Midori Francis is an American actress best known for starring in the movie Good Boys (2019) and the Netflix series Dash & Lily (2020).
Wiki/Biography
Midori Francis was born as Midori A Iwama on Saturday, April 16, 1994 (age 27 years; in 2021), and she is from Rumson in New Jersey, USA Her zodiac sign is Aries.
Childhood photo of Midori Francis with her father and brother
He attended 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 a theater production of the musical ‘Annie’ at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank. After that, he appeared in many community productions. At the age of ten, he starred in the musical ‘Titanic,‘ after that he realized that acting was something more than just an after school activity. He is a member of the renowned Rumson- Fair Haven Regional High School Performing Arts Association. President of the International Thespian Society, Midori earned the “Best Thespian Award” during her senior year. He pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Acting at Mason Gross School of The Arts, Rutgers University. After that, he enrolled himself at the Rutgers Conservatory at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, a one-year program where students study abroad at an internationally renowned professional theater.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 2″
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Family & Ethnicity
In an interview, he revealed that he is of Japanese descent on his father’s side. He said,
One of my grandmothers lives on a farm. My other grandparents spoke Japanese and cooked Japanese food. I was exposed to different ways of life.”
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, with her grandparents, with a caption that read,
The person who stopped eating school lunches, picked me up from school, made me eat fruit, and helped raise me and my brother without ever asking for a ‘thank you’. Grateful for every year with them!!!”
Midori Francis with his grandparents
His father’s name is Ken Iwana, and his mother’s name is Joanne Iwama. He has two brothers, a younger brother, Marcus Iwama, and a half-brother, Patrick Bekgran.
Midori Francis with his parents
Midori Francis with her younger brother, Marcus Iwama
Midori Francis with his half brother, Patrick Bekgran
Career
Theater
In 2014, Midori Francis began her journey as a theater artist with the comedy drama ‘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 falling in love with Masha’s celebrity . The play is staged at Syracuse Stage, one of New York’s leading professional theaters.
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 drama ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ as the female protagonist Molly, an aggressive and intelligent girl who believes that Peter Pan and boys need a mother and a boss. The play was staged at the Wells Theater in Norfolk.
Midori Francis (as Molly) in the Virginia Stage production of Peter and the Starcatcher (2015)
He gained popularity after starring in the Obie Award-winning drama The Wolves (2017) as “No. 8.” Set in an indoor soccer facility, the drama’s storyline revolves around the experiences of nine high school girls through their weekly Saturday morning pre-game soccer warm-ups.
Midori Francis in the drama The Wolves (2017)
In 2019, she appeared in the drama ‘Before the Meeting’ where she played the role of Nicole, a depressed, angry, and pregnant girl who is in a romantic relationship with an active alcoholic.
Midori Francis in the drama Before the Meeting (2019)
Later, in the same year, she received high praise for playing the role of Kyeong in the drama ‘Usual Girls,’ which tells the story of the wonder, pain and complexities of a woman growing up. In the drama, Kyeong is an Asian-American woman who was bullied by boys as a child, shunned by other girls as a teenager, and abused by men as an adult.
Midori Francis in the drama ‘Usual Girls’ (2019)
Movie
In 2018, she made her film debut with the American heist comedy film ‘Ocean’s 8’ where she played the role of April.
Ocean’s 8 (2018)
In 2019, she rose to fame with the American adult comedy film ‘Good Boys’ where she played the role of Lily. In the movie, Lily, along with her best friend Hannah, decide to teach the younger kids a lesson about spying and respecting women by swiping their drones.
Midori Francis in Good Boys (2019)
Television
In 2016, Midori Francis made her television debut with the American comedy drama ‘Younger’ where she played the role of Lin in the episode titled “The Marshmallow Experiment.”
Young (2016)
Other television series in which he 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 follows the lives of three teenagers, Lanie, Evie, and Thurston, who summon a bloodthirsty monster lurking in the woods named “The Birch.” Sworn to protect the vulnerable wherever he is called upon, Birch demands dangerous fees for his services as the story unfolds.
Midori Francis in The Birch (2019)
In 2020, she played the protagonist Lily in the Netflix romantic comedy series ‘Dash & Lily.’ The series revolves around Dash, a teenager who hates Christmas, and Lily, a 17-year-old who wants to find love. During the Christmas holiday season, Dash and Lily develop romantic feelings for each other as they open up to each other by trading messages and dares in notebooks around various locations in New York City.
Midori Francis in Dash & Lily (2020)
Others
Midori Francis became famous in 2014 for sobbing about the loss of his car named “Brad” in a popular Liberty Mutual Insurance television commercial.
Apart from feature films, Midori also has various short films such as Killing Machine (2015), Chemistry of Mood (2019), and Bless This Mess (2019).
Awards/Honors
- Won the Outstanding Actor Award at the New York Innovative Theater Awards (2016)
- Won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Award at the Obie Awards (2017) for the play ‘The Wolves’ (2017)
- Won the Outstanding Ensemble Award at the Drama Desk Awards (2017) for the play ‘The Wolves’ (2017)
Facts/Trivia
- Midori Iwama sometimes smokes and enjoys alcoholic beverages.
Midori Francis drinks beer and smokes cigarettes
- Although Midori did not participate in athletics at school, ‘The Wolves’ (2017) piqued his interest in football. In an interview, he said,
I don’t pursue athletics, but I really like football now: ‘The Wolves’ have given me the opportunity to activate my athletic bones.”
- He was named after his paternal grandmother, Midori Iwama.
- In June 2018, Midori posted a photo of herself attending the 2018 Pride Festival on her Instagram account, reflecting that she is an active supporter of the LGBTQ community.
Midori Francis Instagram post
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
