Mia Tharia is an English actor and writer emerging as one of the most promising young performers in British film and television. Born in May 2005, she grew up in South London and developed her craft through youth theatre before gaining wider attention with projects including September Says, BBC’s The Listeners, Phoenix Rise, Klara and the Sun, and The Education of Jane Cumming.
Her rise has been relatively fast, but it was not an overnight story. Tharia spent years interested in acting, auditioned while young, participated in theatre programs, and eventually caught the attention of a casting director through Brixton Youth Theatre.
By 2024, Screen International had selected her as one of its Stars of Tomorrow, and Variety later included her among its 10 Brits to Watch for 2025.
Mia Tharia Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Full name | Mia Laura Tharia |
| Profession | Actor and writer |
| Born | May 2005 |
| Age | 21 as of October 2026 |
| Nationality | British / English |
| Raised in | Balham, South London, England |
| Education | Chestnut Grove Academy |
| Training/background | Brixton Youth Theatre, Burnt Orange Theatre Company |
| Mother | English; works in psychology |
| Father | British Indian; works in science |
| Known for | September Says, The Listeners, Phoenix Rise, Klara and the Sun |
| Major recognition | Screen International Star of Tomorrow 2024; Variety Brit to Watch 2025 |
Her full name and May 2005 birth month are documented in biographical sources, while Screen reported in June 2024 that she had turned 19 that May.
Who Is Mia Tharia?
Mia Tharia is a young British performer whose work spans television, independent cinema and major international film productions.
Rather than becoming known through a single mainstream franchise, she built momentum across several different types of roles. She appeared in the BBC children’s drama Phoenix Rise, took a leading role in the psychologically intense film September Says, starred alongside Rebecca Hall in The Listeners, and later joined the cast of Taika Waititi’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun.
Her career is also notable because she has maintained an interest in writing and theatre alongside acting. That creative background helps explain why interviews with Tharia often focus as much on storytelling and character development as on celebrity.
Mia Tharia’s Age and Birthday
Mia Tharia was born in May 2005, which makes her 21 years old as of October 2026. Screen International reported on June 26, 2024, that she had “only turned 19 in May,” supporting the May 2005 birth date.
An exact Mia Tharia birthday—meaning the specific day in May—does not appear to have been reliably disclosed by the strongest available sources.
Some celebrity-profile websites may provide precise birth dates, but unless a date can be traced to Tharia herself, an official representative, or another credible publication, it should not be treated as confirmed.
Mia Tharia’s Nationality and Family Background
Mia Tharia is British, more specifically an English actor raised in South London.
Her family background is multicultural. Published profiles describe her mother as English and working in psychology, while her father is British Indian and works in science. She grew up in Balham, South London.
This makes descriptions such as “British Indian background” reasonable when referring to her paternal heritage, but her nationality should not be confused with ethnicity or family ancestry.
Who Are Mia Tharia’s Parents?
Tharia has spoken about her family in broad terms, and journalists have reported her parents’ professions. However, their names are not consistently published by reliable entertainment or industry sources.
That distinction matters. Public interest in young actors often leads biography sites to fill missing information with assumptions. A responsible profile should distinguish between what is known and what remains private.
Does Mia Tharia Have a Sister or Siblings?
Searches for Mia Tharia sister and Mia Tharia siblings are common, but reliable public sources do not appear to confirm whether she has brothers or sisters.
There is an easy source of confusion: Tharia plays July in September Says, a film centered on the intense relationship between two fictional sisters, July and September. Pascale Kann plays September. They are characters and co-stars, not known to be real-life sisters.
Until Tharia or a credible source publicly confirms details about siblings, claims about a real-life sister should be treated cautiously.
Early Life and Education
Tharia grew up in Balham and attended Chestnut Grove Academy.
Her creative development involved more than conventional acting classes. As a teenager, she participated in Brixton Youth Theatre and the Burnt Orange Theatre Company, giving her practical experience in performance and collaborative theatre.
Brixton Youth Theatre itself lists Tharia among its alumni and notes her work on Klara and the Sun, September Says and Phoenix Rise.
She has explained that she was involved in several youth theatres while growing up. In an interview with Wonderland, Tharia said her professional momentum accelerated when casting director Isabella Odoffin visited Brixton Youth Theatre while searching for an actor for September Says.
That opportunity became an important turning point.
Mia Tharia’s Breakthrough in September Says
September Says gave Tharia one of her first major film roles.
Directed by Ariane Labed and adapted from Daisy Johnson’s novel Sisters, the film follows sisters September and July, whose unusually close relationship becomes increasingly unsettling.
Tharia plays July, the quieter younger sister, opposite Pascale Kann as September. Screen International described the film as Labed’s feature directorial debut and highlighted the performances at the center of its portrayal of adolescence and sisterhood.
The film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, giving Tharia significant exposure early in her screen career.
The role demonstrated the kind of material that appears to interest her: psychologically complex characters rather than straightforward hero or supporting roles.
Mia Tharia in The Listeners
Another important role came in the BBC drama The Listeners, where Tharia played Ashley alongside Rebecca Hall.
The series follows a teacher who becomes disturbed by a mysterious low-frequency sound that others cannot hear and develops a relationship with a student experiencing something similar.
IMDb lists Tharia as Ashley across four episodes of the 2024 series.
For Tharia, the project represented a move into darker, more adult television drama and placed her alongside established international performers.
Klara and the Sun
Tharia’s profile grew further when she was cast as Josie in Klara and the Sun, directed by Taika Waititi.
The film is adapted from Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel and features Jenna Ortega in the title role. IMDb lists Tharia among the key cast and credits her as Josie.
Screen reported that Tharia filmed the project in New Zealand alongside Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams.
Landing a substantial role in a production involving Waititi, Ortega and Adams marked a considerable step up in scale compared with her earlier work.
Phoenix Rise
Before many viewers discovered her through prestige film projects, Tharia also appeared in the BBC television series Phoenix Rise.
IMDb credits her as Polly in the series.
This role is worth including in her career story because it shows that her screen experience did not begin suddenly with September Says. She had already been developing television experience while continuing her theatre and creative work.
The Education of Jane Cumming
In 2026, Mia Tharia appeared in the period drama The Education of Jane Cumming, directed by Sophie Heldman.
She plays the title character, Jane Cumming, alongside Clare Dunne, Flora Nicholson and Fiona Shaw. The film is based on historical events surrounding a scandal at a girls’ school in early 19th-century Scotland.
The film premiered in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival on February 15, 2026.
The role is another indication of the direction of Tharia’s career: complex dramatic material with strong literary or historical foundations.
Mia Tharia Movies and TV Shows
Here is a useful overview of some of her best-known screen work:
| Project | Type | Role |
| Phoenix Rise | TV series | Polly |
| September Says | Film | July |
| The Listeners | TV series | Ashley |
| Klara and the Sun | Film | Josie |
| The Education of Jane Cumming | Film | Jane Cumming |
IMDb currently highlights Klara and the Sun, The Education of Jane Cumming and The Listeners among the projects for which she is best known.
Readers looking for Mia Tharia IMDb can use IMDb as a convenient film-credit reference, although release information should ideally be cross-checked with official production or distributor sources when timing matters.
Mia Tharia Height
There is substantial search interest in Mia Tharia height, but a dependable measurement is not clearly established in authoritative interviews or industry profiles.
For that reason, it would be misleading to present an exact height simply because an unsourced celebrity database lists one.
Until Tharia’s height is documented by a reliable source, it is best described as not publicly confirmed.
Mia Tharia Instagram
People also frequently search for Mia Tharia Instagram.
However, an official Instagram account could not be confidently verified from the strongest publicly available sources reviewed for this profile. Social-media results can include fan accounts, similarly named users, and unverified profiles.
Readers looking for her official social presence should verify that an account is linked from a recognized agency, production company, verified profile, or reliable publication before assuming it belongs to Tharia.
Is Mia Tharia Connected to Smosh?
The query “Mia Tharia Smosh” appears in search suggestions, but there is no credible evidence in her established filmography or major profiles showing that Mia Tharia is a member of, performer for, or otherwise professionally associated with Smosh.
Her documented career is centered on British theatre, film and television.
This may be an example of search-query confusion involving people with similar first names rather than a genuine career connection.
Recognition and Growing Industry Profile
Tharia’s trajectory has already attracted attention from influential entertainment publications.
Screen International selected her as a Star of Tomorrow in 2024, a recognition focused on emerging UK and Irish talent.
In 2025, Variety included her among its 10 Brits to Watch, further indicating that industry attention was growing beyond a single film or television role.
Those honors are more useful for understanding her career position than speculative measures such as celebrity “net worth” estimates. She remains an emerging performer whose reputation is being built primarily through her work.
Why Mia Tharia Is an Actor to Watch
What makes Tharia interesting is not simply that she has worked with famous directors or actors.
Her choices so far show a pattern.
September Says explores difficult family dynamics. The Listeners deals with perception, belief and psychological uncertainty. Klara and the Sun comes from literary science fiction, while The Education of Jane Cumming places her inside a historical drama concerned with identity, social power and belonging.
The projects vary widely, but most ask their actors to play emotionally complicated characters.
That gives Tharia the opportunity to build a reputation based on range rather than on a single recognizable screen persona.
Conclusion
Mia Tharia has moved from South London youth theatre into increasingly prominent British and international productions in only a few years.
Born in May 2005, the British actor and writer gained early experience through theatre before breaking through with September Says. Roles in The Listeners, Phoenix Rise, Klara and the Sun, and The Education of Jane Cumming have since expanded her profile.
At the same time, much of her private life remains genuinely private. Details such as her exact birthday, height, siblings and some social-media information are not reliably established, making it important to separate verified biography from online speculation.
With major industry recognition already attached to her name, Mia Tharia’s developing filmography is likely to remain the most meaningful measure of her growing career.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Mia Tharia?
Mia Tharia was born in May 2005, making her 21 years old as of October 2026. Screen International reported that she turned 19 in May 2024.
What is Mia Tharia’s nationality?
Mia Tharia is British/English. She was raised in Balham, South London. Her mother is English, while her father is British Indian.
What is Mia Tharia famous for?
She is best known for projects including September Says, The Listeners, Phoenix Rise, Klara and the Sun, and The Education of Jane Cumming.
What is Mia Tharia’s height?
Mia Tharia’s exact height is not reliably confirmed by authoritative public sources. Unsourced measurements found on celebrity websites should therefore be treated cautiously.
Does Mia Tharia have a sister?
There is no reliable public confirmation of Mia Tharia having a sister. She does, however, play one of two sisters in September Says, which may contribute to confusion around this search.
Who does Mia Tharia play in Klara and the Sun?
Mia Tharia plays Josie in Klara and the Sun, directed by Taika Waititi. IMDb lists Jenna Ortega as Klara and Tharia as Josie.
Is Mia Tharia in The Listeners?
Yes. Mia Tharia plays Ashley in the 2024 BBC drama The Listeners, starring Rebecca Hall.
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