From making waves in Albert Square to captivating audiences in Sex Education, Mimi Keene has been riding a wave of success, and now she’s set sail on a new adventure with silver screen veteran Anjelica Huston. The former Cindy Williams Jr. actress, who shot to recognition in EastEnders before her worldwide Netflix fame, confesses she was a bundle of nerves before her first encounter with Huston. At 26, Mimi Keene’s latest gig sees her portray Kay Strange in the BBC’s take on Agatha Christie’s murder mystery Towards Zero. In this three-part series, the actress plays the newly-wedded wife of tennis star Nevile Strange, brought to life by Oliver Jackson-Cohen. Anjelica Huston, at 73, steps into the shoes of Lady Camilla Tressilian, Nevile’s aunt and the pivotal figure in Christie’s thrilling whodunit. With the stunning Devon coast as their backdrop, Mimi recalls her initial apprehension about meeting the esteemed Hollywood royalty but reveals Anjelica had an easygoing charm that put her at ease right away. “I was a bit nervous but once we got started, I was watching her thinking she was good,” Mimi shared, adding, “As soon as we started she made me feel so relaxed. So I was able to do my job.”
Mimi Keene stars in the BBC’s take on Agatha Christie’s 1944 novel alongside Oliver Jackson-Cohen
(Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/Nick Wall)
Off-screen, Anjelica was just as enchanting, generously hosting a lunch for her fellow actors including Mimi, Oliver, and Ella Lily Hyland, who portrays Nevile’s former wife Audrey. Oliver Jackson-Cohen echoes Mimi’s sentiments with his own admiring words: “There’s a reason why some people are icons. The work she’s done over the years is impeccable,” he gushed. “She came in unbelievably prepared, gracious and kind.” Anjelica Huston is absolutely over the moon about her first role on British TV in ‘Towards Zero,’ especially since she got to spend a hefty chunk of it cosied up in bed. “Bed is one of my favourite places to be, so I was immediately happy with that,” she gleefully admits. Huston couldn’t resist pointing out the novelty of it all, gushing, “It’s not often one is called onto a film and placed in bed. Usually it’s the other way around. So I appreciated all my moments in bed. I’m in a nightie and a dressing gown.”
The former EastEnders star was wracked with nerves upon her first meeting with co-star and Hollywood royalty Anjelica Huston
(Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/Justin Downing)
‘Towards Zero’ zeroes in on the tumultuous life of celebrated tennis whiz Neville Strange. His name rings bells across homes, but his personal saga is hitting a nadir. With his messy divorce from Audrey splashed everywhere, his aunt, Lady Tressilian, decides it’s a good idea to invite him and his brand-new bride, Kay, to Gull’s Point. Oliver, who stars alongside Ella, looked back at Hollywood royalty – Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton – for some dramatic muse on playing out their fiery split. He muses, “They just kept coming back to each other,” acknowledging the intensity and complexity of their bond, wondering aloud “There was so much love there but it raises all these other questions – was it even love? ” Brimming with surprises and layered connections amid a backdrop of broiling unease, this three-part roller-coaster is set to make its debut on Sunday, March 2 at 9pm on BBC One.
