Fawzia Mirza


Fawzia Mirza is a Pakistani-Canadian film and television actress, writer, producer and comedian. She is known for her works such as web series Kam Kardashian, Brown Girl Problems and the film Signature Move.

Early life and education

Mirza grew up in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Her parents migrated from Pakistan when she a teenager.
She majored in English and political science in college and then went to law school.

Career

After two years of working as a litigator, Mirza changed professions to become an actor at age 29. Her father's death in 2006 precipitated both a change in career and also led to her coming out as gay. She has focused on projects relating to the LGBT community, particularly relating to being a queer Muslim woman, "to gain visibility for women and brown performers, and find space for queer stories".
Her one-woman show Me, My Mom and Sharmila explores growing up queer and South Asian; in 2015 she performed it at the International Theatre Festival at the National College of Arts in Lahore. Also in 2015, she appeared in Emmy-nominated Her Story, a six-part series on the lives of trans and queer women.
Mirza plays Ayesha Ali Trump, a fictional Muslim daughter of Donald Trump, in the mockumentary The Muslim Trump Documentary.
In 2016, she announced her film Signature Move alongside Shabana Azmi and also introduced herself as a lesbian on Twitter. Fawzia co-wrote, co-produced and starred in the movie and won many awards, including Best Narrative Film at Columbus International, Best Director and Best Actress at Out San Diego, Audience Award for Best Narrative in Connecticut, and the Jury prize at the Canadian South Asian Mosaic Film Festival.

Personal life

In a tweet, Mirza identified as "a lesbian, Muslim, Pakistani, actor, activist, writer, producer, lawyer & creature of passion." This drew mixed reactions, with many people criticizing her on the basis that homosexuality is incompatible with Islam and some choosing to support her, including Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who then responded with an affirmative tweet.

Filmography

Podcasts

YearSeriesEpisode
Nov. 4, 2019To L and Back: An L Word Podcast"3.01 Labia Majora"
Aug. 20, 2019Just Between Us"Asking For Nudes, Queer Muslims, and Day to Day Mental Illness with Fawzia Mirza"
May 22, 2019The Red Line"Fawzia Mirza"
April 28, 2019Queery84
May 6, 2018The L Word Made Me Gay"Minisode #9: Fawzia Mirza talks Signature Move"
March 20, 2018Queering Desi"Comedy and Artivism with Fawzia Mirza"
May 22, 2019The Red Line"Fawzia Mirza"
May 29, 2015Don't Tell My Mother"Fawzia Mirza is a Good Pakistani Woman"