Holly Aird

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Holly Aird
Born
Imogen Holly Aird

(1969-05-18) 18 May 1969 (age 55)
Aldershot, Hampshire, England
OccupationActress
Years active1980–present
Spouses
(m. 1996;div. 2002)
Toby Merritt
(m. 2004)

Imogen Holly Aird (born 18 May 1969) [1] is an English television actress. She was born in Aldershot, Hampshire.

Contents

Career

Aird 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 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 . She starred in the 1997 film Fever Pitch alongside Colin Firth, and in 2000 as forensic pathologist 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 .

Family

Aird has one son with James Purefoy, [3] and one daughter with husband Toby Merritt.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
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
The Criminal Det. Sgt. Rebecca White
2002 Possession Ellen Ash
2006 Scenes of a Sexual Nature Molly
2021 Silent Night Susie
2022Fly FreeFionaShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1980The History of Mr. PollyMiss Polly2 episodes
1981 The Flame Trees of Thika Elspeth Grant7 episodes
1982SecretsWendy AnsellTV film
Spider's Web Pippa Hailsham-BrownTV film
1983The Tale of Beatrix Potter Beatrix Potter (young)TV film
1984 Oxbridge Blues LucyEpisode: "The Muse"
1985 Affairs of the Heart Rosemary Bonamy6 episodes
1986Seal MorningRowena Farre6 episodes
Sunday PremiereJuanita CarberryEpisode: "The Happy Valley"
1988 Inspector Morse Angie HartmanEpisode: "Last Bus to Woodstock"
Double First Ellen Hobson7 episodes
1989 Mother Love Emily4 episodes
1990ChainVicky ElliottEpisode: "Vicky Elliott"
Sea DragonFfionEpisodes: "The Pursuit", "The Blood Feud"
1991 Miss Marple Gina HuddEpisode: "They Do It With Mirrors"
1991–1992Hope It RainsJace Elliott13 episodes
1991–1995 Soldier Soldier Sgt. Nancy ThorpeRegular role (series 1–3, 5)
199315: The Life and Death of Philip KnightKaren PainterTV film
1995 Kavanagh QC Judy SimmonsEpisode: "A Family Affair"
Circles of Deceit: Dark SecretSarah EllisTV film
1995–1998 Dressing for Breakfast Carla21 episodes
1997 Have Your Cake and Eat It Allie Gray4 episodes
Rules of EngagementDawn BollTV film
2000–2005 Waking the Dead Frankie WhartonMain role (series 1–4)
2006Losing ItNancy McNaughtonTV film
2006, 2021 Casualty Laura Merriman5 episodes
2007Secret LifeEmmaTV film
Torn Sarah Hooper / Alice Hooper3 episodes
2009 Law & Order: UK Julia MortimerEpisode: "Buried"
Monday Monday Alyson Cartmell7 episodes
2010 Material Girl CarolineEpisode #1.2
Identity Tessa Stein6 episodes
2011The PromiseChris Matthews4 episodes
Midsomer Murders Claire PowellEpisode: "The Oblong Murders"
The Restaurant Inspector Narrator (voice)2 episodes
Page Eight Anna HervéTV film
2017 Unforgotten Elise Dunphy3 episodes
Grantchester Alice DunnEpisode #3.3
2021 A Discovery of Witches Francoise6 episodes
2022 Four Lives Jeanette Taylor2 episodes
McDonald & Dodds Paula MonksfordEpisode: "Belvedere"
2023 Hijack Amanda7 episodes

References

  1. Thomson, Anna (2018) "On this day: May 18", Metro, 18 May 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018
  2. Brown, David (2018) "The stars of Waking the Dead on their new prequel drama – and why the show could be coming back to TV'", Radio Times , 4 March 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018
  3. Farndale, Nigel (2011) "James Purefoy interview", Daily Telegraph , 13 June 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2018