Holly Aird

[Twocky61]

Holly Aird was spotted by a casting director aged nine whilst at Bush Davies Ballet School, and starred in the 1980 dramatisation of the HG Wells novel The History of Mr Polly In 1981 she portrayed the young Elspeth Huxley the television adaptation of the latter's autobiographical book The Flame Trees of Thikka

In 1982 she starred as the young Beatrix Potter in The Tale of Beatrix Potter. She was seen in Happy Valley in 187 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 recently 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 Channel4's drama, 'Secret Life', about a paedophile and in 2009 took a leading role in Talkback Thames Monday Monday.

Holly is probably best known for ITV's Hope it Rains:
Harry Nash (Tom Bell) is the proprietor of a waxworks in a rundown seaside resort. He has to struggle to make ends meet, but he manages to get by somehow. Suddenly, Harry finds himself having to cope with his god-daughter Jace Elliott (Holly Aird), who comes to stay with him after the death of her parents. Harry is a morose, self-contained individual, while Jace is a hard-bitten, abrasive young lady from a tough neighbourhood. The two take an instant dislike to one another, but have to find ways to coexist.

But the best performances for me was when she starred in Lost wher she plays a mother of a snatched toddler only to meet her some years later only to find the child does not know her having been brought up in another family

And also 15-The Life & Death of Philip Knight played by Daniel Newman where she was his social worker

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106189/

[syed20]

Re: Holly Aird

Harry Nash (Tom Bell) is the proprietor of a waxworks in a rundown seaside resort. He has to struggle to make ends meet, but he manages to get by somehow. Suddenly, Harry finds himself having to cope with his god-daughter Jace Elliott (Holly Aird), who comes to stay with him after the death of her parents. Harry is a morose, self-contained individual, while Jace is a hard-bitten, abrasive young lady from a tough neighbourhood. The two take an instant dislike to one another, but have to find ways to coexist.

[Twocky61]

Re: Holly Aird

That's what I said lol

[syed20]

Re: Holly Aird

i like it very much.

[Rollingstone88]

Re: Holly Aird

I think Holly's best performance was in 'Seal Morning' back in 1986. Does anyone remember her in that? I was lucky enough to get to know her, meet and correspond with her during the late '80s as I was working as a journalist for a TV/film magazine and was assigned to do an indepth article about her. I still have her letters, photos, and all the info I researched and collected. She is a beautiful, friendly girl (well, she was then, so hope she still is!) who was very approachable, not at all 'the big star', always had time for people, so confident, and dedicated to her career. I'm so happy she has had such success. I think she would have been a top big screen actress if we had a film industry in this country. She always spoke of the lack of roles for women in film over here and how she wanted to make a feature film. I haven't seen her in so much lately but hope her career is still going well. I know she had a few personal problems with marriage, etc., had kids. The last thing I saw her in was 'Lost'. She was brilliant in that. And 'Waking The Dead'. What an actress! Hope she pops up in something else soon.

[Twocky61]

Re: Holly Aird

Thanks for the further info Rollingstone. Seal Morning is one I don't remember but I do remember Waking the dead

Here are a couple of pics of Holly I have found on the net:

[Rollingstone88]

Re: Holly Aird

Thanks for those lovely photos of Holly, Twocky61 I'll have to try and take some photos of the collection I have and put them on here. I'm more interested in her earlier, more obscure TV roles. 'Seal Morning' was a really good series. I've tried to find it on DVD but it's only available on Region 1 DVD for £75!! She also did some theatre - 'Brighton Beach Memoirs' at the Aldwych Theatre in 1985 and 'Ring Round The Moon' at the Chichester Theatre in 1988. She was also in the sit-com, 'Affairs of the Heart' in 1985 and, one of my favourite and most under-rated comedies, 'Double First' with Michael Williams, 1988. There is some great stuff out there Holly did but isn't as recognized as series like 'Waking The Dead' and 'Soldier Soldier'. There was also a sit-com with Sylvia Sim's daughter, but I'll be damned if I can remember the titleI half remember 'Hope It Rains'. She was so good in 'Lost'. The best thing she's done yet. I wish she'd do more dramas like that. Cheers!

[Twocky61]

Re: Holly Aird

Thanks Rollingstone I'd love to see more pics of her

My favourite role she played was the social worker Karen Painton to Daniel Newman's character Philip Knight in '15 - The Life & Death of Philip Knight'

[Rollingstone88]

Re: Holly Aird

I'll try and get them done, Twocky61. I have some lovely stills from her early work like 'Seal Morning', 'Flame Trees Of Thika', 'Affairs Of The Heart' and some of the plays. Now, that's a role I've never heard of '15-The Life And Death Of Philip Knight' Will have to look that up. I recall she appeared in episodes of 'Inspector Morse' and 'Miss Marple' (the BBC Joan Hickson series). But, I love her best when she's in the lead role as she can really carry a good drama or comedy on her own, she's such a brilliant actress. Must find out what she's up to these days. Theatre, maybe. Please don't resort to soaps or 'Big Brother', 'I'm A Celebrity', HollyGreat talking to you

[Twocky61]

Re: Holly Aird

I'm sure Holly would never participate in Big Brother or I'm a Celebrity & the likes of that dross. You obviously know Holly better than I do Rollingstone but from what I see in her acting and the person she is, she does not come across as the bimbo she would need to be to appear in Big Brother or I'm a Celebrity

One thing that I have always found when watching Holly is she acts extremely well & it is a pity she is not more widely known.

Holly is one of my heroines & I am an ardent fan of hers. I would just love to meet her and ask her about her career

[Rollingstone88]

Re: Holly Aird

You're right, Twocky61, I doubt very much Holly would lower herself to those **** reality shows. She's way above that. She's got class and style. I had the pleasure of meeting her in the late 80s, she was just a teenager then, of course, but we worked together on an interview for a magazine so I had to do a lot of research. We got together many times and she even phoned me, which I cannot imagine many actresses doing. But, she was so friendly, down-to-earth and not at all 'show biz'. She complained a lot about the state of the British film industry, said her heroine was Elizabeth Taylor, she used to be friends with Ronnie Corbett's daughter, Sophie, and they were known as 'The Gruesome Twosome', so the mind boggles what they got up to! She was just so open about everything. We came to be good friends but lost touch along the way. I'm sure she is still the same 'normal' person she was back then. I miss seeing her on screen. I agree totally with you, she should be known more widely. She has always been so under-rated and should have been getting leading parts in dramas and comedies, as she is such a versatile actress. It frustrates me that she she was, basically, co-star, in everything she did until 'Happy Valley' and then 'Lost'. The only way of contacting her would be through her agent now, if they can be found on the internet. Gone are the good old days of the Who's Who On Television Yearbook!! I think maybe she's doing theatre or taking time off to bring up her kids, but there's no way it can be through lack of work offers. I hope she turns up in something soon. You sound like a real big fan. It would be lovely if you could get in touch with her and meet her. You wouldn't be disappointed, I'm sure I took some photos yesterday so will see if I can get them on here soon. I've never tried before so hope I can manageI will be happy to share any memories of Holly with you. She's been my favourite TV actress since I first saw her and would be a worldwide known actress if we made more films in the UK. Infact, she would have been terrific in Claire Goose's role in 'The Undeniable'

[Rollingstone88]

Re: Holly Aird



Here's a nice pic of Holly, Twocky61

[Twocky61]

Re: Holly Aird

+++wow+++ :d

[Rollingstone88]

Re: Holly Aird

I'm having so much trouble trying to upload my photos of Holly, Twocky61, but I'll try again later:cry:

[Rollingstone88]

Re: Holly Aird

Well, here's a coupleThe signed one is one she gave me when I knew her in the late '80s