Mika Simmons

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mika Simmons
Born
Greenwich, London
NationalityBritish
EducationUniversity of Leeds
OccupationActress and filmmaker
OrganizationRSP Productions
RelativesKeir Simmons
WebsiteMikaSimmons.com

Mika Simmons is a British actress, film-maker and podcaster, who is known for The Happy Vagina, covering women's health.[1][2][3][4] She started the Lady Garden Foundation, which aims to raise awareness of gynaecological cancers and fund research into treatments.[5]

Early life[]

Simmons was born in Greenwich, London. Her brother is journalist Keir Simmons.[6] She grew up in Somerset and attended Wellsway Comprehensive school there before moving to Leeds to study. She graduated with a BA in English Literature and Theatre Studies from the University of Leeds.[7] Following graduation, Simmons trained as an actress at the Drama Studio London.[8]

Career[]

In 1998 Simmons was cast in the role of "Prudence" in ITV's Frenchman's Creek, a TV film based on the novel of the same name.[9][10]

In 2002, she appeared in Channel 4's TV movie, Falling Apart, a period drama, about domestic violence in a middle-class relationship in Britain.[11][12][13][14] In 2011, Simmons played in the play, You Once Said Yes, which won both the Fringe First and Total Theatre awards.[15][failed verification][16]

Simmons has appeared in the ITV drama, Unforgotten.[17][18] In 2016, she appeared in Film London's short Balcony.[19][7] The film went on to win a Crystal Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.[2]

In 2017, Simmons was chosen as one of 40 women to front Lancôme's campaign to launch a new foundation range of 40 shades. She appeared illustrating shade number 01, "beige albatre", with the strapline "My power is acting" and a brief profile.[20]

In 2019, Simmons wrote and directed her first short film, Rain Stops Play, a comedy short about sex and the sexes, featuring Tara Fitzgerald – who had worked with Simmons on Frenchman's Creek – and produced by Jackie Green and Roberta Moore.[21] It won the Silver Remi for Best Comedy Short at the Houston Film Festival.[3][4] The film has been shown at Underwire Festival[22] and Portobello Film Festival[23] and premiered at Fragments Festival, Genesis Cinema, London.[24] In the same year she played a part in Us Among the Stones, directed by D.R. (Dictynna) Hood who previously directed Wreckers.[25][26]

In 2020 she started the The Happy Vagina platform "dedicated to opening up the conversation around women's experience and gynaecological health"[27][18] and her podcast, in which she discusses sex and intimacy with well-known women.[28][29][30][31]

Charity work[]

Simmons is co-founder and co-chair of the Ginsburg Women's Health Board, an independent board, working at Government level, towards closing the gender health gap.[32][33]

Simmons is one of the six women who in 2014 co-founded the Lady Garden Foundation, a charity which raises awareness and funding for gynaecological health, after her mother had died of ovarian cancer.[34][35][36] The charity has been supported by Topshop,[37] Sarah, Duchess of York,[38] and Princess Beatrice.[39] It has raised over £1,000,000 since 2014 to assist research at the Royal Marsden Hospital into treatments including the use of Olaparib, led by Simmons' friend and neighbour Dr Susana Banerjee who inspired Simmons to start the foundation.[40][41]

Awards[]

Simmons' directorial debut, 'Rain Stops Play', won the Silver Remi for best comedy at Houston World Film Festival.[21][4][2]

In 2021, Simmons was chosen as one of five Harper's Bazaar visionaries for the year.[42]

References[]

  1. ^ "The Best Podcasts For Love, Dating, Sex And Relationships". Grazia. 14 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Prizes & Honours 2016: Youth Jury". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
    "Balcony" (PDF). International Filmfestspiele Berlin. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Remi winners" (PDF). FilmFestivals.com. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Rain Stops Play". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Mika Simmons | HuffPost". www.huffingtonpost.co.uk. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Princess Beatrice Gets Behind Fight Against Ovarian Cancer". NBC News. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Mika Simmons: "Lights, Camera, Orgasm"". Vanity Fair. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Rain Stops Play". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Mika Simmons". BFI. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Entertainment Dramatic look for ITV's Christmas offering". BBC. 24 November 1998.[failed verification]
  11. ^ "Mika Simmons". British Film Institute. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Period dramas win Baftas". BBC News. 12 May 2003. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  13. ^ "BAFTA Awards - Television Craft: New Director - Fiction in 2003". Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  14. ^ "BAFTA Awards - Television Craft: New Writer in 2003". Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  15. ^ Girivan, Andrew (19 August 2011). "Nominees Announced for 2011 Total Theatre Awards". Whats on Stage.
  16. ^ "You Once Said Yes". British Council. Archived from the original on 2 November 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  17. ^ "Man was stabbed to death in Kensington "after refusing to give money to youths"". Joe. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b Magistretti, Bérénice. ""Lights, Camera, Orgasm": An Interview with Mika Simmons". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  19. ^ "British Council Film: Balcony". transform.britishcouncil.org.br. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Find Your Shade. Find Your Power". www.lancome.co.uk. Lancôme UK. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b Freeman, Hadley (18 April 2019). "Tara Fitzgerald: 'I didn't think I was very talented. I didn't have that fight'". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  22. ^ "Hysterical - 2019". Underwire Festival. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  23. ^ "2019 Report". Portobello Film Festival. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  24. ^ "Discover new diverse filmmaking talent at Fragments Festival". Pact. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  25. ^ "London Film Festival - Us Among The Stones". The Reviews Hub. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  26. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (8 December 2020). "Us Among the Stones review – thoughtful Laurence Fox stars in heartfelt indie drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Home page". The Happy Vagina. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  28. ^ Simmons, Mika (1 November 2020). "The lesson I learnt from my mum's death could save lives". The Telegraph. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  29. ^ Simmons, Mika (3 March 2020). "8 lessons I've learned from interviewing influential women about sex". Red Online. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  30. ^ Anderson, Alana (19 August 2020). "Stars have joined forces to celebrate Gynaecological positivity and self-love". OK! Magazine. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  31. ^ "Gynaecological Awareness Month: How To Have A Happy Vagina". Grazia. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  32. ^ "Women's health: Female patients to be asked about 'gender health gap'". BBC News. 6 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  33. ^ "Board". Ginsburg Women's Health Board. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  34. ^ "Founders". Lady Garden Foundation. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  35. ^ Barcelona, El Periódico / (30 September 2017). "Naomi Campbell posa contra el cáncer ginecológico". elperiodico (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  36. ^ "Mika Simmons". Lady Garden Foundation. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  37. ^ "We love Topshop's new Lady Garden campaign fronted by Cara Delevingne | Living North". www.livingnorth.com. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  38. ^ "Sarah Ferguson turns heads in stunning sheer black gown". HELLO!. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  39. ^ "Princess Beatrice Gets Behind Fight Against Ovarian Cancer". MSNBC News. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2021. NBC News' Keir Simmons sits down with Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter, Beatrice and his sister, Mika Simmons to discuss their effort to educate women about the cancer dubbed "the silent killer".
  40. ^ "A 'new era' for women with ovarian cancer". The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  41. ^ Bystander. "6th Annual Lady Garden Foundation lunch at Fortnum and Mason". Tatler. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  42. ^ Lee, Helena (February 2021). "THE CAMPAIGNERS - Mika Simmons & Nimco Ali". Harper's Bazaar. p. 120-121. Retrieved 1 March 2021.

External links[]

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