Martina Laird
#193415 Most Popular
About
Actress whose decades-long career includes the role of Lashana in Disney's 2023 revival of The Little Mermaid. Her most notable role, which she portrayed for 11 years, was as Comfort Jones on the multi-award-winning drama series Casualty. She has also had recurring roles in shows such as Holby City, EastEnders, and Shameless.
Before Fame
She relocated to England as a teenager after winning a scholarship to study French at the University of Kent at Canterbury. While attending, she also studied drama. She began acting in stage productions and made her television debut in a 1993 episode of the drama series Harry.
Trivia
She was the 2004 winner of the Screen Nation Best TV Actress Award. She has also earned a Michael Elliot Trust Award for Original Television Performance.
Family Life
Her family was close friends with Nobel Prize-winning poet and playwright Sir Derek Walcott. It was on his advice that her parents enrolled her in the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, after learning of her desire to become an actress.
Associated With
She played Comfort Jones on Casualty, opposite co-stars Jane Hazlegrove, Charles Dale, and Derek Thompson.
