All About 'Matilda the Musical' Actress Alisha Weir

Tabitha Britt
·4 min read
Alisha Weir attends a special screening of "Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical" at Darling at the Park Lane Hotel on December 07, 2022 in New York City
Alisha Weir attends a special screening of "Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical" at Darling at the Park Lane Hotel on December 07, 2022 in New York City
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Alisha Weir is soon to become a household name thanks to her newest and most prominent role yet — Matilda in Netflix's Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical.

According to the film's director, Matthew Warchus, hundreds of child actors auditioned for the part, but none of them compared to Weir.

"She's a brilliant listener," Warchus said in an interview with Netflix. "That's really important because if you listen carefully, you can take direction, and also you can listen to the people who you're playing a scene with and respond to them."

So, who is Alisha Weir? Keep reading to learn more about this talented teen and her role in the upcoming Netflix film.

She grew up in Ireland

Alisha Weir attends Roald Dahl's "Matilda The Musical" Press Conference during the 66th BFI London Film Festival at The Mayfair Hotel on October 05, 2022 in London, England
Alisha Weir attends Roald Dahl's "Matilda The Musical" Press Conference during the 66th BFI London Film Festival at The Mayfair Hotel on October 05, 2022 in London, England

Dave J Hogan/Getty

Weir was born in 2009 and grew up in Dublin, Ireland. There, she started her acting career on the stage of the Talented Kids & MVW Talent Agency's 10th Anniversary Show, an annual event held by her drama school, the Talented Kids Performing Arts School & Agency. She appeared in her first film, Don't Leave Home, in 2018.

She's the youngest of three

Alisha Weir as Matilda Wormwood in Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical
Alisha Weir as Matilda Wormwood in Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical

Dan Smith/Netflix

The young actress has two older sisters, Katie and Emma Jane, who are also interested in the performing arts.

"Her eldest sister Katie has just graduated from musical theatre in college," Weir's mom Jenny told the Irish Examiner in November 2022. "And the middle child, Emma Jane, just started UCD doing film, music, and drama as well. The three of them have a passion for it."

The Matilda actress also seems to be quite close with her older sisters, and she often appears in Katie's TikTok videos.

She cried the moment she landed the role of Matilda

Tim Minchin, Dennis Kelly, Matthew Warchus, Lashana Lynch, Sindhu Vee, Alisha Weir, Dame Emma Thompson and Stephen Graham attend Roald Dahl's "Matilda The Musical" Photocall during the 66th BFI London Film Festival at The Mayfair Hotel on October 05, 2022 in London, England
Tim Minchin, Dennis Kelly, Matthew Warchus, Lashana Lynch, Sindhu Vee, Alisha Weir, Dame Emma Thompson and Stephen Graham attend Roald Dahl's "Matilda The Musical" Photocall during the 66th BFI London Film Festival at The Mayfair Hotel on October 05, 2022 in London, England

Gareth Cattermole/Getty

Weir was sitting with her family when she received a surprising Zoom call from Matilda the Musical director Matthew Warchus.

"He told me I got the part, and my whole family was there," Weir told the Irish Examiner. "My two sisters, my mom and dad, and I just burst into tears because I don't think you can expect what kind of reaction you're going to get in that situation. I burst into tears because I just couldn't believe it."

Her sister Katie caught the moment on camera and posted it on TikTok. The sweet clip has received over 1.8 million likes since then.

She stars alongside Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson as Agatha Trunchbull, Alisha Weir as Matilda in Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical
Emma Thompson as Agatha Trunchbull, Alisha Weir as Matilda in Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical

Dan Smith/Netflix

In 2021, Netflix revealed that the film version of the Tony Award-winning Matilda the Musical cast Emma Thompson as Miss Agatha Trunchbull, the evil school principal.

In an interview with Sunday World, Weir recalled meeting and working with Thompson.

"The first time I met Emma, she wasn't in costume, and she was so lovely," Weir said. "Then I saw her as Trunchbull, and she was terrifying. I'm tiny compared to her in these huge boots. It was really scary because she is so good at the part and makes it feel so realistic, but after the scene, she is lovely again."

Along with Thompson, Matilda the Musical also stars Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey and Stephen Graham as Matilda's father.

She's a talented singer

Alisha Weir as Matilda Wormwood in Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical
Alisha Weir as Matilda Wormwood in Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical

Dan Smith/Netflix

Weir isn't only an actress; she's a singer too. Before becoming Matilda, Weir appeared on The Late Late Toy Show and performed a rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" in 2017.

She also sings on the tracks "Miracle," "Naughty," "When I Grow Up" and "Quiet" from the Matilda the Musical soundtrack.

Her mother Jenny told the Irish Examiner of Weir's musical talents, "She was always natural to it. She used to follow the girls around, singing. She used to go into the singing classes with the two girls, and she would know all the words of all the songs, as if she was doing the class herself."

She's in an upcoming film with Olivia Colman

Alisha Weir attends the BFI London Film Festival Opening Night Gala and World Premiere of Roald Dahl's "Matilda The Musical", during the 66th BFI London Film Festival, at The Royal Festival Hall on October 05, 2022 in London, England
Alisha Weir attends the BFI London Film Festival Opening Night Gala and World Premiere of Roald Dahl's "Matilda The Musical", during the 66th BFI London Film Festival, at The Royal Festival Hall on October 05, 2022 in London, England

Gareth Cattermole/Getty

While Matilda may be her biggest role to date, Weir is set to star in more motion pictures. She also appears in the upcoming comedy Wicked Little Letters. The film features Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley and Oscar winner Olivia Colman.

"I play Jessie Buckley's daughter, and it was so amazing," Weir told the Irish Examiner. "It was completely different to Matilda. I love seeing how different it can be working on different sets with different people."