Laila Zaidi | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 1993 (age 31–32) King's Lynn, Norfolk, England |
| Alma mater | ArtsEd |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Spouse | Adam Gillen |
Laila Zaidi (born October 1993) is a British actress. On television, she is known for her roles in the tenth series of Benidorm (2018) on ITV, the fifth series of the Channel 4 comedy-drama Ackley Bridge (2022) and for her role as Maria Jaziri on the BBC soap opera Doctors (2024).
Zaidi was born in King's Lynn, Norfolk to a Pakistani father from Karachi and an English-Welsh mother, [1] and grew up in Washington, Tyne and Wear. [2] She has an older brother and a younger sister. Zaidi attended Newcastle High School for Girls. She went on to graduate in 2016 from the Arts Educational School (ArtsEd) in West London with a Bachelor of Arts (BA). [3]
Upon graduating from ArtsEd in 2016, Zaidi made her professional stage debut starring as Maria in the Kilworth House production of West Side Story . [4] She also appeared in The Season Ticket at the Northern Stage. In 2017, she workshopped Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express at The Other Palace in London [5] and made her television debut with a guest appearance in an episode of the BBC medical soap Doctors .
In 2018, Zaidi joined the cast of the long-running ITV sitcom Benidorm for its tenth series as Cyd. [6] She took part in the original cast of the folk opera The Selfish Giant , which premiered at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton [7] and then had a run at London's Vaudeville Theatre for the venue's Oscar Wilde season, marking Zaidi's West End debut. [8] In 2019, she starred as Jess Bhamra in the Canadian production and North American premiere of Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in Toronto. [9]
Zaidi joined the main cast of the Channel 4 school-set comedy drama Ackley Bridge for its fifth and final series as the teacher Asma Farooqi, which aired in 2022. [10] [11] In 2023, she appeared in the Live Theatre production of Three Acts of Love in Newcastle. She then went on the Rifco tour of Frankie Goes to Bollywood as the titular character. [12] In 2024, she appeared in the BBC soap opera Doctors as Maria Jaziri. [13]
In 2023, Zaidi became engaged to fellow Benidorm star Adam Gillen; [14] their relationship had been initially reported on in 2018. [15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Doctors | Samika Ramaswamy | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Benidorm | Cyd | Main role |
| 2018 | Amigo de Aluguel | Hannah | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Hayley Alien | Artist | Short film |
| 2020 | Holby City | Christie O'Connor | 1 episode |
| 2021 | The Everlasting Club | Short film | |
| 2022 | Mood | Zara | 1 episode |
| 2022 | Ackley Bridge | Asma Farooqi | Main role |
| 2024 | Doctors | Maria Jaziri | Recurring role |
| TBA | Dog Days | Hope | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | West Side Story | Maria | Kilworth House, Leicestershire |
| 2016 | The Season Ticket | Clare / Gemma | Northern Stage, Newcastle |
| 2017 | Starlight Express | Tassita | The Other Palace, London |
| 2018 | The Selfish Giant | Charlie / Hail | Royal & Derngate, Northampton / Vaudeville Theatre, London |
| 2019 | The Boy Friend | Polly Browne | Menier Chocolate Factory, London / Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto |
| 2019 | Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical | Jasminder "Jess" Bhamra | St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto |
| 2023 | Three Acts of Love | Clara | Live Theatre, Newcastle |
| 2024 | Frankie Goes to Bollywood | Frankie | UK tour |