Isabella Laughland Explained

Birth Name:Isabella India Jane Laughland
Birth Place:Hammersmith, London, England
Years Active:2008–present
Occupation:Actor

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 (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

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 with her older brother Oliver,[3] 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.[4]

Career

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 (2010) and Part 2 (2011).[4]

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

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

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceLeanne
2010
2011
2012National Theatre Live

The Last of the Haussmans

SummerLive streaming theatre
Now Is GoodBeth
2015Urban HymnLeanne Dixon
2016Sarah Chong Is Going to Kill HerselfInternShort film
Chubby FunnySophie
2017SmearAnnaShort film
Film Stars Don't Die in LiverpoolVanessa Uncredited
2018Unexpected ItemNickyShort film
Slaughterhouse RulezKay
MercuryAlShort film
2021Reset the StageBeeShort (monologue)
2022Good Luck to You, Leo GrandeBecky

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2008The InbetweenersLouise GrahamEpisode: "Will's Birthday"
2009 10 Minute Tales Hotel Check Out GirlEpisode: "Syncing"
That Mitchell and Webb LookVarious 1 episode
2011 Without You Beth1 episode
Black MirrorSwiftEpisode: "Fifteen Million Merits"
2012 The Hollow Crown The Queen's Serving LadyEpisode: "Richard II"
2013Coming UpTeresaEpisode: "Henry"
2014Comedy FeedsTaylorEpisode: "In Deep"
2015 Lewis Gina DoranSeries 9, 2 episodes: "Magnum Opus: Parts 1 & 2"
2017Liam Williams' ValentineClaireTV Short
2018SettlingAnna6 episodes
2019ChimericaAlex Sguerra3 episodes
McRaeEpisode: "Jay"
Voice role; 10 episodes
2020GhostsClare2 episodes
TrigonometryMoira Moi7 episodes
2021Anne BoleynElizabeth Browne3 episodes
2022Four LivesChina3 episodes
2023FoundationBrother Constant6 episodes
TBAThe Road TripDebMain role[10]

Stage

YearTitleRoleDirectorVenueRef.
2010WanderlustMichelleSimon GodwinRoyal Court Theatre
2011GreenlandLisaBijan SheibaniNational Theatre
2012The Last of the HaussmansSummerHoward Davies
2013Hard FeelingsVivJames HillerFinborough Theatre
The Same Deep Water As MeIsabella ReynoldsJohn CrowleyDonmar Warehouse
King LearCordeliaAngus JacksonChichester Festival Theatre, [11]
2015Pride and PrejudiceElizabeth BennettTamara HarveyCrucible Theatre[12]
A Further Education LydiaCaitlin McLeodHampstead Theatre[13]
2016BU21IzzyDan PickTrafalgar Theatre[14]
2018CockWKate HewittMinerva Theatre, Chichester[15]
2019EitherEnsembleGuy JonesHampstead Theatre[16]
2020Love, Love, LoveRoseRachel O'RiordanLyric Theatre[17]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultNotesRef.
2010Evening Standard Theatre AwardsOutstanding NewcomerWanderlust, Royal Court Theatre
2016BIFA Most Promising NewcomerUrban Hymn
2018Festival Européen du Film Court de Nice Prix d'interprétation feminine - EuropeenneMercury(shared with Harriet Cains)[18] [19]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Genes Reunited - Isabella India J Laughland. Genes Reunited. 26 January 2023.
  2. Why my grandfather would have delighted in this Windies side. The Guardian. Oliver. Laughland. 3 February 2019. 25 January 2023.
  3. Nick Laughland obituary. The Guardian. 6 July 2020.
  4. Web site: Introducing… Isabella Laughland . Official London Theatre. 15 August 2013.
  5. Web site: BIFA most promising newcomer 2016 longlist. BIFA. 14 October 2016 .
  6. Web site: Review: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool. Slant Magazine. 20 December 2017.
  7. Web site: Stefan. Pape. Did George Boleyn have an affair with "Lizzie" Elizabeth Browne? Fact checking Channel 5's drama. RadioTimes. 1 June 2021 .
  8. Morgan. Jeffery. Meet the cast of BBC One's true crime drama Four Lives. RadioTimes. 4 January 2022.
  9. Web site: Stefan. Pape. "If you want to be famous & rich, don't be an actor" – Isabella Laughland on Urban Hymn, vanity and Potter . HeyUGuys. 27 September 2016.
  10. Web site: The Witcher star lands next lead TV role. Digital Spy. 30 November 2023. Sam. Warner. 28 November 2023.
  11. Web site: 27 October 2018 . Cock by Mike Bartlett - 28 September – 27 October 2018 Minerva Theatre . Chichester festival Theatre.
  12. Web site: 13 May 2015 . First look at the cast of Pride and Prejudice at Sheffield Crucible . WhatsOnStage.
  13. Web site: Isabella Laughland . 18 January 2023 . Lyric.
  14. Web site: O'Hanlon . Dom . 29 December 2016 . Interview with Isabella Laughland starring in BU21 at the Trafalgar Studios 2 . London Theatre.
  15. Web site: 2018-10-04 . Review: Cock, Minerva . 2024-02-29 . There Ought To Be Clowns . en-US.
  16. Web site: 16 September 2019 . Full Cast Announced for Either . Hampstead Theatre.
  17. Web site: 12 March 2020 . Review: Love, Love, Love (Lyric Hammersmith Theatre) . WhatsOnStage.
  18. Web site: Isabella Laughland Awards. imdb.com (index source only) . 20 January 2023.
  19. Web site: Kyla Simone Bruce Writer/Director . kylasimonebruce.com . 20 January 2023.