Laila Zaidi
Laila Zaidi | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 1993 King's Lynn, England |
| Alma mater | ArtsEd |
| Years active | 2016–present |
Laila Zaidi (born October 1993) is an actress. On television, she is known for her roles in the tenth series of Benidorm (2018) on ITV and the fifth series of the Channel 4 comedy-drama Ackley Bridge (2022).
Early life
[edit]Zaidi was born in King's Lynn, Norfolk to a Pakistani father from Karachi and an English-Welsh mother,[1] and grew up in Washington, Tyne and Wear.[2] She has an older brother and a younger sister. Zaidi attended Newcastle High School for Girls. She went on to graduate in 2016 from the Arts Educational School (ArtsEd) in West London with a Bachelor of Arts (BA).[3]
Career
[edit]Upon graduating from ArtsEd in 2016, Zaidi made her professional stage debut starring as Maria in the Kilworth House production of West Side Story.[4] She also appeared in The Season Ticket at the Northern Stage. In 2017, she workshopped Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express at The Other Palace in London[5] and made her television debut with a guest appearance in an episode of the BBC medical soap Doctors.
In 2018, Zaidi joined the cast of the long-running ITV sitcom Benidorm for its tenth series as Cyd.[6] She took part in the original cast of the folk opera The Selfish Giant, which premiered at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton[7] and then had a run at London's Vaudeville Theatre for the venue's Oscar Wilde season, marking Zaidi's West End debut.[8] In 2019, she starred as Jess Bhamra in the Canadian production and North American premiere of Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in Toronto.[9]
Zaidi joined the main cast of the Channel 4 school-set comedy drama Ackley Bridge for its fifth and final series as the teacher Asma Farooqi, which aired in 2022.[10][11] In 2023, she appeared in the Live Theatre production of Three Acts of Love in Newcastle. She then went on the Rifco tour of Frankie Goes to Bollywood as the titular character.[12]
Personal life
[edit]In 2023, Zaidi became engaged to fellow Benidorm star Adam Gillen;[13] their relationship had been initially reported on in 2018.[14]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Doctors | Samika Ramaswamy | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Benidorm | Cyd | Main role, 5 episodes (series 10) |
| 2018 | Amigo de Aluguel | Hannah | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Hayley Alien | Artist | Short film |
| 2020 | Holby City | Christie O'Connor | 1 episode |
| 2021 | The Everlasting Club | Short film | |
| 2022 | Mood | Zara | 1 episode |
| 2022 | Ackley Bridge | Asma Farooqi | Main role, 10 episodes (series 5) |
| 2024 | Doctors | Maria Jaziri | 7 episodes |
| TBA | Dog Days | Hope |
Stage
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | West Side Story | Maria | Kilworth House, Leicestershire |
| 2016 | The Season Ticket | Clare / Gemma | Northern Stage, Newcastle |
| 2017 | Starlight Express | Tassita | The Other Palace, London |
| 2018 | The Selfish Giant | Charlie / Hail | Royal & Derngate, Northampton / Vaudeville Theatre, London |
| 2019 | The Boy Friend | Polly Browne | Menier Chocolate Factory, London / Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto |
| 2019 | Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical | Jasminder "Jess" Bhamra | St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto |
| 2023 | Three Acts of Love | Clara | Live Theatre, Newcastle |
| 2024 | Frankie Goes to Bollywood | Frankie | UK tour |
References
[edit]- ^ Silvers, Isabella (25 July 2022). "Laila Zaidi: "This is who I am and I don't have to prove that to you"". Mixed Messages. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ Sagar, Sharuna (9 December 2023). "Live Theatre's Three Acts of Love brings talent home". BBC Look North. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ "Final curtain for A Level dance students at Newcastle High". Girls' Day School Trust. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ Ashworth, Pat (6 June 2016). "West Side Story review, Kilworth House, Leicestershire, 2016". The Stage. Retrieved 3 January 2024.(subscription required)
- ^ "Rising Stars: Laila Zaidi". The Media Eye. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Laila Zaidi". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ Bowie-Sell, Daisy (6 March 2018). "Jeff Nicholson, Izuka Hoyle, Rose Shalloo and more cast in The Selfish Giant". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "Opening night for Jeff Nicholson and Laila Zaidi in The Selfish Giant". Global Artists. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ Train, Louis (19 December 2019). "Review: BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM at St Lawrence Centre". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ Brown, Nancy (25 November 2021). "Benidorm star Laila Zaidi to appear in Ackley Bridge as new series confirmed by Channel 4". Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ "Interview with Laila Zaidi (who plays Asma Farooqi)". Channel 4 Press. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ Nazir, Azjad (27 April 2024). "Laila Zaidi: Passion and powerful intention". Eastern Eye. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Chase, Stephanie (29 September 2023). "Benidorm co-stars confirm they're engaged". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ Deen, Sarah (15 March 2018). "Benidorm stars Adam Gillen and Laila Zaidi 'are secretly dating in real life'". Metro. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
External links
[edit]- Laila Zaidi at IMDb
- Laila Zaidi at Spotlight