“Taking my robe off and having to get naked in front of 50 camera men was the scariest thing,” Mieke Dockley says of her role in the BBC fantasy-drama television series Camelot.
We’re sitting in Mieke’s open-plan, spacious bedroom at her family home in the countryside village of Wimbish, Essex. It’s a beautiful, brisk afternoon and streams of sunlight are penetrating through the wide windows where the family’s horses can be seen roaming free in the lush green garden. Mieke’s thick, blonde locks hang above her waist and her wide, porcelain smile exudes confidence, but despite her glamourous appearance, she openly reveals that she’s had her moments of uncertainty as an actress, including the part she landed in Camelot. “I had an audition and then I didn’t hear from them. The next day I was really upset because I really thought I’d got it,” she says sipping on her mug of hot tea. “ Then they rang me the day after and said I’d be flying to Ireland. I got picked up by a chauffeur-driven car and was so nervous, but I said to myself if I don’t enjoy this and I don’t love it then I’m in the wrong business.”
I notice a large, black and white photograph of Mieke hanging on the wall showcasing her beauty and think how natural she looks sitting in front of me. “I met the cast, including Jamie Campbell Bower (of Harry Potter and Sweeny Todd), and watched them film for a bit. I was up at 5am the next morning and filmed all day. It was the best day of my life,” she says with bright blues eyes sparkling, “I loved every minute of it. When I left I cried. I thought to myself, what if I never experience that again.”
Mieke began her acting career three years ago at the age of 18 when she was accepted by the International School of Screen Acting in London. She had previously been a dancer at Bodyworks in Cambridge. “When I was younger I wanted to do anything associated with acting, dancing, or modelling. I went to dance school and didn’t like all the jazz hands and thought I would try acting. I thought it would be best to focus on one thing and get really good at it and acting was my favourite.” However, Mieke had to make a tough decision when she went for an audition to play the lead in a short film. “I got it. But I couldn’t take three weeks out of school so I left. You get the best experience when you’re working. I’d rather be out there doing it,” she says with conviction.
Her minimalistic, monochrome bedroom is sparse from clutter but is brought alive with flashes of hot pink and is inundated with photographs of friends and family. Despite her beautiful, blonde bombshell exterior and dreams of becoming a Bond girl, Mieke defies any stereotype by her down to earth and homely attitude. “A lot of actors move out into tiny, one bed flats and they’d sell their Gran to get a part, but I wouldn’t do that. My family is more important,” she says warmly.
A little ball of fluff scampers into the room; a Chaupoo (Chihuahua and Poodle cross-breed) named Beau. Mieke lifts Beau up onto her satin sheets and gives the little dog a belly-rub. The conversation shifts to her boyfriend, Adam Smith, who plays professional football and is currently situated at Tottenham Hotspur. “Wherever he goes I go. He’s been moved to Leeds, Torquay, Milton Keynes, and Bournemouth,” she says, pointing to a striking picture of the young couple behind her on a dressing table. “At first I was worried about my career, but it doesn’t hold me back. I don’t live with him all the time, there’s a balance. We’re flexible.”
I find her candidness refreshing; it’s reassuring to meet a stunning, young actress who has her feet firmly on the ground and priorities in order. I ask her who her biggest supporter is and she instantly exclaims, “my Mum,” as her face softens. “I don’t know what I’d do without my Mum. She’s just so supportive. She came all the way to Chesterfield to stay with me while I was in a play. She watched it five times. Also my Dad sent me a text saying that he’d never been so proud of me. They’ve made me the confident person I am today and they make me feel good about myself.”
Mieke’s most recent achievement is scoring a lead part in the British drama film Turnout set in East London. “It was full of paparazzi,” she gushes, “they were taking loads of pictures of me and then I was whisked upstairs to be interviewed. It was really surreal.” The talk of London and flashing lights of paparazzi is stark in contrast to her the family home she is sitting in the country. Mieke’s fortunate to have her hands firmly on both worlds and after declaring that she is a very optimistic person it seems that she will go far in the acting world. “I’m a really positive person. If something bad happens I always say that everything happens for a reason,” she says.
As we near the end of our chat and the afternoon begins to turn into evening, I ask her what advice she would give to other young, aspiring actresses. “Don’t give up, be patient, and remember that it doesn’t happen over night,” she says. For now, Mieke divides her time between auditions and castings, hoping to land a “nice part in a BBC drama or a character part in a film to show what I can do and take the next step up.”
With her stunning good looks, grounded nature, and determination to hit the big screen, it’s clear that nothing will stop this girl from fulfilling her dreams.
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