Film Actor
Jimi Mistry
Since Winning the EMMA Award
Jimi Mistry is a British (mixed-heritage) actor who went on to appear in the 2006 film Blood Diamond alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Guy Ritchie’s 2008 film RocknRolla, the BAFTA-nominated 2009 film Exam and 2009 the epic disaster film 2012. In 2010, he appeared in the film It’s a Wonderful Afterlife, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. That same year, Jimi appeared in the film West is West, the sequel to East is East.
In 2009, Jimi produced, wrote, and starred in a music documentary about Ibiza called “And The Beat Goes On,” which explored the island’s history, the birth of House Music, and the art of the DJ. He runs DJs London’s hippest “mystery” location party scene called Tabula Rasa and has his own record label and studio. In 2016, Jimi appeared on television shows such as Nearly Famous, The Syndicate, and the popular soap opera Coronation Street.
He graduated from Leiths School of Food and Wine with a Three-Term Diploma in Food and Wine. He and his wife, Flavia Cacace, who he competed with on the 2010 series of the British TV dancing competition show Strictly Come Dancing, now run Barn Bakes, a micro-bakery at Our Life at the Barn in Exeter, Devon. Jimi continues to appear on TV and in the FCMFIT podcast, where he discusses his journey from actor to chef and the importance of exercise and creativity in the kitchen.
Background (Before 2003)
Jimi Mistry first gained exposure playing Dr. Fred Fonseca on BBC TV’s EastEnders and has worked on film and stage since then. Born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, to a father of Indian descent and an Irish mother, Jimi had no idea what he wanted to do after high school. When he was 17, his father sat him down. Together, they decided Jimi would go to drama school. Jimi enrolled at a drama school in Birmingham but decided to make the move to London to try his hand at auditioning. One of his first jobs was a non-speaking role as a sailor in Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet, and he soon landed the role of Tariq in the stage play East is East at The Royal Court Theatre.
When East is East was made into a feature film, Mistry was asked to reprise his role in the stage production. Produced by Film4, East is East was released in 1999 and won a British Academy Award for Best British Film, a British Comedy Award, and a British Independent Film Award. In 2000, Mistry portrayed an incompetent petty thief in the British feature film, Born Romantic, before starring in the 2001 film My Kingdom alongside Richard Harris and Lynn Redgrave.
