Mara McCann
Actor & Producer
“A leader with an unyeilding edge, and spirit of a tenacious fighter.”
“Mara portrays the heartless villain so well that I’m still having nightmares……"
Doug Plomitallo, (Director Halloween Candy 2/ WME)
“As an actress, Mara inspires those around her to greatness” Josh Sobel, Tony-winning producer (Guttenberg + Appropriate)
"working with Mara I know I can rely on her consistent timing to find the truth in each moment” Gary Hershberger (Actor/ Director, Twin Peaks, Batboy)
About Mara
Mara’s zone of genius on the screen is playing the thwarted commander whose power is undermined, and her ethics walk the line driven by her ruthless spirit to win.
A classically trained actress, Mara is drawn to characters of unrelenting grit, and ruthless spirit, who push to the edge of justice, in comedic satire or real-life tragedy. Whether taking on a villain haunted by ambition or a woman fighting for what’s right, she thrives in roles where moral lines blur. On set, her positivity and tireless work ethic uplift every project.
Recent Highlights:
Booked role in equity off-Broadway new play for fall 2026 at Signature Theatre.
Starred as the lead villain — a ruthless politician unleashing chaos — in Halloween Candy 2. (Feature film, 2025)
Set to premiere a new solo show in 2026, directed by Tony-winning producer Josh Sobel (Guttenberg, Appropriate).
As a producer, Mara is a connector. She bridges high-level executives with emerging talent, building partnerships across distribution, production, post, and sales. Her clients have included Xenon Pictures, NBC, and Hulu, and she is known for spotting and cultivating fresh voices while driving projects to market success.
As a speaker and mentor, Mara has coached over 6,000 creatives on business strategy and storytelling. She’s presented at SeriesFest, the Microsoft Garage, and the Creativity Conference, and currently serves as an advisor at SXSW’s Tech Pitch Fest. At the core of her company, Zhive Media, she champions undiscovered voices through mentorship and visibility.
Originally from Iowa by way of New Jersey, Mara followed a childhood dream of acting to New York City after earning her degree in Theatre and Women’s Studies at the University of Iowa. She trained extensively in classical theatre and the Meisner technique with the late Robert Patterson in New York, and internationally with Eugenio Barba’s Odin Teatret in Denmark and Dah Teatre in Serbia.
She now splits her time between Washington Heights in NYC, and a cottage in the Berkshires of Massachusetts — a sanctuary where she writes and creates characters :)