Laura Rollins

Last updated

Laura Rollins
Born
Birmingham, England
NationalityBritish-Bajan [1]
Education
OccupationActress
Television Doctors

Laura Rollins (born 20 December) [2] is a British-Bajan actress, known for portraying the role of Ayesha Lee on the BBC soap opera Doctors , a role which she played from September 2014 to June 2020. For her portrayal of Ayesha, she won the award for Best Female Dramatic Performance at the RTS Midlands Awards. Since leaving Doctors, Rollins has appeared in various television series including Innocent and Miss Scarlet and The Duke .

Contents

Life and career

Rollins began her acting training at the Carlton Junior Television Workshop, and while studying there, she made her television debut on the children's series The Demon Headmaster at the age of 10. [3] She was also featured in various advertisements and performed at the British Academy Children's Awards. [4] After leaving the workshop, Rollins began attending the University of Leeds, studying English and Theatre. She then did a one-year course at Arts Educational Schools in London. [4] In 1999, she starred in Welcome To Orty Fou as Caroline Saunders. [5]

In 2013, Rollins appeared in the feature film Communion, and in 2014, she auditioned for a role in the BBC soap opera Doctors . She took a sick day from work to attend the audition, and after a two-week process, she was given the role of Ayesha Lee. [5] [6] Whilst on the series, Rollins' character's storylines included romances with co-workers Sid Vere (Ashley Rice) and Bear Sylvester (Dex Lee), facing prejudice due to her race and troubled upbringing, and struggling with her mother's alcoholism and subsequent death, for which she won a Royal Television Society award for Best Female Dramatic Performance. [7] [8] She then starred in the 2016 short film From Noya, [9] [10] and the 2018 short film Shining Tor, for which she won Best Performance for at the 2019 Short Film Awards. [11] In January 2020, Rollins appeared in an episode of the BBC crime drama Silent Witness as Kate Langley. [12] On 20 May 2020, it was announced that Rollins would be leaving Doctors after six years in the role of Ayesha. [13] Her final scenes aired on 5 June 2020. [14] In 2021, she starred in the second series of the ITV drama Innocent . [15] Then in 2022, she made appearances in Father Brown and Miss Scarlet and The Duke . [16]

Filmography

2018AntiqueMaiaShort film
1998 The Demon Headmaster Game Show Winner1 episode
1999Welcome to Orty-FouCaroline Saunders4 episodes
2013CommunionAnnaFilm
2014–2020 Doctors Ayesha Lee Series regular
2016From NoyaPaigeShort film
2018Details to FollowGaiaShort film
2018The ReservesJamieAlso executive producer
2018Shining TorAmberShort film
2019That Phone CallWillowShort film
2020 Silent Witness Kate LangleyEpisode: "Hope: Part 1"
2020Fortune CookieNatalieShort film
2021 Innocent DS Suzy JonesMain role [17]
2021There's Always HopeSanyaFilm
2022 Father Brown Helen DelaneyEpisode: "The Wayward Girls"
2022 Miss Scarlet and The Duke ClementineRecurring role
2023 Death in Paradise Cheryl HornerEpisode: "#12.3"

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2015 Screen Nation Female Performance in TVDoctorsNominated [18]
2016 The British Soap Awards Best Actress DoctorsLonglisted [19]
2018 National Television Awards Serial Drama PerformanceDoctorsLonglisted [20]
2018The British Soap AwardsBest Female Dramatic PerformanceDoctorsNominated [21] [22]
2018 RTS Midlands Awards Best Female Dramatic PerformanceDoctorsWon [23]
2018 Inside Soap Awards Best Daytime StarDoctorsLonglisted [24]
2019The British Soap AwardsBest ActressDoctorsLonglisted [25]
2019Short Film AwardsBest PerformanceShining TorWon [11]

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References

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