Mimî M. Khayisa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mimî M. Khayisa
Khayisa in 2017
Born	Mimî Michelle Ndiweni (1991-08-31) 31 August 1991 (age 33) Guildford, Surrey, England
Other names	Mimî M. Khayisa
Alma mater	Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (BA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2013–present

Mimî Michelle Ndiweni (born on August 31, 1991) is a British actress. Since 2021, she has been known as Mimî M. Khayisa. She is famous for playing Fringilla Vigo in the Netflix show The Witcher. She also played Tilly Brockless in the TV series Mr Selfridge. On stage, she was Ester/Jekasai in The Convert at The Gate Theatre in London. Mimî has also appeared in movies like Catherine Called Birdy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Cinderella, and The Legend of Tarzan.

In 2013, she won the Spotlight Prize. After finishing her studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, she started working for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Independent newspaper called Khayisa "One to Watch" in 2013. The Evening Standard also listed her as a "Star of 2015" after she performed in the RSC's Midsummer Mischief Festival.

Early Life and Training

Khayisa was born in England. Her father comes from Ntabazinduna in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe. He is the oldest son of Chief Kayisa Ndiweni. Her mother was a Zulu from South Africa. She was the daughter of Reverend Geoffrey Bizeni Mkhwanazi. Mimî grew up in Guildford, Surrey. She started acting when she was a teenager. She joined the Yvonne Arnaud Mill Street Studios while in secondary school. After that, she earned a degree from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.

Winning the Spotlight Prize

When she was 21, Khayisa won the Spotlight Prize. At the time, her name was Mimi Ndiweni. This prize is a big competition for students from 20 top drama schools in the UK. She won by performing a piece called How to Avoid Talking to People You Don’t Want to Talk To. Many experts from the acting world watched her performance.

Acting Career

Theatre Work

Khayisa has said that theatre is her first love. After graduating in 2013, the Royal Shakespeare Company hired her. While working with the RSC, she played several important roles. These included Tiger Lily in Wendy & Peter Pan, Cordelia in King Lear, and Ophelia in Hamlet.

In 2015, she left the RSC to act in the TV show Mr Selfridge. However, she has returned to the RSC many times as a guest performer. In 2018, Khayisa toured North America with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She played Cordelia in King Lear in New York. She also played Ophelia in Hamlet in Washington DC.

In 2017, Khayisa got her first main role. She played Jekesai/Ester in Danai Gurira's play The Convert. This play was shown at the Gate Theatre in London. Both the play and her acting received great reviews. Some of London's most respected critics gave the show five stars.

Film and Television Roles

Khayisa's first role in a major movie was as the Slipper Lady in Disney's Cinderella in 2015. In 2016, she played Eshe in The Legend of Tarzan. In that movie, she acted alongside Margot Robbie. Also in 2016, Khayisa played Tilly Brockless in Mr Selfridge for eight episodes. In May 2017, she played Abby in the Doctor Who episode "Oxygen". This was during the show's tenth series.

In October 2018, Netflix announced that Khayisa would play Fringilla Vigo in The Witcher. She appeared in Season 1 (2019), Season 2 (2021), and Season 3 (2023). In 2022, Khayisa also appeared as Lady Berenice Sidebottom in the movie Catherine Called Birdy.

What She's Been In

Film

Television

Theatre