Introduction
Laura Jane Haddock (born 21 August 1985) is an English actress. She is best known for portraying Kacie Carter in Honest, Lucrezia in Da Vinci's Demons, Meredith Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Alison in The Inbetweeners Movie and Transformers: The Last Knight as Viviane Wembly (2017).
Early life
Born in Enfield, London and raised in Harpenden, Hertfordshire (where she attended St. George's School), Haddock left school at the age of 17 and moved to London to study drama. She trained at Arts Educational School in Chiswick.
Career
Haddock made her television debut in the television pilot Plus One, part of the Comedy Showcase 2008. Her other television credits include The Palace, My Family, The Colour of Magic, Marple: A Pocket Full of Rye and Honest, playing the lead role of Kacie Carter. She also appeared in the pilot episode of Life Is Wild, the American version of Wild at Heart. She also starred in adverts for dot tel. Haddock played the lead role of Natasha in the ITV1 comedy drama Monday Monday, and appears in series two and three of How Not to Live Your Life, replacing previous female lead Sinéad Moynihan.
In 2011, she appeared in the Cinemax/Sky TV drama Strike Back: Project Dawn for two episodes playing the kidnapped daughter of an illegal arms dealer. She starred as Lucrezia Donati, the mistress of Lorenzo de' Medici and lover of Leonardo da Vinci in the 2013 series Da Vinci's Demons. Haddock's theatre credits include Famous Last, which formed part of the 2009 Sky Arts Theatre Live! project, and Rutherford & Son at Northern Stage. In 2014, she portrayed Meredith Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy, a role she reprised in its 2017 sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Currently, she is featured in the ITV series, The Level, and landed the role of Vivian Wembley in the new Michael Bay film Transformers: The Last Knight, scheduled to release on 23 June 2017.
Personal life
Haddock married actor Sam Claflin in July 2013 after dating for two years. On 5 November 2015, at the The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 London premiere, it was revealed that Claflin and Haddock were expecting their first child. Haddock gave birth to their child, a son, in December 2015.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Captain America: The First Avenger | Fangirl | Credit as Autograph Seeker |
| 2011 | The Inbetweeners Movie | Alison | Nominated – Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer |
| 2012 | Storage 24 | Nikki | |
| 2012 | House Cocktail | The Beautiful | Short film |
| 2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy | Meredith Quill | |
| 2014 | A Wonderful Christmas Time | Cherie | |
| 2015 | Superbob | June | |
| 2017 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Meredith Quill | |
| 2017 | Transformers: The Last Knight | Viviane Wembly |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | My Family | Melanie | Episode: "Life Begins at Fifty" |
| 2007 | Comedy Showcase | Nicky | Episode: "Plus One" |
| 2007 | The Colour of Magic | Bethan | Television film |
| 2008 | Marple: A Pocket Full of Rye | Miss Grosvenor | Television film |
| 2008 | Honest | Kacie Carter | |
| 2008 | The Palace | Lady Arabella Worthesley Wolsey | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Monday Monday | Natasha | |
| 2009–2011 | How Not to Live Your Life | Samantha | |
| 2011 | Strike Back: Project Dawn | Dr. Clare Somersby | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Rage of the Yeti | Ashley | Television film |
| 2012 | Upstairs Downstairs | Beryl Ballard | |
| 2012 | Missing | Susan Grantham | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Dancing on the Edge | Josephine | Episode: "Interviewing Louis" |
| 2014 | Ripper Street | Lady Vera | Episode 6: "The Incontrovertible Truth" |
| 2013–2015 | Da Vinci's Demons | Lucrezia Donati | |
| 2015 | Luther | Megan Cantor | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | The Musketeers | Pauline | |
| 2016 | The Level | Hayley Svrcek |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Famous Last | Treena | Orange Tree Theatre |
| 2009 | Rutherford and Son | Mary | Northern Stage |
| 2010 | Old Jimmy's Daughter | Billy | The Great Theatre of Holland |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Empire Awards | Best Female Newcomer | The Inbetweeners Movie | Nominated |
| 2014 | Detroit Film Critics Society | Best Ensemble | Guardians of the Galaxy | Won |
| 2014 | Nevada Film Critics Society | Best Ensemble Cast | Guardians of the Galaxy | Won |
| 2014 | Phoenix Film Critics Society | Best Ensemble Acting | Guardians of the Galaxy | Nominated |
| 2015 | Central Ohio Film Critics Association | Best Ensemble | Guardians of the Galaxy | Nominated |
| 2016 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries | Luther | Nominated |