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Mimî M. Khayisa

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Mimî M. Khayisa
Khayisa in 2017
Born
Mimî Michelle Ndiweni

(1991-08-31) 31 August 1991 (age 33)
Guildford, Surrey, England
Other namesMimî M. Khayisa
Alma materRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama (BA)
OccupationActress
Years active2013–present

Mimî Michelle Ndiweni (born 31 August 1991), since 2021 credited as Mimî M. Khayisa, is a British actress. She is known for playing Fringilla Vigo in Netflix's The Witcher,[1] Tilly Brockless in the television series Mr Selfridge,[2] and Ester/Jekasai in the stage production of The Convert at The Gate Theatre in London.[3] She has also appeared on film in Catherine Called Birdy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Cinderella and The Legend of Tarzan.[4]

She won the Spotlight Prize in 2013 and went on to work for the Royal Shakespeare Company after graduating from Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Khayisa was also featured as One to Watch by the Independent in 2013[5] and was on the Evening Standard's Stars of 2015 list[6] after performing in the RSC's Midsummer Mischief Festival.[7]

Early life

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Khayisa was born in England; her father is from Ntabazinduna in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe, and is the eldest son of Chief Kayisa Ndiweni, while her mother was a Zulu from South Africa and was the daughter of Reverend Geoffrey Bizeni Mkhwanazi, of Assemblies of God in South Africa. Her mother died at the age of thirty-seven.[8] Khayisa grew up in Guildford, Surrey and started acting as a teenager, joining the Yvonne Arnaud Mill Street Studios while she was in secondary school.[9] From there she went on to complete a degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.[10]

Spotlight Prize

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At age 21, Khayisa (then stylised as Mimi Ndiweni) won the Spotlight Prize – beating out competition from students from 20 top UK drama schools in front of industry experts - with her performance of Jenna Marbles’ How to Avoid Talking to People You Don’t Want to Talk To.[5]

Career

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Theatre

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Khayisa has stated that theatre is her first love, and was taken on by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2013 after graduating from Royal Welsh. While in the RSC her most notable roles were in Wendy & Peter Pan as Tiger Lily,[11][12] King Lear where she played Cordelia,[13] and Hamlet where she played Ophelia.[14]

She left the RSC in 2015 to take on a regular appearance in the television show Mr Selfridge,[15] but has returned to the RSC on a number occasions as a guest. Khayisa toured North America with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2018, playing the part of Cordelia in King Lear in New York,[13] and Ophelia in Hamlet in Washington DC.[14]

In 2017, Khayisa had her first leading role, playing Jekesai/Ester in Danai Gurira's The Convert at the Gate Theatre in London. The play itself and her part in it received critical acclaim, with five star reviews from some of the most respected critics in London.[16][17][3][18][19]

Film and television

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Khayisa's first appearance in a major film was as the Slipper Lady in Disney's Cinderella in 2015. She then played Eshe in The Legend of Tarzan in 2016, starring alongside Margot Robbie.[4] In 2016, Khayisa played Tilly Brockless in Mr Selfridge for eight episodes of the last season and in May 2017, played the part of Abby in the Doctor Who episode "Oxygen" during its tenth series.[20][21][22]

In October 2018, Netflix announced that Khayisa would be playing the part of Fringilla Vigo in The Witcher.[23] She appeared in Season 1 (2019), Season 2 (2021)<[24] and Season 3 (2023).[25]

In 2022, Khayisa appeared as Lady Berenice Sidebottom in Catherine Called Birdy.[4][26]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role
2015 Cinderella Slipper lady
2016 The Legend of Tarzan Eshe
2016 The Last Dragonslayer TV news anchor
2017 Dishonour Every character
2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Resistance officer
2022 Catherine Called Birdy Lady Berenice Sidebottom

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2016 Mr Selfridge Tilly Brockless Recurring role (series 4)
2016 Yonderland Kelly
2017 Doctor Who Abby Episode: "Oxygen"
2017 Rellik DC Andrea Reed Recurring role (series 1)
2018 Black Earth Rising Mary Mundanzi Guest role (2 episodes)
2019 In the Long Run Beatrice Christmas special
2019–present The Witcher Fringilla Main role
2022 Earthstorm Narrator

Theatre

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Title Role
The Ant and the Cicada Laskarina Bouboulina
Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. Ensemble show
Hamlet Ophelia
The Taming of the Shrew Lucentio
Wendy & Peter Pan Tiger Lily
Soul Tammy Gaye
The Convert Jekesai/Ester
King Lear Cordelia

References

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  1. ^ "Netflix's The Witcher cast: Henry Cavill stars as Geralt of Rivia". The Mirror. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Mr Selfridge". 31 March 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2017 – via IMDb.
  3. ^ a b Clapp, Susannah (29 January 2017). "The Convert review – full-blooded, with a dash of melodrama". The Observer. Retrieved 15 May 2017 – via The Guardian.
  4. ^ a b c "Mimi Ndiweni". IMDb. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Spotlight Prize: Making the most of your showcase". Spotlight. 9 August 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  6. ^ Critics, Evening Standard (9 January 2015). "Stars of 2015: the hottest actors, singers, artists and performers to". Evening Standard. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  7. ^ "RSC Midsummer Mischief Festival: The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon". 23 June 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  8. ^ Nyathi, Pathisa (2013). The Story of Reverend Geoffrey Bizeni Mkwanazi of the Assemblies of God. archive.org: Amagugu. p. 142. ISBN 9780-7974-5468-2.
  9. ^ "Preview: Forever Young at the Mill Studio (07-09.11.13) | This is Our Town Guildford | Page 11071205". Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  10. ^ Attwood, Brian (24 July 2013). "You don't need London to achieve success on stage". The Stage. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017.
  11. ^ "Latest Press Releases - Royal Shakespeare Company". www.rsc.org.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  12. ^ Edmonds, Richard (2 December 2015). "Wendy and Peter Pan at Royal Shakespeare Theatre - don't expect a nursery book version". Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  13. ^ a b "Theater Review: Anthony Sher as a Slow-Burning, Intense King Lear". www.vulture.com. 15 April 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  14. ^ a b Dickson, Andrew (11 April 2018). "After 'Hamlet' and 'King Lear,' Where Else Can Paapa Essiedu Go?". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  15. ^ "Mr. Selfridge: Fourth and Final Series Premieres on ITV and PBS in 2016 – The British TV Place". thebritishtvplace.com. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  16. ^ Hemming, Sarah (22 January 2017). "The Convert, Gate Theatre, London — 'Rich and gripping'". Financial Times. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  17. ^ Maxwell, Dominic. "Theatre: The Convert at Gate, W11". Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  18. ^ "The Convert". 20 January 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  19. ^ "Review: The Convert (Gate Theatre)". 20 January 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  20. ^ Metro.co.uk, James Baldock for (9 May 2017). "Doctor Who series 10 episode 5: When is it on and what happens?". Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  21. ^ "Oxygen, Series 10, Doctor Who - BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  22. ^ "Everything you need to know about Doctor Who series 10 episode 5". Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  23. ^ "Netflix's 'The Witcher' Finds Its Female Leads". The Hollywood Reporter. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  24. ^ "Anya Chalotra, Joey Batey, & Mimî M. Khayisa Interview: The Witcher S2". Screen Rant. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  25. ^ "The Witcher Season 3 Returning Cast & New Character Guide". Screen Rant. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  26. ^ Echebiri, Chike (8 October 2022). "'Catherine Called Birdy' Cast and Character Guide". Collider.
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