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Isabella Laughland

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Isabella Laughland
Born
Isabella India Jane Laughland

1991 (age 32–33)
Hammersmith, London, England
OccupationActor
Years active2008–present

Isabella India Jane Laughland (born 1991) is a British actress. She began her career in the Harry Potter films Half Blood Prince (2009) and Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) and Part 2 (2011). She went on to star in Urban Hymn (2015) and Chubby Funny (2016). Her other films include Now Is Good (2012), Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018), Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017), and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022).

On television, she is known for her roles in the Black Mirror episode "Fifteen Million Merits" (2011), the BBC Two comedy-drama Trigonometry (2020), and the Channel 5 miniseries Anne Boleyn (2021). She also had recurring roles in the Channel 4 drama Chimerica (2019), the BBC One sitcom Ghosts (2019) and drama Four Lives (2022), and a voice role in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) on Netflix.

Laughland is a regular performer on stage, starring in the National Theatre productions of Greenland (2011) and The Last of the Haussmans (2012). In 2010, she was nominated for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for her performance in Wanderlust at the Royal Court Theatre.

Early life and education

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Laughland was born in 1991[1] in West London to Welsh television director Nick Laughland (1951–2020) and casting director Nadira Seecoomar, who is of Indo-Guyanese heritage. Seecoomar's father had arrived in England from Guyana in 1962 as part of the Windrush generation.[2] Laughland was raised in Twickenham, South West London[3] with her older brother Oliver,[4] now a reporter for The Guardian.

As a teenager, Laughland participated in a drama group hosted each Saturday by the Young Blood Theatre Company at the Riverside Studios, Hammersmith. However, her mother insisted that she take her GCSEs before going into acting. Laughland further developed her acting skills through the National Youth Theatre.[3]

Career

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Laughland made her television debut in a 2008 episode of the E4 sitcom The Inbetweeners. She was 16 when she was cast as Leanne in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, marking her feature film debut in 2009. She would reprise her role in the final two Harry Potter films Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) and Part 2 (2011).[3]

Also in 2010, Laughland made her professional stage debut in Nick Payne's Wanderlust at the Royal Court Theatre, for which she was nominated for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. She then appeared in the Black Mirror episode "Fifteen Million Merits" on Channel 4 and the teeb film Now Is Good, and starred in the National Theatre productions of Greenland and The Last of the Haussmans.

Laughland starred in the 2015 and 2016 films Urban Hymn and Chubby Funny. For her performance in the former, Laughland was longlisted for the British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer.[5] She led Pride and Prejudice opposite James Northcote at the Sheffield Crucible. In 2017, she played Vanessa in the film Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool in a cast which included Annette Bening, Julie Walters, Stephen Graham, and Vanessa Redgrave.[6]

In 2021, Laughland starred in the Channel 5 Tudor thriller Anne Boleyn as “Lizzie” (Elizabeth Browne, Countess of Worcester), lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.[7]

In 2022, she played the role of China in the BBC One four-part true crime drama Four Lives alongside Stephen Merchant and Sheridan Smith.[8]

Personal life

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Laughland has said she dislikes watching herself on screen, but does so to analyse her performance, and regards her acting career as a marathon rather than a sprint.[9]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Leanne
2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
2012 National Theatre Live: The Last of the Haussmans Summer Live streaming theatre
Now Is Good Beth
2015 Urban Hymn Leanne Dixon
2016 Sarah Chong Is Going to Kill Herself Intern Short film
Chubby Funny Sophie
2017 Smear Anna Short film
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool Vanessa Uncredited
2018 Unexpected Item Nicky Short film
Slaughterhouse Rulez Kay
Mercury Al Short film
2021 Reset the Stage Bee Short (monologue)
2022 Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Becky

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2008 The Inbetweeners Louise Graham Episode: "Will's Birthday"
2009 10 Minute Tales Hotel Check Out Girl Episode: "Syncing"
That Mitchell and Webb Look Various 1 episode
2011 Without You Beth 1 episode
Black Mirror Swift Episode: "Fifteen Million Merits"
2012 The Hollow Crown The Queen's Serving Lady Episode: "Richard II"
2013 Coming Up Teresa Episode: "Henry"
2014 Comedy Feeds Taylor Episode: "In Deep"
2015 Lewis Gina Doran Series 9, 2 episodes: "Magnum Opus: Parts 1 & 2"
2017 Liam Williams' Valentine Claire TV Short
2018 Settling Anna 6 episodes
2019 Chimerica Alex Sguerra 3 episodes
Criminal: UK McRae Episode: "Jay"
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Voice role; 10 episodes
2020 Ghosts Clare 2 episodes
Trigonometry Moira Moi 7 episodes
2021 Anne Boleyn Elizabeth Browne 3 episodes
2022 Four Lives China 3 episodes
2023 Foundation Brother Constant 6 episodes
TBA The Road Trip Deb Main role[10]

Stage

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Year Title Role Director Venue Ref.
2010 Wanderlust Michelle Simon Godwin Royal Court Theatre
2011 Greenland Lisa Bijan Sheibani National Theatre
2012 The Last of the Haussmans Summer Howard Davies
2013 Hard Feelings Viv James Hiller Finborough Theatre
The Same Deep Water As Me Isabella Reynolds John Crowley Donmar Warehouse
King Lear Cordelia Angus Jackson Chichester Festival Theatre, [11]
2015 Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth Bennett Tamara Harvey Crucible Theatre [12]
A Further Education Lydia Caitlin McLeod Hampstead Theatre [13]
2016 BU21 Izzy Dan Pick Trafalgar Theatre [14]
2018 Cock W Kate Hewitt Minerva Theatre, Chichester [15]
2019 Either Ensemble Guy Jones Hampstead Theatre [16]
2020 Love, Love, Love Rose Rachel O'Riordan Lyric Theatre [17]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Notes Ref.
2010 Evening Standard Theatre Awards Outstanding Newcomer Wanderlust, Royal Court Theatre Nominated [11][3]
2016 British Independent Film Awards BIFA Most Promising Newcomer Urban Hymn Longlisted [5]
2018 Festival Européen du Film Court de Nice Prix d'interprétation feminine - Europeenne Mercury Won (shared with Harriet Cains) [18][19]

References

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  1. ^ "Genes Reunited - Isabella India J Laughland". Genes Reunited. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  2. ^ Laughland, Oliver (3 February 2019). "Why my grandfather would have delighted in this Windies side". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Introducing… Isabella Laughland". Official London Theatre. 15 August 2013.
  4. ^ "Nick Laughland obituary". The Guardian. 6 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b "BIFA most promising newcomer 2016 longlist". BIFA. 14 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Review: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool". Slant Magazine. 20 December 2017.
  7. ^ Pape, Stefan (1 June 2021). "Did George Boleyn have an affair with "Lizzie" Elizabeth Browne? Fact checking Channel 5's drama". RadioTimes.
  8. ^ Jeffery, Morgan (4 January 2022). "Meet the cast of BBC One's true crime drama Four Lives". RadioTimes.
  9. ^ Pape, Stefan (27 September 2016). ""If you want to be famous & rich, don't be an actor" – Isabella Laughland on Urban Hymn, vanity and Potter". HeyUGuys.
  10. ^ Warner, Sam (28 November 2023). "The Witcher star lands next lead TV role". Digital Spy. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Cock by Mike Bartlett - 28 September – 27 October 2018 Minerva Theatre". Chichester festival Theatre. 27 October 2018.
  12. ^ "First look at the cast of Pride and Prejudice at Sheffield Crucible". WhatsOnStage. 13 May 2015.
  13. ^ "Isabella Laughland". Lyric. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  14. ^ O'Hanlon, Dom (29 December 2016). "Interview with Isabella Laughland starring in BU21 at the Trafalgar Studios 2". London Theatre.
  15. ^ "Review: Cock, Minerva". There Ought To Be Clowns. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Full Cast Announced for Either". Hampstead Theatre. 16 September 2019.
  17. ^ "Review: Love, Love, Love (Lyric Hammersmith Theatre)". WhatsOnStage. 12 March 2020.
  18. ^ "Isabella Laughland Awards". imdb.com (index source only). Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Kyla Simone Bruce Writer/Director". kylasimonebruce.com. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
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