Midori Francis is an American actress who is well known for starring in the film Good Boys (2019) and the Netflix series Dash & Lily (2020).
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Midori Francis was born as Midori A Iwama [1]Midori Francis’s Instagram Post on Saturday, April 16, 1994 (age 27 years; as of 2021), and she hails from Rumson in New Jersey, U.S. Her zodiac sign is Aries.
Childhood picture of Midori Francis with her father and brother
She did her schooling at Rumson-Fair Haven High School, New Jersey. Since childhood, Midori was inclined towards acting. She began acting at the age of six when she starred in the theatrical production of the musical ‘Annie’ at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. Thereafter, she appeared in numerous community productions. At the age of ten, she starred in the musical ‘Titanic,‘ after which she realized that acting was something more than just an after-school activity. She was a member of the acclaimed Performing Arts Society of Rumson- Fair Haven Regional High School. President of the International Thespian Society, Midori earned the “Best Thespian Award” during her senior year. She pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Acting at Mason Gross School of The Arts, Rutgers University. Thereafter, she enrolled herself in Rutgers Conservatory at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, a one-year program in which students study abroad at a professional theater of international stature. [2]Backstage
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 2″
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Family & Ethnicity
In an interview, she revealed that she was of Japanese descent from her father’s side. She said, [3]Lincoln Center Theater Blog
One of my grandmas lived on a farm. My other grandparents spoke Japanese and cooked Japanese food. I was exposed to many different ways of living.”
Midori Francis spent most of her childhood with her paternal grandparents, Midori Iwama and Mo Iwama. In December 2018, she posted a picture of herself, along with her grandparents, with a caption that read,
The people who dropped off school lunches, picked me up from school, made me eat fruit, and helped raise me and my brother without ever asking for a ‘thanks.’ Grateful for every year with them!!!”
Midori Francis with her grandparents
Her father’s name is Ken Iwana, and her mother’s name is Joanne Iwama. She has two brothers, a younger brother, Marcus Iwama, and an elder half-brother, Patrick Bekgran.
Midori Francis with her parents
Midori Francis with her younger brother, Marcus Iwama
Midori Francis with her half-brother, Patrick Bekgran
Career
Theatre
In 2014, Midori Francis began her journey as a theatre artist with the comedy play ‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,’ in which she played the role of Nina, the young niece of the next-door neighbor who becomes an aspiring actress after being charmed by Masha’s celebrityhood. The play was staged at the Syracuse Stage, one of the top professional theaters in New York.
Midori Iwama as Nina (left) and Nance Williamson as Masha in the Syracuse Stage production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (2014)
In 2015, she starred in the play ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ as the female protagonist Molly, an aggressive and smart girl who believes that Peter Pan and the boys need a mother and a boss. The play was staged at the Wells Theatre in Norfolk.
Midori Francis (as Molly) in the Virginia Stage Company production of Peter and the Starcatcher (2015)
She gained popularity after starring in the Obie Award-winning play The Wolves (2017) as the “No. 8.” Set in an indoor soccer facility, the storyline of the play revolves around the experiences of nine high school girls through their weekly Saturday morning pre-game soccer warmups.
Midori Francis in the play The Wolves (2017)
In 2019, she appeared in the play ‘Before the Meeting’ in which she played the role of Nicole, a depressed, ill-tempered, and pregnant girl who is in a romantic relationship with an active alcoholic.
Midori Francis in the play Before the Meeting (2019)
Later, in the same year, she gained immense appreciation for playing the role of Kyeoung in the play ‘Usual Girls,’ which chronicles the wonder, pain, and complexity of a growing-up female. In the play, Kyeoung is an Asian-American woman who is bullied by boys in childhood, shunned by other girls as a teen, and mistreated by men as an adult.
Midori Francis in the play ‘Usual Girls’ (2019)
Film
In 2018, she made her film debut with the American heist comedy film ‘Ocean’s 8’ in which she played the role of April.
Ocean’s 8 (2018)
In 2019, she rose to prominence with the American coming-of-age comedy film ‘Good Boys’ in which she played the role of Lily. In the film, Lily, along with her best friend Hannah, decide to teach the younger kids a lesson about spying and respecting women by swiping their drone.
Midori Francis in Good Boys (2019)
Television
In 2016, Midori Francis made her television debut with American comedy-drama ‘Younger’ in which she played the role of Lin in the episode titled “The Marshmallow Experiment .”
Younger (2016)
Other television series in which she appeared include Gotham (2017) and Divorce (2018).
OTT/Web Series
She made her digital debut when she played the role of Lanie Bouchard in the 2019 horror web series ‘The Birch.’ The series showcases the lives of three teenagers, Lanie, Evie, and Thurston, who summon the blood-thirsty monster lurking in the woods named “The Birch.” Sworn to protect the vulnerable wherever she is summoned, the Birch demands a dangerous toll for her services as the story unfolds.
Midori Francis in The Birch (2019)
In 2020, she played the protagonist Lily in Netflix’s romantic comedy series ‘Dash & Lily.’ The storyline of the series revolves around Dash, a teenager who hates Christmas, and Lily, a 17-year-old teenager who wants to find love. During the Christmas holiday season, Dash and Lily develop mutual romantic feelings as they open up to each other by trading messages as well as dares in a notebook around a multitude of locations in New York City.
Midori Francis in Dash & Lily (2020)
Others
Midori Francis became a household name in 2014 for sobbing about the loss of her car named “Brad” in the popular Liberty Mutual Insurance television commercial.
Apart from feature films, Midori also has various short films under her belt like Killing Machine (2015), Chemistry of Mood (2019), and Bless This Mess (2019).
Awards/Honors
- Won Outstanding Actress Award at New York Innovative Theatre Awards (2016)
- Won Distinguished Performance by an Ensemble Award at Obie Awards (2017) for the play ‘The Wolves’ (2017)
- Won Outstanding Ensemble Award at Drama Desk Awards (2017) for the play ‘The Wolves’ (2017)
Facts/Trivia
- Midori Iwama occasionally smokes and enjoys consuming alcoholic beverages.
Midori Francis drinking beer and smoking a cigarette
- Although Midori did not pursue athletics in school, ‘The Wolves’ (2017) intrigued her passion for soccer. In an interview, she said,
I did not pursue athletics, but I really love soccer now: ‘The Wolves’ has given me a chance to activate my athletic bone.”
- She is named after her paternal grandmother, Midori Iwama.
- In June 2018, Midori posted pictures of herself while attending the 2018 Pride Festival on her Instagram account, which reflects that she is an active supporter of the LGBTQ community.
Midori Francis’ Instagram post
References
