Most recently, Mimi Robertson guest-starred as Maisie Martin in The Dumping Ground, with her storyline based on her on-screen mother having an accident and Maisie having to go into care. In 2018, Mimi began her role of Molly in Molly and Mack for CBeebies alongside Joshua Haynes as Mack, with the show running for five series, and Molly was Mimi’s first major screen character. At eight years old, Mimi booked her first job voicing Kamma in the English version of the Danish film Vitello, which was shown at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where Mimi joined the cast to walk the red carpet. We chatted to Mimi about guest-starring as Maisie Martin in The Dumping Ground, her time playing Molly in Molly and Mack and voicing Kamma in the English version of Vitello.

What was it like guest-starring in an episode of The Dumping Ground earlier this year and how was it meeting the cast for the first time?

It was really good fun. It was interesting to be alongside a cast that had been together for so long and be surrounded by people who had grown up together on the show. It is such a huge production and set up to what I had done before. It took a bit of getting used to, but I was made to feel really welcome right from day one.

Can you tell us about your character Maisie Martin and what was she like to play?

Maisie is a pretty troubled teen. She’s my age, just 14, and is going through a lot of things. Her mum gets into an accident and can’t take care of her anymore, so she gets taken into care and has to adapt to a brand-new place to live filled with new people. It was so much fun to play. Maisie is a bit of a nasty character at points, but also quite complicated, so it’s interesting to let that side of yourself out. Maisie is so different from Molly. The Dumping Ground is meant for older kids than Molly and Mack, so there are more intense scenes and a lot of complex emotions to express. It was a challenge, but I learned a lot.

How was it reading the script and what was it like filming your storyline?

The direction in the script is really clear. I felt I knew exactly what they needed from me. There was a lot to film and it got quite crazy sometimes, but once you got on set and everyone got into the same rhythm, it was really good fun. A great experience.

In 2018, you started your leading role of Molly in Molly and Mack for CBeebies, do you remember how you felt finding out you’d booked the role for your first major character on screen?

My mind was blown! It was in the run-up to Christmas, and I had done a couple of in-person auditions for the part by then, but it didn’t really seem real. I remember the call and my mum passing me the phone. It was Orla (O’Connor), who had cast me in Vitello. She told me that I had gotten the role of Molly, and I just remember being completely over the moon. It was an early Christmas present.

What was it like filming opposite Joshua Haynes as Mack and developing the partnership over the five series?

It was brilliant. Josh is an amazing actor and I look up to him a lot. He was my on-screen big brother, but over the years he has become like a second big brother to me. Part of my family. He gave brilliant advice – he guided me through lots of new stuff going on with filming and taught me lots of practical things. I did loads of my firsts with him: first time on screen and things like that. He was a lot of help, really inspiring. So brilliant to work alongside.

There was great connection between us straight away – right from when we did the auditions. I just remember him standing out so much and people realised that we had a lot of chemistry together. It was great to have such a lovely bond – we were always there for each other. Each other’s besties!

How did you find the experience on set of the show and filming as a regular character for CBeebies?

It was great, but it was my first job like this, so it was kind of surreal! There were lots of big things – like the show being broadcast nationally and eventually internationally – I didn’t realise it was that big a deal at the time. I mean, you don’t get the scale of some things until after they have happened. Getting recognised by little kids on trains, or in Tesco. That was weird at first, but they are always so sweet, so it was always fun. I loved being part of the CBeebies gang – I got to spend time in BBC Manchester for a bit with all the presenters and Dodge the Dog. That was fantastic!

What did you enjoy about playing Molly and is there anything you miss most about the character?

On set during the first year, it just felt like a summer project we were doing. But then as we kept getting called back for another series, I was like, “okay, this is a proper thing!”. Being on set was always brilliant. It was such a lovely environment to be in, and especially as there were other kids my age, but then also Josh and then other adult cast and crew. It was a supportive group of people; they were a second family. When we came back every year, it was like having a big family reunion.

Obviously, Molly was quite different to Maisie. I do miss her relentless energy. Her lovely, bright, funny, excitable little self. She was genuinely fun to play. There was always some sort of adventure going on.

Do you have any favourite memories from being part of Molly and Mack over the years?

I remember there was always someone cracking a joke, people laughing, or random singing. Things like that. I don’t recall a time there when I didn’t have a smile on my face.

I worked with a LOT of animals over the five series. That was always great fun. We had kittens, puppies, a pony, goats, hamsters, pigs, a tarantula and even a hedgehog. The animals were often better behaved than the kids on set though.

I also wore a lot of crazy costumes. They dressed a bunch of the cast as babies in frilly bonnets, I also got to be an oversized puppy for one sequence, and I was even a giant carrot too. Trust me, it is not easy to go to the toilet in a full-length carrot costume!

Your first role was voicing Kamma in the English version of the Danish film Vitello, how was this?

I was just eight when I did Vitello. I don’t remember a lot of it, but I do remember doing voiceover, and it was great fun. Playing around with voices and faces and getting to watch the animation come to life was so cool! But I was completely baffled by a lot of it. It was shown in Edinburgh International Film Festival, and we got to go on a red carpet. Considering this was my first ever job, everyone was a bit worried I’d expect that kind of treatment every time!

Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?

I don’t come from an acting family. I used to do Saturday morning dancing and acting classes with a group called Creative Stage when I was four or five, but I wasn’t super serious about it. It was just a bit of fun. A random thing happed: my dad’s friend shared a link to an ad she had found on a Facebook post looking for kids my age to do a voiceover and it led me here. I was like, “sure, why not? Sounds like fun”. Orla O’Connor, who cast me in Vitello, suggested I should try out for this new BBC kids TV show, which there was an open audition for. Around 1,800 kids from all over Scotland tried out. I became Molly and here we are now!

What are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch?

I do love a classic. Me and my brother’s favourites include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Jaws. More recently, I love the Knives Out movies, Rocketman, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and the Kingsman movies. TV-wise, I went through a huge Stranger Things phase, plus, I love Heartstopper, Friends, and my absolute favourite is Ted Lasso. Ooh, I loved that show.

How do you like to spend your time away from acting?

I’m a big video gamer; I play field hockey for my school team and at district level. I love to do bullet journaling, reading, listening to music, and I like to cook as well. I’m never bored!

Have you been given any advice over your career so far that has stuck with you?

I can think of two. One was a bit of a cliché, but it is to never give up. You’ve got to keep trying and there will be times where you know jobs won’t be coming in. So, accepting that acting requires a lot of perseverance, resilience, and a lot of patience.

There was one other thing that stuck with me that George Geddes, the director of photography on Molly and Mack would say. Whenever we would finish a series, he would always say not to be sad about saying goodbye as we would see each other again on another job at some point down the line. It was such a wonderful thing to say. Made me feel valued and I think of it a lot if I want to stay positive.

What are you hoping the upcoming months bring for you and do you have any projects coming up that you can tell us about?

I’m doing lots of auditions at the moment, so fingers crossed something comes out of those!

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