Holly Aird was born on May 18th, 1969, in Aldershot, Hampshire, England. From a young age, she demonstrated a profound interest in ballet, which led her to attend a local dance school. Her talent was soon recognized, and at the tender age of nine, she was selected by a casting director to star in the 1980 television production, "The History of Mr. Polly".
Her initial foray into acting was a resounding success, and she continued to secure more prominent roles, including "The Tale of Beatrix Potter" (1983) and "The Flame Trees of Thika" (1981). During her time filming "The Flame Trees of Thika", her parents went through a divorce, but they remained supportive of her burgeoning acting career.
Holly Aird is one of the rare individuals who successfully navigated the challenging transition from child/teenage actor to adult actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as "Nancy Thorpe/Garvey" in the popular television series, "Soldier Soldier" (1991),and as forensic pathologist "Frankie Wharton" in the BBC series, "Waking the Dead" (2000). She left the show at the end of its fourth season to focus on her family.
Holly's personal life has not been without its challenges. She was married to actor James Purefoy, with whom she had a son, Joseph Purefoy, who was born with a rare blood disease. Holly and James were by Joseph's bedside in the hospital as he received treatment. Although they divorced in 2002, Holly has since found happiness with her second husband, Toby Merritt, whom she met on the set of "Waking the Dead". The couple has a daughter together, Nelly Merritt.
