Mei Mac
Mei Mac | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1992 (age 33–34) Birmingham, England |
Mei Mac (born 1992[1]) is a British actress and theatre maker. For her performance in the stage adaptation of My Neighbour Totoro, she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.
Early life
[edit | edit source]Mac was born in Birmingham to a working-class Hong Kong immigrant family.[2] She initially intended to study medicine at university.[3] At 16, she was inspired to pursue acting by artistic director Kumiko Mendl of the New Earth Theatre, of which Mac is now an associate.[4]
Career
[edit | edit source]Stage
[edit | edit source]Mac's first theatre role was in the role of San in Whole Hog Theatre's stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke.[5] Studio Ghibli head and director of the original movie Hayao Miyazaki said of Mac's performance: "I've never imagined San as a real-life human being, but if she did exist, it would be you."[2]
In August 2022, it was announced Mac would play the lead role of Mei in the Royal Shakespeare Company's staging of another Studio Ghibli movie, My Neighbour Totoro.[6] The play opened at the Barbican to positive reviews.[7] Mac's performance earned her a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Performer in a Play,[8] and an Olivier Awards nomination for Best Actress.[9]
In May 2023 Mac appeared as Juliet, alongside Ncuti Gatwa's Romeo, as part of the Coronation Concert[10] and starred in Kimber Lee's untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play, in the Royal Exchange, Manchester and Young Vic in London.[11]
In 2025, Mac was announced as part of the cast of Dracula at Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith).[12]
Television
[edit | edit source]Mac has appeared in the long-running BBC drama Call the Midwife,[13] and in the Comedy Central sketch show East Mode.[14]
In 2024 it was announced she would join the cast of the Doctor Who spin-off series, The War Between the Land and the Sea.[15]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Mac is openly queer.[16] During lockdown, she co-founded Rising Waves, a collective for British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) artists.[17]
Awards and nominations
[edit | edit source]| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Laurence Olivier Awards | Best Actress | My Neighbour Totoro | Nominated |
| 2023 | WhatsOnStage Awards | Best Performer in a Play | My Neighbour Totoro | Nominated[18] |
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/dracula-cast-including-umi-myers-and-mei-mac-revealed-by-lyric-hammersmith-theatre_1685944/
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).