# Mimi Keene
**Mimi Keene** (born 1998) is an English actress best known for playing [Cindy Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/cindy-williams) in the BBC soap opera *EastEnders* and Ruby Matthews in the Netflix comedy-drama *Sex Education* (2019–2023). Her full birth name is Mimi Roshan Saeed; she performs under her mother's surname, Keene.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/) • [2](https://elcomercio.pe/mag/fama/mimi-keene-el-verdadero-nombre-de-la-actriz-de-sex-education-celeb-de-estados-unidos-nnda-nnlt-noticia/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1998 in England; full birth name Mimi Roshan Saeed[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/) • [2](https://elcomercio.pe/mag/fama/mimi-keene-el-verdadero-nombre-de-la-actriz-de-sex-education-celeb-de-estados-unidos-nnda-nnlt-noticia/) |
| Training | Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, London, 2009–2014[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/) |
| Stage debut | Janey in *Kin* at the Royal Court Theatre, 19 November to 23 December 2010[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/) |
| Soap breakthrough | Cindy Williams in *EastEnders*, 2013–2015, with nominations at the British Soap Awards and the Inside Soap Awards[3](https://www.italiaconti.com/alumni/mimi-keene/) |
| Signature role | Ruby Matthews in Netflix's *Sex Education*, 2019–2023, 24 episodes[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57145/mimi-keene) |
| Film credits | *Tolkien* (2019, young Edith Bratt), *Close* (2019, Claire), *After Everything* (2023, Nathalie)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/) |
| Recent work | Kay Elliott in the BBC's Agatha Christie adaptation *Towards Zero* (2025)[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57145/mimi-keene) |
## Training and early career
Keene studied at the [Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/italia-conti-academy-of-theatre-arts) in London from 2009 to 2014.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/) Her professional debut came on stage, playing Janey in *Kin* at the [Royal Court Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-court-theatre) from 19 November to 23 December 2010.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/)
Her first television work followed in 2013: a guest role as Brandy May-Lou in the CBBC series *Sadie J* and the part of Jade Dawes in the BBC military drama *Our Girl*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/) • [5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/mimi_keene/)
## EastEnders
Later in 2013 Keene joined the cast of the [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one) soap opera *EastEnders* as Cindy Williams, the daughter of [Cindy Beale](https://www.edgepedia.org/cindy-beale), and remained a series regular until 2015.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/) • [6](https://eastenders.fandom.com/wiki/Cindy_Williams_Jr) The role brought her nominations at the British Soap Awards and the Inside Soap Awards in Best Young Performance categories.[3](https://www.italiaconti.com/alumni/mimi-keene/) Her final appearance as the character aired on 17 August 2015, when Cindy left Walford.[6](https://eastenders.fandom.com/wiki/Cindy_Williams_Jr)
## Television and film after EastEnders
After leaving the soap, Keene appeared in an episode of *Casualty* as Lana Westmore in 2016 and played Megan in the short film *The Escape* in 2017.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/) In 2019 she took two film roles: the young [Edith Bratt](https://www.edgepedia.org/edith-tolkien) in the biographical drama *Tolkien* and Claire in the drama *Close*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/)
She has also worked in video games, providing voice roles as Euryale, Medusa, and Stheno in *[Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2)* (2014).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/)
## Sex Education
In 2019 Keene began playing Ruby Matthews in Netflix's *Sex Education*, a comedy-drama set at the fictional Moordale High school.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/) • [7](https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10222401/1/Postdigital-Intimacies.pdf) Ruby is introduced as one of the school's most popular students, and the role ran through all four seasons of the series, from 2019 to 2023, totaling 24 episodes.[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57145/mimi-keene) The part brought her international visibility well beyond her British television audience.[3](https://www.italiaconti.com/alumni/mimi-keene/)
The character's arc expanded over the run. Commentators have noted that Keene's portrayal moved Ruby from surface confidence to vulnerability, a shift the actress carried across the seasons.[2](https://elcomercio.pe/mag/fama/mimi-keene-el-verdadero-nombre-de-la-actriz-de-sex-education-celeb-de-estados-unidos-nnda-nnlt-noticia/)
## Recent work
In 2023 Keene appeared as Nathalie in *After Everything*, the fifth and final film in the *After* franchise.[3](https://www.italiaconti.com/alumni/mimi-keene/) • [8](https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/hits-radio-chilled/entertainment/celebrity/mimi-keene-career) Her confirmed 2025 credit is *Towards Zero*, a BBC television miniseries adapted from [Agatha Christie](https://www.edgepedia.org/agatha-christie)'s 1944 novel, in which she plays Kay Elliott in three episodes alongside a cast including [Anjelica Huston](https://www.edgepedia.org/anjelica-huston), Matthew Rhys, and [Anjana Vasan](https://www.edgepedia.org/anjana-vasan).[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57145/mimi-keene) • [9](https://australiatrends.net/blog/mimi-keene-career-upcoming-movie/) She is also attached to the announced production *Danger Money*, in the role of Ana.[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/mimi_keene/)
## References
1. [Mimi Keene, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5488579/)
2. [Mimi Keene: el verdadero nombre de la actriz de Sex Education, El Comercio](https://elcomercio.pe/mag/fama/mimi-keene-el-verdadero-nombre-de-la-actriz-de-sex-education-celeb-de-estados-unidos-nnda-nnlt-noticia/)
3. [Mimi Keene, Italia Conti Performing Arts Alumni](https://www.italiaconti.com/alumni/mimi-keene/)
4. [Mimi Keene, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/57145/mimi-keene)
5. [Mimi Keene, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/mimi_keene/)
6. [Cindy Williams Jr, EastEnders Wiki](https://eastenders.fandom.com/wiki/Cindy_Williams_Jr)
7. [Postdigital Intimacies: Relational lives in the networked public–private, UCL Discovery](https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10222401/1/Postdigital-Intimacies.pdf)
8. [Sex Education's Mimi Keene: Her impressive career so far, Hits Radio](https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/hits-radio-chilled/entertainment/celebrity/mimi-keene-career)
9. [Mimi Keene: Upcoming Movie, Relationship, and Career Facts, Australia Trends](https://australiatrends.net/blog/mimi-keene-career-upcoming-movie/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Soap operas and continuing serials › British and Australasian soaps and characters › EastEnders › EastEnders cast members*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license