Holly Aird

Holly Aird
Born	(1969-05-18) 18 May 1969 Aldershot, Hampshire, England
Occupation	Actress
Spouse(s)	James Purefoy Toby Merritt

Imogen Holly Aird, (born 18 May 1969) 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.

Early life

Aird was born in Aldershot, Hampshire. She was spotted by a casting director aged 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.

Career

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. 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. 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 two children, Joseph with James Purefoy, and Nelly with husband Toby Merritt who is a freelance photographer.

Selected credits

• The History of Mr Polly (1980)
• The Flame Trees of Thika (1981)
• The Tale of Beatrix Potter (1982) as young Beatrix
• The Spider's Web (1982)
• Affairs of the Heart (1983 and 1985)
• Seal Morning as Rowena Farre (1986)
• The Happy Valley (1987)
• Inspector Morse "The Last Bus to Woodstock" as Angie Hartman (1988)
• Miss Marple as Gina Hudd in "They Do It With Mirrors" (1991)
• Hope It Rains (1991–92)
• Soldier Soldier (1991–93)
• Carry On Columbus as Maria (1992)
• Intimate Relations (1996)
• Dressing for Breakfast as Carla, 21 episodes (TV series, 1995–98)
• Fever Pitch (1997 film) as Jo
• Waking the Dead, 24 episodes (2000–04)
• Possession as Ellen Ash (2002)
• Scenes of a Sexual Nature as Molly (2006)
• Casualty as Laura Merriman (2006)
• Torn as Sarah (2007)
• Law & Order: UK "Buried" as Julia Mortimer (2009)
• Monday Monday as Alyson Cartmell (2009)
• Identity as Tessa Stein (2010)
• The Promise as Chris Matthews (2011)
• Page Eight as Anna Herve (2011)

External links

• BBC Biography
• Holly Aird at the Internet Movie Database