Meera Almidfa is one of the most versatile Emirati actresses working today. Her recent roles alone span different emotional registers and periods of life – from a mother navigating holiday chaos in the uproarious Yas Island-set comedy Al Eid Eiden, to a daughter pushed to her limits in Nayla Al Khaja’s latest horror film, Baab.
That range continues with Almidfa’s next project, Dubai TV Ramadan series Dara 1961, inspired by true events and described as the UAE’s answer to Titanic.
We caught up with her for our One Last Thing questionnaire.
What is your favourite time of day and why?
Dawn to sunrise, that blue hour into golden hour. It’s fresh, quiet.
What is your favourite restaurant anywhere in the world?
A sunlit Mediterranean place, elevated, by the water. Not mainstream, but where the food is honest and time disappears.
When was the first time you realised your parents were human?
When I realised they were doing their best with tools they were never taught to use.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Someone who creates meaningful work that invites people into deeper ways of meeting the world and each other.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Reading emotional subtext. Incredibly thoughtful gifting. Multitasking. I also have a good octave range vocally.
Your favourite book?
Anything reflective or educational.
What type of music can’t you stand?
Anything aggressively loud or empty.
What puts you in a bad mood?
Being rushed. Inauthenticity. Or days where small setbacks snowball.
What can you not live without?
Good lighting, instruments of the senses, sparkling drinks and my family.
Dream dinner guests?
A filmmaker, a philosopher, a scientist, a musician, a poet, a shaman and a couple of people who know me deeply.
Sitting on the sofa or out with friends?
Is it cheating if I say sofa with friends?
What smell takes you straight back to childhood?
The smell of rain takes me back to road trips in Germany and playtime at the parks in London. The smell of leather takes me back to the safety of my dad’s arms. Oud and rose together remind me of my great-grandmother.
What food takes you back to childhood?
Those terribly unhealthy sweets that everyone ate back then that you would find at the baqala. And pistachio ice cream!
Which city do you love but would hate to live in?
So, this makes me realise I have not seen enough of the world.
Can you play a musical instrument?
Piano. Only chords and a few covers.
Have you ever been on a motorcycle?
As a kid, I loved riding four-wheelers – I can still remember the smell.
Any words to live by?
Strive to be relentlessly authentic and always remember to be kind. Sensitivity is strength, courage is meeting fear with grace. Approach the world with awe.
Biggest pet peeve?
Inauthenticity and it goes with attempts of manipulation or a lack of consideration. Also, loud chewing!
Do you believe in aliens?
I believe the universe is too vast for us to be the only story.
What is your favourite Arabic word?
I can think of so many, but I’ll focus on three. Sabr, yaqeen, and qamar. This is because of the significance they have had in challenging moments in my life.
The most niche thing you watch on YouTube?
The niche thing about it could be the combo all together. It ranges from film breakdowns and history docs to theological reflection, bite-size educational videos, wellness deep dives, conspiracies, scientific anomalies, hypothetical realities and esoteric metaphysics.
How do you take your tea?
Flavourful, intentional, ritualistic. Must come with soft lighting and something to listen to, read, or someone to talk to.
What makes you cry?
Unspoken tenderness. People trying their best. Quiet gestures. Grace, humility in the face of cruelty. Courage. Language that articulates what is felt but unspoken.
What do social algorithms think you’re interested in?
Film and art, aesthetics, consciousness, stoicism, esoteric philosophy and unfortunately some silly memes.
TikTok or Instagram?
Instagram. It’s community-based and I find all my products, hacks and treatments there thanks to my algorithm.
What is it about you that would surprise people?
How disciplined and tough I am beneath the softness. Also that I never feel fully accomplished, and I don’t like to watch most of my performances.
What was the last thing you did for the first time?
This kind of interview. I used to read these as a kid, so it feels like a full circle moment.
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