Mei Mac (born July 1992) 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.
Mei Mac | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 1992 Birmingham, England |
Early life
editMac was born in Birmingham to a working-class Hong Kong immigrant family.[1] She initially intended to study medicine at university.[2] 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.[3]
Career
editStage
editMac's first theatre role was in the role of San in Whole Hog Theatre's stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke.[4] 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."[1]
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.[5] The play opened at the Barbican to positive reviews.[6] Mac's performance earned her a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Performer in a Play,[7] and an Olivier Awards nomination for Best Actress.[8]
In May 2023 Mac appeared as Juliet, alongside Ncuti Gatwa's Romeo, as part of the Coronation Concert[9] and starred in Kimber Lee's untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play, in the Royal Exchange, Manchester and Young Vic in London.[10]
Television
editMac has appeared in the long-running BBC drama Call the Midwife,[11] and in the Comedy Central sketch show East Mode.[12]
In 2024 it was announced she would join the cast of The War Between the Land and the Sea. [13]
Personal life
editMac is openly queer.[14] During lockdown, she co-founded Rising Waves, a collective for British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) artists.[15]
Awards and nominations
edit| 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[16] |
References
edit- ^ a b "Mei Mac Recreates Anime Magic On The Barbican Stage In 'My Neighbour Totoro'". British Vogue. 2022-11-19. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ^ Bosanquet, Theo (22 October 2022). "'My Neighbour Totoro' Star Mei Mac on How a Workshop Led to a Lead Role". Backstage. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ Lo, Zabrina (21 October 2022). "Hong Kong British Actress Champions Representation in 'My Neighbour Totoro'". Tatler Asia. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ Tanaka, Nobuko (2013-04-19). "U.K. stage group to rework 'Mononoke' magic". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ^ "Complete My Neighbour Totoro stage company announced ahead of world premiere | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ^ "Did the critics have an animated reaction to My Neighbour Totoro? | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ^ "Nominations in full: the 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ^ Marshall, Alex (2023-02-28). "'My Neighbour Totoro' Dominates Olivier Award Nominations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ^ "Stars including Take That and Kermit the Frog put on a night to remember at spectacular Coronation Concert". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2023-05-08.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Mei Mac set to star in untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play". WhatsOnStage.com.
- ^ Wiegand, Chris (2023-01-03). "It's showtime! Stage sensations to watch out for in 2023". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ^ Bennett, Steve. "Comedy Central orders Nigel Ng sketch show : News 2022 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (10 October 2024). "Doctor Who spin-off casts Line of Duty and Gentleman Jack stars". RadioTimes. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
- ^ Iftikhar, Asyia (5 November 2022). "My Neighbour Totoro's Mei Mac on the queer magic of Studio Ghibli and her 'fight' for representation". Pink News. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ Mukhtar, Amel (19 November 2022). "Mei Mac Recreates Anime Magic On The Barbican Stage In My Neighbour Totoro". British Vogue. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "The 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards – full list of winners". 2023-02-12. Retrieved 2023-06-03.