast members returned to the show, including the star of the show Kristen Bell. Other celebrities who returned were Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni, Percy Daggs III, Ryan Hansen, Ken Marino, and Max Greenfield.
But, Majorino’s character, Mac, wasn’t seen in the new season.
Majorino chose not to return to the series. She told TV Line that she was asked to be in the season, but that she didn’t want the part because she didn’t think there was enough storyline for Mac.
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Knowing Majorino, there had to be more reasons behind why she decided not to return…and there was.
Didn’t Want to Disappoint
It turns out that she didn’t want to disappoint her fans by taking a small role in the show.
“There was no room for my beloved hacker queen and, as conversations continued, that only became more clear. So, I made the decision not to participate. I was so pleased with where we saw her end up in the movie that I didn’t want to demean that by making an appearance that would not satisfy me, Mac, or the viewers. I am so grateful to have been a part of this show and the subsequent film and I hope it will bring everyone involved as much success as the original. I hope that the fans understand my logic and I hope that they understand that there are worlds beyond Veronica Mars that we will all explore together in the future,” Majorino told TV Line.
Image by @tinamajorino / IG
How does Majorino manage to stay so grounded after all the success she has achieved?