Francesca Mills (born 1996 or 1997) is an English actress, known for playing Cherry Dorrington in the television series Harlots (2019–2020), Earthy Mangold in Worzel Gummidge (2021) and Meldof in The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022) released by Netflix.
Mills has most recently starred as Millie in ITV comedy series Transaction (2025) and as crime and forensic analyst Kit Brookes in the BBC crime drama Silent Witness.
Early life Mills was born with the genetic disorder achondroplasia, a common form of dwarfism.
As of 2021, Mills lives in London, but was brought up in Loggerheads, Staffordshire. Mills learned to dance at the Jill Clewes Dance School in Bradwell, Staffordshire, and first acted in a production of Oliver! at the age of nine. Mills was a student at Madeley High School in Madeley, Staffordshire. She also travelled to London to attend the Urdang Academy in Islington, and was a student at the Academy of Theatre Arts in Worcester.
Career In 2014, Mills joined Warwick Davis's Reduced Height Theatre Company for its first production, a revival of See How They Run, at the Richmond Theatre. In 2017, Mills was nominated for the Ian Charleson Awards for her performance as Maria in The Government Inspector at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. The same year, Mills played a seamstress in the Timothy Sheader directed production of A Tale of Two Cities at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. In 2019, Mills played multiple roles in The American Clock at The Old Vic in 2019. The same year, Mills was in a national tour production of the Emma Rice version of the Malory Towers musical. From 2018 to 2019, Mills starred as Cherry Dorrington in series 2 and 3 of Harlots with co-stars Eloise Smyth and Samantha Morton, and as Earthy Mangold in Worzel Gummidge alongside Mackenzie Crook.
In August 2021, Mills began filming the Netflix miniseries The Witcher: Blood Origin, set in a time 1,200 years before The Witcher. Mills appears as Meldof, an assassin, in a cast which includes Lenny Henry and Michelle Yeoh. The miniseries aired on Netflix on 25 December 2022.
In 2024, Mills voiced Bethany in series four of the audio play Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures.
In January 2025, Mills made her first appearance in episode 2 of series 28 on the BBC TV forensic crime series Silent Witness as Kit Brookes, a crime analyst.
In June 2025, Mills starred as 'Millie' in ITV comedy series Transaction, written by and co-starring Jordan Gray.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes2015Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force AwakensLaparoUncredited role; also creature & droid puppeteer2016Zoolander 2Elfin Huntress
Television Year Title Role Notes2015Off Their RockersPrankster2 episodes: "Blue Badge Specials 1 & 2"2018–2019HarlotsCherry DorringtonSeries 2 & 3; 15 episodes2019–2021Worzel GummidgeEarthy MangoldSeries 1 & 2; 6 episodes2020Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The MusicalThingTelevision musical filmJack and the Beanstalk: After Ever AfterButcherTelevision film2022PistolHelen of TroyMini-series; 5 episodesSneakerheadJemma3 episodesThe Witcher: Blood OriginMeldofMini-series; 4 episodes2023BBC Comedy Singles: KirkmooreChloeTelevision SpecialBoat StoryBelindaMini-series; 1 episode2024Time BanditsDetective Katherine5 episodes2025-presentSilent WitnessKit BrookesSeries 28 and 29, 17 episodes2025TransactionMillie6 episodes2026Mouse (voice)Upcoming animated short story
Theatre Year Title Role Company / Theatre / reference2014See How They RunIdaThe Reduced Height Theatre Company, Richmond Theatre2016The Government InspectorMariaRamps on The Moon / Birmingham Repertory TheatreA Pacifist's Guide to the War on CancerEnsembleComplicité / Royal National Theatre2017Cyrano de Bergerac(unknown)Northern Broadsides - UK tourA Tale of Two CitiesNovice / SeamstressRegent's Park Open Air Theatre2018The Two Noble KinsmenJailer's DaughterShakespeare's GlobePity(unknown)Royal Court TheatreA Midsummer Night's DreamSnugSheffield Crucible2019The American ClockMultiple rolesThe Old VicMalory TowersSally HopeWise Children - UK tour2022All of UsPoppyRoyal National Theatre2023A Midsummer Night's DreamHermiaShakespeare's GlobeThe Duchess of MalfiDuchessSam Wanamaker Playhouse / Shakespeare's Globe2025HamletOpheliaRoyal National Theatre
Awards and nominations Year Award Role Work Result Ref.2016Ian Charleson AwardsMariaThe Government Inspector at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre2024Ian Charleson AwardsHermiaA Midsummer Night's Dream at Shakespeare's Globe
References
External links
Francesca Mills - twitter Francesca Mills – Instagram