'First Wives' actress Mimi Lana values being independent even after marriage
Actress Mimi Lana says she's found personal resonance in her role in the series First Wives .
The eight-episode action drama is Mimi's first starring project since getting married to fellow actor Syafiq Kyle on Feb 14, 2025.
First Wives is centres around childhood friends Diyana (Mimi Lana) and Michelle (Melissa Campbell) who feel betrayed by their respective husbands.
Diyana learns her spouse Azzim (played by Malek McCrone) has secretly married another woman.
Michelle, meanwhile, discovers her partner Roshan (Charles Roberts) has gambled away their life savings, leaving them in debt to the shady Toa Seng (Andy Teh).
Diyana and Michelle then devise a plan to break in to Azzim's safe and steal the money to help pay off Roshan's debt.
However, when their plan goes south, the two women must save each other to avoid landing on the police radar.
Mimi Lana (right) and Melissa Campbell became close while making 'First Wives'. Photo: Handout
The 29-year-old reflected on how she feels more sad than angry for her character, Diyana, who learns that her husband has not been honest or faithful.
'When a woman loves deeply, she's often willing to give up everything for her partner.
'That kind of love and commitment is amazing – but also heartbreaking when it's not appreciated,' said Mimi, who had an on-off romantic relationship with Syafiq for eight years.
The couple got engaged in 2023 but broke up seven months later, only to reconcile and marry in 2025.
Thinking about her own life changes, the newlywed admitted that transitioning from girlfriend to wife brought new insights.
'There are a lot of differences I feel now that he is my husband.
'And only now I realise that being a wife is a big responsibility too and sometimes difficult as well,' Mimi said.
But one thing that she feels strongly about is that everyone – regardless of gender – needs to be independent after marriage, a theme she said the series First Wives showcases.
'Characters like Diyana and Michelle represent many women who, when they get married, end up devoting themselves entirely to the home.
'Some even become so dependent that they don't know how to pay bills or manage household matters on their own.
'Being independent doesn't always mean having a career. Independence comes in many forms,' she said.
'Women need to be active participants in their lives and marriages – not just rely on the idea that 'the man must provide everything'.
'In a marriage, there are two people involved. Both have to be present in that relationship,' Mimi added.
In her own marriage, Mimi shared that she and Syafiq had discussed boundaries around work even before tying the knot – 'and we both know what we should and shouldn't do'.
In fact, Mimi said that at the moment, she is spending most of her time fulfilling her responsibilities as a wife, since she has not yet started filming.
'Alhamdulillah, all blessings come from Allah, and so far, there haven't been any issues with managing my time.
'We only got married two months ago... Please pray that everything goes smoothly for us,' said Mimi, who was last seen on the big screen in the 2024 blockbuster The Experts alongside Syafiq.
What struck Mimi about First Wives was also how the series focuses on women supporting one another and not competing or tearing each other down – a message of friendship and solidarity they are proud to be associated with.
Elaborating on her social media, she wrote: ' First Wives is not just a show, it's a celebration of the strength and beauty of sisterhood. Here's to strong women and the bonds that hold us together.'
Sharing with the media that First Wives was one of the most enjoyable projects she's worked on, the Most Promising Actress nominee at the 2021 Malaysia Film Festival said: 'Melissa and I got really comfortable with each other on set. She speaks English and I speak Malay – it was like chicken and duck – but we really enjoyed ourselves making this series.'
First Wives is available on Astro On Demand and Astro Go. View this post on Instagram
A post shared by MIMS (@missmimilana)
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