Heather Christina Marie Matarazzo is an American actress. She is known for playing Lilly Moscovitz in The Princess Diaries (2001) and its 2004 sequel, and Martha Meeks in Scream 3 (2000) and Scream (2022). Matarazzo made her film debut at age 12 in Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995), earning an Independent Spirit Award for her portrayal of Dawn Wiener. Her other credits include The Devil's Advocate (1997), All I Wanna Do (1998), 54 (1998), Sorority Boys (2002), Saved! (2004), Hostel: Part II (2007), and Sisters (2015).
Matarazzo in 2008
The Princess Diaries (film)
The Princess Diaries is a 2001 American coming-of-age comedy film produced by singer Whitney Houston, Debra Martin Chase and Mario Iscovich, and directed by Garry Marshall. Loosely based on Meg Cabot's 2000 young adult novel of the same name, the film was written by Gina Wendkos and stars Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, with a supporting cast consisting of Héctor Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, and Robert Schwartzman. The film follows Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway), a shy American teenager who learns she is heiress to the throne of a European kingdom. Under the tutelage of her estranged grandmother (Andrews), the kingdom's reigning queen, Mia must decide whether to claim the throne she has inherited or renounce her title permanently.
Theatrical release poster
Garry Marshall served as the film's director. He changed the film's setting from New York to San Francisco in honor of his grandchildren.
A semi-retired Julie Andrews was cast as Queen Clarisse Renaldi, the actress' first Disney role since Mary Poppins (1964). The character of Mia's grandmother was expanded specifically with Andrews in mind.
Due to its themes, The Princess Diaries has been heavily compared to the play Pygmalion; the play served as the basis for the stage musical My Fair Lady, in which Andrews originated the role of main character Eliza Doolittle.