Rooney Mara Responds to 'Pan' Casting Backlash: 'It Wasn't Great'

Rooney Mara and her boyfriend Charlie McDowell step out on the chilly day on Monday (October 5) in New York City.

The 30-year-old actress faced a ton of controversy and backlash when she was cast as the Native American princess Tiger Lily in the new Joe Wright film Pan.

“It wasn’t great, I felt really bad about it,” Rooney told People about her casting. “It was something that I thought about before I met with Joe[Wright, the director]. When I met with Joe and heard what his plans for it were, it was something I really wanted to be a part of. But I totally sympathize with why people were upset and feel really bad about it.”

Pan hits theaters on October 9.

10+ pictures inside of Rooney Mara and her boyfriend out in NYC…