Emma Laird has come a long way since that fateful evening on the rooftop of her Los Angeles apartment, where she found herself in tears after missing out on a role in HBO’s “Gossip Girl” reboot. Despite feeling defeated at the time, Laird’s career has taken off in ways she never imagined.
Now based in London, the 27-year-old actress has quickly risen to prominence in the UK entertainment industry. With a diverse range of projects already under her belt, including roles in “Mayor of Kingstown,” “The Brutalist,” and “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” Laird is making a name for herself as a versatile and talented performer.
Her breakout moment came while filming Nia DaCosta’s “The Bone Temple,” where she played the role of Jimmima, a member of a murderous cult led by Jack O’Connell. It was during this shoot in a semi-freezing field in Yorkshire that Laird had a career epiphany, realizing that she was living her dream of being a part of the wild and weird world of acting.
Laird’s journey to acting was unexpected, as she was originally scouted as a model at a music festival at the age of 17. After six years in the fashion industry, she decided to pursue acting full-time, landing her breakthrough role in Taylor Sheridan’s “Mayor of Kingstown” alongside Jeremy Renner.
With a string of successful projects behind her, including “The Crowded Room” and “The Brutalist,” Laird is now focused on taking on bold and daring roles that challenge her as an actress. She is drawn to unconventional and quirky characters, expressing a desire to play roles that are out of the ordinary.
Looking ahead, Laird has her sights set on joining the cast of HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” series, potentially as one of the underwater Merpeople. She is also gearing up for the premiere of “Mint,” a stylized drama series where she plays the lead role of the daughter of a crime family.
As Laird’s career continues to soar, she remains grounded and humble, acknowledging that her success could have taken a different turn if she had landed the role in “Gossip Girl.” Reflecting on her journey, she finds beauty in the unexpected twists and turns that have led her to where she is today.
With a promising future ahead of her, Emma Laird is ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities that come her way, confident in her ability to shine in whatever role she takes on. And as she looks back on that rooftop moment in LA, she can’t help but smile at the irony of it all, knowing that sometimes the best things come from unexpected setbacks.
