Actress Mimi Keene represents a new generation of English actors positioning themselves as the A-list stars of tomorrow. Arguably one of Britain’s fastest-rising actresses, Keene quickly became a household name and face with the success of Netflix’s Sex Education. The British teen sex comedy-drama series maintained an over 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for all four seasons.
With the Sex Education finale on September 21, 2023, Keene is open to taking on more roles in film and television. Although she’ll always be fondly remembered as Ruby Matthews, the leader of the Untouchables clique at Moordale Secondary School, her fans cannot wait to watch her in her next project. Here’s all you need to know about the Sex Education actress Mimi Keene.
Mimi Keene Was Born In London
The actress was born Mimi Roshan Saeed in Redbridge, London, England. Although she has kept most of her personal and family life private, Keene was born to Hassan Saeed and Alexis Keene. This gives the actress Asian ancestry from her paternal side. Professionally, Keene uses her mother’s last name instead of her father’s last name.
She Began Her Acting Career In Theater
Mimi Keene took a particular interest in acting at a young age. Performing her first acting role at age 10 as a child actor sealed her desire and ambition to become an actress. While many kids her age dreamed of being a star, and thanks to her parents, Keene was already performing at The Royal Court Theatre. Keene played Janey in the Kin play, which they performed for a month from November 19 to December 23, 2010.
Unsurprisingly, after the experience, Mimi Keene became more intentional about being an actress. Less than a year later, her family moved to Barnsbury to allow her to enroll and train at the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Mimi Keene trained at the Academy from 2009 to 2014. The Academy is known for its notable alumni of British performers.
Mimi Keene Made Her Screen Debut In 2013
Mimi Keene made her screen debut before graduating from Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Her screen debut was in television in 2013. Besides being a milestone year for her acting career, Keene was exceptionally busy for a newcomer. In its third series, Keene guest-starred in the CBBC British children’s TV comedy-drama series Sadie J.
She starred as Brandy May Lou in episode 6 (“Dederama”). That same year, Mimi Keene also appeared as herself in 2 episodes of School for Stars. Also, not many know that Keene appeared in the pilot episode of the highly-rated BBC One British military drama series Our Girl. Cast as Jade Dawes, Mimi Keene was one of Private Molly Dawes’ (Lacey Turner) family members shown in the pilot.
Mimi Keene’s Breakout Role Was With EastEnders
The BBC One British TV soap opera EastEnders is one of the longest-running TV shows on British television. With top ratings, it is also one of the most-watched TV series in the UK. Recasting Mimi Keene to portray an iconic character did much more for her career than any new series could ever do. With millions of audiences tuning in to watch EastEnders, Keene joined the cast in the second half of 2013. Mimi Keene became the fourth actress to portray Cindy Williams in EastEnders.
Keene followed in the footsteps of Ella Wortley and Cydney Parker, who played the character from 1998 to 1999. Actress Eva Sayer had portrayed the character in a cameo appearance in 2007. However, Mimi Keene’s portrayal received special praise in 2014, especially for the birth scene in which the character gave birth to Beth. Most critics were impressed that a 16-year-old Keene could adequately portray a woman in childbirth.
Unsurprisingly, Mimi Keene was nominated for Best Young Performance at the 2014 British Soap Awards. Similarly, she was shortlisted in 2014 and nominated in 2015 for Best Young Actor at the Best Young Actor. Interestingly, her EastEnders performance is the only one that has received recognition at any notable awards yet. Mimi Keene starred as a series regular on EastEnders from 2013 to 2015.
She Only Has A Few Movie Credits
So far, Mimi Keene’s most memorable roles have been on the small screen. However, Keene has about four credits on the big screen, including the 2017 short film The Escape. Keene played a minor role in the Noomi Rapace-led Close (2019). In the same 2019, she portrayed the younger Edith Tolkien, an Englishwoman famously known as the wife of renowned novelist J. R. R. Tolkien.
Keene portrayed the character in the biographical drama Tolkien, with British-American actress Lily Collins playing the older Edith Tolkien. Also, English actor Nicholas Hoult portrayed J. R. R. Tolkien. Mimi Keene didn’t appear in any other movie, mostly because of her Sex Education filming schedule, until 2023. Keene starred in a supporting role as Nathalie in the romantic drama After Everything (2023). If you enjoyed reading about Sex Education actress Mimi Keene, here’s a closer looking at the cast of the show.
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