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Holly Aird | |
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| Born | Imogen Holly Aird 18 May 1969 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouses | |
| Website | https://twitter.com/airdholly |
Imogen Holly Aird (born 18 May 1969) [1] is an English television actress known for playing forensic pathologist Frankie Wharton in the BBC1 drama series Waking the Dead , having previously starred in productions such as Soldier Soldier and the 1997 film Fever Pitch alongside Colin Firth.
Aird was born in Aldershot, Hampshire. She was spotted by a casting director at age nine whilst at Bush Davies Ballet School and starred in the 1980 dramatisation of the H. G. Wells novel The History of Mr Polly . In 1981 she portrayed the young Elspeth Huxley in the television adaptation of the latter's autobiographical book The Flame Trees of Thika .
In 1981 she portrayed Elspeth Huxley in The Flame Trees of Thika . In 1982 she starred as the young Beatrix Potter in The Tale of Beatrix Potter. She was seen in The Happy Valley in 1987 with Denholm Elliott, in which she played a schoolgirl in Kenya in the 1930s. She starred in the channel 4 sitcom Dressing for breakfast in 1995. As well as small parts in various television series, Aird became known for playing Nancy Thorpe/Garvey in Soldier Soldier . In 2000 she starred as Frankie Wharton in Waking the Dead . [2] Aird has done voiceover for various BBC natural history projects (including Wild Mallorca) as well as various TV advertisements. In 2007 she played a clinical psychologist in Channel 4's drama 'Secret Life' and in 2009 took a leading role in Talkback Thames's Monday Monday .
Aird has two children, Joseph (with James Purefoy) [3] and Nelly (with husband Toby Merritt, who is a freelance photographer).
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Carry On Columbus | Maria | |
| 1996 | Intimate Relations | Deirdre | |
| 1997 | Fever Pitch | Jo | |
| 1998 | The Theory of Flight | Julie | |
| 1999 | Dreaming of Joseph Lees | Maria | |
| 1999 | The Criminal | Det. Sgt. Rebecca White | |
| 2002 | Possession | Ellen Ash | |
| 2006 | Scenes of a Sexual Nature | Molly | |
| 2011 | Page Eight | Anna Herve |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The History of Mr. Polly | Miss Polly | TV miniseries |
| 1981 | The Flame Trees of Thika | Elspeth Grant | TV miniseries |
| 1982 | Secrets | Wendy Ansell | TV film |
| 1982 | Spider's Web | Pippa Hailsham-Brown | TV film |
| 1982 | The Tale of Beatrix Potter | Beatrix Potter (young) | TV film |
| 1984 | Oxbridge Blues | Lucy | "The Muse" |
| 1985 | Affairs of the Heart | Rosemary Bonamy | Main role |
| 1986 | Seal Morning | Rowena Farre | TV series |
| 1987 | The Happy Valley | Juanita Carberry | TV film |
| 1988 | Inspector Morse | Angie Hartman | "Last Bus to Woodstock" |
| 1988 | Double First | Ellen Hobson | TV series |
| 1989 | Mother Love | Emily | TV miniseries |
| 1990 | Chain | Vicky Elliott | "Vicky Elliott" |
| 1990 | Sea Dragon | Ffion | "The Pursuit", "The Blood Feud" |
| 1991 | Miss Marple | Gina Hudd | "They Do It With Mirrors" |
| 1991–92 | Hope It Rains | Jace Elliott | TV series |
| 1991–1995 | Soldier Soldier | Sgt. Nancy Thorpe | Regular role (series 1–3, 5) |
| 1993 | 15: The Life and Death of Philip Knight | Karen Painter | TV film |
| 1995 | Kavanagh QC | Judy Simmons | "A Family Affair" |
| 1995 | Circles of Deceit: Dark Secret | Sarah Ellis | TV film |
| 1995–1998 | Dressing for Breakfast | Carla | Main role |
| 1997 | Have Your Cake and Eat It | Allie Gray | TV miniseries |
| 1997 | Rules of Engagement | Dawn Boll | TV film |
| 2000–2005 | Waking the Dead | Frankie Wharton | Main role (series 1–4) |
| 2006 | Losing It | Nancy McNaughton | TV film |
| 2006 | Casualty | Laura Merriman | "The Edge of Fear", "Killing Me Softly", "Silent Night" |
| 2007 | Secret Life | Emma | TV film |
| 2007 | Torn | Sarah Hooper / Alice Hooper | TV miniseries |
| 2009 | Law & Order: UK | Julia Mortimer | "Buried" |
| 2009 | Monday Monday | Alyson Cartmell | Main role |
| 2010 | Material Girl | Caroline | "1.2" |
| 2010 | Identity | Tessa Stein | TV miniseries |
| 2011 | The Promise | Chris Matthews | TV miniseries |
| 2011 | Midsomer Murders | Claire Powell | "The Oblong Murders" |
| 2011 | The Restaurant Inspector | Narrator (voice) | "1.1", "1.2" |
| 2011 | Page Eight | Anna Hervé | TV film |
| 2017 | Unforgotten | Elise Dunphy | Regular role (series 2) |
| 2017 | Grantchester | Alice Dunn | "3.3" |
| 2021 | A Discovery of Witches | Francoise | Series 2 |
| 2021 | Casualty | Laura Merriman | Series 36:14 - "Remember Me Part 1" |
| 2022 | Four Lives | Jeanette Taylor | Mini-series |
| 2023 | Hijack | Amanda | Main role |
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