Emma Laird

Emma Laird is an English actress. On television, she is known for her role in the Paramount+ series Mayor of Kingstown. Her films include A Haunting in Venice (2023) and The Brutalist (2024).^[1]

Emma Laird
Laird modelling for Vivienne Westwood in 2021
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2014–present

Early life and modelling

Laird is from Chesterfield.^[2] She attended Tupton Hall School, completing her A Levels in 2014.^[3][4]

Scouted by Models 1 at Leeds Festival when she was 18,^[5] Laird was a model for seven years.^[2][6] In 2019, she became the face of Pandora for the brand's autumn campaign.^[7][8] Laird has spoken critically of the modelling industry, calling it "very dangerous for young girls" as she was repeatedly told to lose weight. In addition, the lack of creative freedom "bored" her.^[9] Fatigued, she enrolled in acting classes at the New York Film Academy.^[10]

Acting career

In April 2021, Laird was cast in her debut television role in the Paramount+ crime thriller Mayor of Kingstown as Iris, "a dancer who uses her charms to her benefit, until those charms are used against her". The series premiered later that year.^[1] The Hollywood Reporter said Laird's handling of concurrent offers "lit up the town's buzz meter".^[11] In October 2021, Variety included Laird in their annual list of 10 Brits to Watch.^[12] In 2023, Laird starred in the Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room^[13] and made her feature film debut in Kenneth Branagh's A Haunting in Venice.^[14] The following year, she was part of the ensemble cast of the film The Brutalist (2024).^[15]

By February 2025, Laird was cast in Terry Gilliam's upcoming comedy film Carnival: At the End of Days.^[16][17]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2023	A Haunting in Venice	Desdemona Holland		[18]
2024	The Brutalist	Audrey		[19]
2025	Satisfaction	Lola		[20]
	28 Years Later †		Post-production	[21]
2026	28 Years Later: The Bone Temple †		Post-production	[21]
TBA	Fackham Hall †	Poppy	Post-production	[22]
	Falling †		Post-production	[23]
	Blood on Snow †		Filming	[24]

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2021–2024	Mayor of Kingstown	Iris	Main role, 30 episodes	[1]
2023	The Crowded Room	Annabelle	Miniseries, 5 episodes	[25]
TBA	Neuromancer †	TBA	Upcoming series	[26]
TBA	Mint †	Shannon	Upcoming series	[27]