Meryl Fernandes
Encyclopedia
Meryl Glynis Fernandes is an English
actress. Her best known role is playing Afia Khan, a love interest for Tamwar Masood
(Himesh Patel
) in the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, originally making a guest appearance between the 29 December 2009 and 5 January 2010. She returned to the role of Afia, on the 18 November 2010, this time as a regular character, quickly rekindling her relationship with Tamwar.
. Fernandes trained at Millennium Performing Arts in 2000. She is skilled in several types of dance.
, Fernandes has appeared Doctor Who
, Demons, Minder
alongside fellow EastEnders
actor, Shane Richie
, It's Now or Never, Clone
and Dis/Connected
. She has also appeared in the highly criticized Youtube
series, Living With the Infidels playing 'Jot'. Aasaf Ainapore, the director, issued a statement on the series following the complaints saying,
In Stage she has appeared in The Lion of Punjab
directed by Darren Mc'illroy at the Waterman Studios in 2006. She has appeared in A Small Town Anywhere directed by Tassos Stevens at the National Theatre Studio in 2007. In Musicals she has appeared in Oliver!
as a 'Workhouse Girl', in 1996. She has sung opera
, appearing in Il mondo della luna
at the Royal Academy of Music
in 2003. She has also appeared in a film, Ashes where she appeared as the lead role, 'Amisha' in 2010, it was directed by Sonia Castang.
Film/Internet
Stage/Theatre/Opera
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress. Her best known role is playing Afia Khan, a love interest for Tamwar Masood
Tamwar Masood
Tamwar Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Himesh Patel. He made his first appearance on 1 October 2007.- Storylines :...
(Himesh Patel
Himesh Patel
Himesh Jitendra Patel is a British actor who began his career in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, playing Tamwar Masood. His first appearance on the programme was on 1 October 2007. Patel is also a member of the National Youth Theatre. He also appears in the 2010 spin-off series EastEnders: E20.-...
) in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, originally making a guest appearance between the 29 December 2009 and 5 January 2010. She returned to the role of Afia, on the 18 November 2010, this time as a regular character, quickly rekindling her relationship with Tamwar.
Personal life
Born in 1983 to Harold and Ghislaine Fernandes, Meryl was brought up in London. Her parents were originally from NairobiNairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
. Fernandes trained at Millennium Performing Arts in 2000. She is skilled in several types of dance.
Career
Other than appearing in EastEndersEastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, Fernandes has appeared Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, Demons, Minder
Minder
A minder is a person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e...
alongside fellow EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
actor, Shane Richie
Shane Richie
Shane Richie is an English actor, comedian, singer and media personality, known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life and career beginnings:...
, It's Now or Never, Clone
Clone (TV series)
Clone is a 2008 BBC Three comedy series starring Jonathan Pryce and Mark Gatiss, centred on the creation and education of the world's first human clone...
and Dis/Connected
Dis/Connected
Dis/Connected is a BBC Three drama pilot, written by Howard Overman. It starred Holliday Grainger, Cloudia Swann, Aml Ameen, Bradley James, Laura Aikman, Katrina Rafferty and Lucy Evans.-Outline:...
. She has also appeared in the highly criticized Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
series, Living With the Infidels playing 'Jot'. Aasaf Ainapore, the director, issued a statement on the series following the complaints saying,
In Stage she has appeared in The Lion of Punjab
The Lion of Punjab
The Lion of Punjab is a Punjabi film starring Diljit Dosanjh, making his debut as an actor. It is also the debut Punjabi movie of Bollywood director Guddu Dhanoa.The film was released on 11 February 2011...
directed by Darren Mc'illroy at the Waterman Studios in 2006. She has appeared in A Small Town Anywhere directed by Tassos Stevens at the National Theatre Studio in 2007. In Musicals she has appeared in Oliver!
Oliver!
Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
as a 'Workhouse Girl', in 1996. She has sung opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, appearing in Il mondo della luna
Il mondo della luna
Il mondo della luna , Hob. 28/7, is an opera buffa by Joseph Haydn with a libretto by Carlo Goldoni, first performed at Eszterháza, Hungary on 3 August 1777. Goldoni's libretto had previously been set by four other composers, first by the composer Baldassare Galuppi and performed in Venice in the...
at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
in 2003. She has also appeared in a film, Ashes where she appeared as the lead role, 'Amisha' in 2010, it was directed by Sonia Castang.
Filmography
Television| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | EastEnders EastEnders EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End... |
Schoolgirl | 1 Episode | |
| 1995 | A Small Addition | Schoolgirl | 1 Episode | |
| 2006 | It's Now or Never | Flower Girl | 1 Episode | |
| 2007 | Dis/Connected Dis/Connected Dis/Connected is a BBC Three drama pilot, written by Howard Overman. It starred Holliday Grainger, Cloudia Swann, Aml Ameen, Bradley James, Laura Aikman, Katrina Rafferty and Lucy Evans.-Outline:... |
Sara | 1 Episode | |
| Doctor Who The Poison Sky "The Poison Sky" is the fifth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 3 May 2008. The episode features both former companion Martha Jones and the alien Sontarans... |
Head Girl | 1 Episode | ||
| 2008 | Demons | Amber Selway | 1 Episode | |
| Clone Clone (TV series) Clone is a 2008 BBC Three comedy series starring Jonathan Pryce and Mark Gatiss, centred on the creation and education of the world's first human clone... |
Jasmine | 1 Episode | ||
| Minder | Roxy | 1 Episode | ||
| 2009–Present | EastEnders EastEnders EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End... |
Afia Khan | Series Regular |
Film/Internet
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Living with the Infidels | Jot | Lead Role | |
| 2010 | Ashes | Amisha | Lead Role |
Stage/Theatre/Opera
| Year | Title | Role | Note | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Oliver! Oliver! Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.... |
Workhouse Girl | Musical | |
| 2003 | Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince... |
Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince... |
Stage | |
| Il Mondo Della Luna | Moon Dancer | Opera | ||
| 2005 | The Far Pavilions The Far Pavilions The Far Pavilions is an epic novel of British-Indian history by M. M. Kaye, first published in 1978, which tells the story of an English officer during the Great Game. The novel, rooted deeply in the romantic epics of the 19th century, has been hailed as a masterpiece of storytelling... |
Anjuli | Musical | |
| 2006 | The Lion of Punjab The Lion of Punjab The Lion of Punjab is a Punjabi film starring Diljit Dosanjh, making his debut as an actor. It is also the debut Punjabi movie of Bollywood director Guddu Dhanoa.The film was released on 11 February 2011... |
Jindan | Stage | |
| 2007 | Who Asked You? | Deborah Smith | Stage | |
| A Small Town Anywhere | The Samaritan | Stage | ||
| A Matter of Life and Death A Matter of Life and Death (play) A Matter of Life and Death is a stage adaptation by Tom Morris and Emma Rice of Powell and Pressburger's film of the same name for the company Kneehigh Theatre... |
Clerk/Nurse | Stage | ||
| The Man Of Mode | Harriet | Stage |