Q&A: Kate Mara

Mara: I went to the Super Bowl in San Diego with my family and I was walking to the hotel with my dad and he screamed "L." He turned around and it was L.T. So I got really nervous and told my dad really quickly to remind him who I am so I could shake his hand. So L.T. gives my dad a hug and I hear my dad go, "Ooooh." I said hello and they broke apart. It was a pretty quick encounter and after he walked away, my dad said, "I think he broke my ribs." I was like, "Oh, my God, that is amazing. I'm sorry, I feel bad for you, but it's so cool that L.T. just hugged you and broke your ribs. You can tell people Lawrence Taylor broke your ribs."

SI: You share a lot of scenes in We Are Marshall with Ian McShane. Did he tell you about his love of Manchester United?

Mara: I didn't know that. I wish I knew. He's such a great guy. All I knew about him was that he was this scary character in Deadwood. I was like, How is this guy going to play a sweet and upset guy? I was kind of scared, but he was the sweetest guy. Soft voice. Loving. Amazing actor.

SI: Do other actors know about your NFL connection?

Mara: It always comes up when people are talking about football. I'll join in the conversation and people will say, "Wow, you are a football fan" -- shocked that a young girl is a football fan! They'll say, "Who do you like?" I'll say the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers. They'll say why those two teams and I'll say I'm from New York and my mom is from Pittsburgh. It eventually comes up.

We were going to the Marshall alumni game and I was in the elevator with [actor] David Strathairn. I was the only actress going to the game and I was so excited because I wanted to see a football game. He was surprised that I was coming to the game. I told him I loved football. He was like, "Really, did your brothers play?" I told him they played for a minute and I really loved it. He found that fascinating. He was an honorary coach for one of the teams. Matthew McConaughey was an honorary coach for another team. I was on the side with David and halfway through the game he came running over to me and he was bright red. He said, "I'm so embarrassed. I just realized who you are." He said, "I can't believe I was so shocked you were a football fan. I should have known that." Then he said, "I have to call a play right now and I don't know what to call." So I said, "Let me call my dad." So I got my dad on the phone and I gave the phone to David and my dad gave him a play and they scored a touchdown.

SI: What Giants do you stay tight with?

Mara: We go to Giants events occasionally. Tiki Barber is just really personable. I don't know if it's he knows certain members of my family but he always addresses you by your name. He's such a smart guy, a family guy and a great football player. He has so much respect for our family. And I really like Jeremy Shockey regardless of his outbursts with the media. He's always been nice to us. I think you should reserve judgment on him. I know I may have just put my foot in my mouth because he'll probably come out in a week or so and say something.

SI: Why was your grandfather so well-liked in football circles?

Mara: I went to the Philly game this year. We were losing and it was rough. The Eagles fans were turning to our box and screaming at us, telling us we suck. But there was this fan sitting two rows in front of us and he held up a napkin when we were losing. He had written THE GIANTS ARE CLASSY on it. He could have been drunk and trying to hit on some girls, but to me I saw that and I thought, The Giants organization is classy and it's a class act because my grandfather and his father were that way and that's how they lived their lives. Treat others how you want to be treated. That was his motto. I know my dad and my uncle John try to follow in their dad's footsteps. He was such a quiet, quiet man, but whenever he spoke it always meant something. You wanted to listen. He had good morals and he passed it on to my family.