Who is Mary Malone? All about the transgender actress who plays Aqua in Missing You

MARY Malone is a new name in showbiz, but she has landed a breakout role in one of Netflix’s most exciting dramas. 

The star appears in Missing You, a thriller set in Manchester, which sees a detective discovering that her fiance is still alive through a dating app.  

A love of acting

Not much is known about Mary’s early life, but she has described herself as being a “weird kid”. 

She opened up about how excited she was to play the role of Gregor in her school’s adaptation of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis. 

The actress told Pink News that she “loved playing that bug”. 

Mary graduated from the University of Essex in 2020 and landed a huge role almost immediately. 

She appeared in The Girlfriend Experience and A Play In A Day before returning to the theatre to star in Fangirls. 

Overcoming adversity

Although Mary has enjoyed a lot of success, she said that she still suffers from imposter syndrome and transphobic online trolling. 

She told Pink News: “I’m grateful to be where I’m at because I’ve really had to fight to get there. It’s not been easy. 

"We’re all fighting for these few small parts. 

“So, it takes a lot to hold your ground and say: ‘I deserve to be here, and I can do this.'

“It’s only recently that I feel myself settling slowly, and I’m enjoying it because this is what I’ve always wanted to do. 

"Sometimes you forget that when you’re wrapped up in it all.

"It’s happening, and I should stop and enjoy it.”

Mary’s love life

Mary is currently dating fellow actor Yasser Zadeh, who is known for his roles in the BBC’s I May Destroy You and Sky’s I Hate Suzie. 

He is a British-Iranian actor who grew up in Portsmouth.

Mary and Yesser keep much of their relationship private, but do occasionally post pictures of each other on their social media accounts.

Missing You

Mary’s role as “perky yoga teacher” Aqua in Netflix’s Missing You is her biggest role yet. 

The series follows Rosalind Eleazar’s character Kat Donovan, as she discovers her missing fiance on a dating app. 

The moody series is based on a Harlan Coben thriller of the same name and is the eighth novel of his to be adapted into a film by Netflix. 

The 2024 smash hit Fool Me Once, starring Michelle Keegan, Joanna Lumley and Richard Armitage is another adaptation of Coben’s work. 

For Mary, though, her appearance in the series has a special meaning. 

She told Country and Town House: “I’m hoping Missing You will show people they can cast trans people in more interesting and fulfilling roles. 

“I’m hoping for more opportunities at this level.”