Elizabeth Laidlaw was born in North Carolina and spent her formative years in Chicago, Illinois, where she cultivated a passion for acting from a young age. As a high school student, she began to seriously pursue a career in the performing arts, taking on leading roles in school productions and local theatre companies, and even co-founding a traveling youth theatre troupe. After graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance and Directing, she returned to Chicago and launched a successful career as a stage actress, earning a Joseph Jefferson Nomination for her debut performance in John Patrick Shanley's "The Big Funk" with the Strawdog Theatre Company, where she is now a member emeritus. Her impressive resume also includes a Joseph Jefferson Award for her performance in Robert Shenkan's "The Kentucky Cycle". During this time, she took a hiatus from her career to participate in The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art's Shakespeare Training program in London.
Throughout her career in Chicago, Laidlaw has had the privilege of performing with numerous esteemed theatres, including the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Court Theatre, Writer's Theatre, The Goodman, and Steppenwolf. In 2003, she founded the Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre, a classical company comprising Chicago-based talent that travels to Northern Michigan to perform free outdoor Shakespeare productions during the summer months. In addition to her stage work, Laidlaw has established herself as a talented voice artist, providing voiceovers for television, radio, industrial, and internet projects. She has also appeared in a variety of full-length feature films and shorts produced by Chicago-based filmmakers.
Some of her notable film credits include starring in Stephen Cone's critically acclaimed film, Henry Gamble's Birthday Party, and having a featured role in Cleveland Abdustion. Her television credits include recurring roles on "Boss" and "Crisis", as well as appearances on "Betrayal", "Chicago PD", and "The Chicago Code". In 2018, she was cast in the series regular role of Officer Victoria "Vic" Renna on "The Red Line", a series produced by Ava Duvernay and Greg Berlanti for Warner Bros and CBS Television.
