Mei Mac

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
BornJuly 1992
Birmingham, England

Early life

Mac 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

Stage

Mac'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]

In summer 2023 Mac will perform in Kimber Lee's untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play, in the Royal Exchange, Manchester and Young Vic in London.[10]

Television

Mac has appeared in the long-running BBC drama Call the Midwife,[11] and in the Comedy Central sketch show East Mode.[12]

Personal life

Mac is openly queer.[13] During lockdown, she co-founded Rising Waves, a collective for British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) artists.[14]

Awards and nominations
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[15]

References
  1. "Mei Mac Recreates Anime Magic On The Barbican Stage In 'My Neighbour Totoro'". British Vogue. 2022-11-19. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  2. 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.
  3. Lo, Zabrina (21 October 2022). "Hong Kong British Actress Champions Representation in 'My Neighbour Totoro'". Tatler Asia. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  4. Tanaka, Nobuko (2013-04-19). "U.K. stage group to rework 'Mononoke' magic". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  5. "Complete My Neighbour Totoro stage company announced ahead of world premiere | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  6. "Did the critics have an animated reaction to My Neighbour Totoro? | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  7. "Nominations in full: the 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  8. Marshall, Alex (2023-02-28). "'My Neighbour Totoro' Dominates Olivier Award Nominations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  9. "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.
  10. "Mei Mac set to star in untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play". WhatsOnStage.com.
  11. 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.
  12. Bennett, Steve. "Comedy Central orders Nigel Ng sketch show : News 2022 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  13. 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.
  14. Mukhtar, Amel (19 November 2022). "Mei Mac Recreates Anime Magic On The Barbican Stage In My Neighbour Totoro". British Vogue. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  15. "The 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards – full list of winners". 2023-02-12. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
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