Mimsy Farmer first began acting at age 16, when a press agent noticed
her and offered her work in the film,
April entdeckt Hawaii (1961),
an unbilled bit with one line as a girl in the lobby. Her first billed
film was a featured part in
Sommer der Erwartung (1963),
starring Henry Fonda,
Maureen O'Hara and
James MacArthur. After her first
acting role, Mimsy took acting lessons after graduation and landed a
few more roles, playing featured characters in the films,
Widersteh, wenn du kannst (1965),
Hot Rods to Hell (1966),
Wir... die Wilden vom Sunset Strip (1967)
and Rebellen in Lederjacken (1967). After
spending a year in Canada and working in a research hospital, she
returned to the USA, moved to Los Angeles, and was soon cast for a role
in Roger Corman's
The Wild Racers (1968), which was
directed by Daniel Haller. Her
experience on that film was to her 'a pleasant one' because she first
traveled to Europe and experienced the various countries, and to
England to visit her older brother, who worked as a math teacher at a
university in London.
After appearing in the film, More - mehr - immer mehr (1969),
Mimsy traveled to Italy for a vacation and met her future husband,
screenwriter Vincenzo Cerami, who wanted
to write her a part in a film. He was later fired as the scriptwriter
and her role was not cast. After spending time in Italy, and
disillusioned by the civil unrest and political problems with the USA
and its involvement in the Vietnam War, Mimsy, a liberal left-winger,
settled in Italy to continue her acting career there.
Mimsy Farmer first became an international star when
Dario Argento cast her to appear alongside
Michael Brandon in 'giallo'
mystery-thriller,
Vier Fliegen auf grauem Samt (1971)
(aka "Four Flies on Grey Velvet"), in 1971. After her success with
"Four Flies on Grey Velvet" (1971), Mimsy remained in Italy and a
steady stream of acting roles followed with dramatic parts in dramas
and thrillers, including
Allonsanfan (1974), and
Das Parfüm der Dame in Schwarz (1974),
directed by Francesco Barilli. One of
her best roles was a starring role in the horror-mystery-thriller,
Autopsie - Hospital der lebenden Leichen (1975) (aka
"Autopsy"), directed by
Armando Crispino, where she played a
pathologist investigating a murder.
She also appeared in two films, directed by
Ruggero Deodato, titled
Das Concorde Inferno (1979)
and
Body Count - Die Mathematik des Schreckens (1986).
Lucio Fulci even cast her, in 1981, for a
co-starring part in
Die schwarze Katze (1981)
(aka "The Black Cat") (1981), playing the heroine/victim. She also
appeared in a number of French language films and TV. After her divorce
from Vincenzo Cerami in the 1980s, Mimsy
and her teenage daughter, Aisha Cerami,
settled in France, where she also did some French-language movie and TV
roles and she considers French an easier language to learn and speak
than Italian.
