{{Short description|English actress}} {{EngvarB|date=October 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Laura Howard | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = Laura Simmons | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1977}} | birth_place = [[Chiswick]], London, United Kingdom | | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1992–present | known_for = ''[[Midsomer Murders]]''<br>''[[So Haunt Me]]'' }} <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[image:LauraHoward.jpg|frame|right|A recent publicity image of actress Laura Howard.]] --> '''Laura Howard''' (born as '''Laura Simmons'''; 1977 in [[Chiswick]], London)<ref name="Midsomer Murders - Cast Details">{{cite web |website = the definitive guide |publisher = midsomermurders.net |url = http://www.midsomermurders.net/cast.php |title = Midsomer Murders – Cast Details |accessdate = 25 August 2008 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080820023727/http://www.midsomermurders.net/cast.php |archivedate = 20 August 2008 }} {{dead link|date=November 2014}}</ref> is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Cully Barnaby in the long-running British crime-[[Mystery fiction|mystery]] [[police procedural]] ''[[Midsomer Murders]]''.

== Biography == Howard's first major role came in 1992, playing the teenage daughter Tammy Rokeby in the [[BBC]] comedy series ''[[So Haunt Me]]''.<ref name="Midsomer Murders - Cast Details"/> She went on to play Cully Barnaby, the daughter of [[John Nettles]]' character Tom, in ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' from 1997 to 2011. Howard has also had a starring role in the [[Jack Rosenthal]] drama ''Interview Day''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116230/characters/nm0397452?ref_=tt_cl_c_6 | title=Interview Day (TV Movie 1996) - IMDb | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref> and its sequel ''Cold Enough For Snow''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134584/characters/nm0397452?ref_=tt_cl_c_6 | title=Cold Enough for Snow (TV Movie 1997) - IMDb | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref> Her other UK [[TV|television]] credits include ''[[Soldier Soldier]]'', ''[[The Bill]]'', ''[[Doctors (2000 TV series)|Doctors]]'' and ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]''.

Howard has appeared in numerous UK theatre productions, including the premiere of ''[[Life of Riley (play)|Life of Riley]]'' by [[Alan Ayckbourn]]. In June 2012, she appeared in Ayckbourn's ''[[The Norman Conquests]]'' at the [[Liverpool Playhouse]]. In 2014, she starred in ''Invincible'' by [[Torben Betts]] at the [[Orange Tree Theatre]] and then its transfer to the [[St James's Theatre]], London. In 2016, she appeared in two plays as part of the [[Royal Shakespeare Company|Royal Shakespeare Company's]] "Making Mischief" Season.

==Filmography==

===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2009 |''Be Good'' |Woman at Lake |Short |- |2011 |''Get Well Soon'' |Janet |Short |- | 2025 | ''[[What We Hide]]'' | Female Deputy | [[Drama (film and television)|Drama]] |- | 2025 | ''Invincible'' | Emily | [[Comedy drama]] |- |}

===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1990 |''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' |Victoria Leach |Episode: "Close to Home" |- |1992 |''[[Covington Cross]]'' |Alexandra Mullens |Episodes: "Eviction", "Armus Returns" |- |1992–1994 |''[[So Haunt Me]]'' |Tammy Rokeby |Main role |- |1995 |''{{sortname|The|Bill}}'' |Erica |Episode: "Day of Rest" |- |rowspan=2|1996 |''Interview Day'' |Pippa |TV film |- |''[[Soldier Soldier]]'' |Deborah Briggs |Recurring role (series 6) |- |1997 |''Cold Enough for Snow'' |Pippa 'Muffin' Lloyd |TV film |- |1997–2011 |''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' |[[List_of_Midsomer_Murders_characters#Cully_Barnaby|Cully Barnaby]] |Series 1–13; 43 episodes |- |1998 |''Queen's Park Story'' |Lily |TV short |- |2000 |''{{sortname|The|Bill}}'' |Star |"Beasts" |- |rowspan=2|2004 |''[[Doctors (2000 TV series)|Doctors]]'' |Jane Taylor |Episode: "What If" |- |''{{sortname|The|Hotel in Amsterdam|nolink=1}}'' |Gillian |TV film |- |2006 |''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' |Annie McQueen |Episode: "Angels and Demons" |- |rowspan=2|2012 |''[[Doctors (2000 TV series)|Doctors]]'' |Zoe Durand |Episode: "Matthew & Son" |- |''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' |Tania Sullivan |Episode: "The Only One You Love" |- |2013 |''[[EastEnders]]'' |Teacher |1 episode |- |rowspan=3|2014 |''[[Young Dracula]]'' |Sally Giles |Main (series 5) |- |''[[Doctors (2000 TV series)|Doctors]]'' |Amy Dobson |Episode: "Love, Honour, Betray" |- |''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' |Eva Heggarty |Episode: "Who Cares?" |- |rowspan=2|2015 |''{{sortname|The|Delivery Man|nolink=1}}'' |Melanie |Episode: "Truth" |- |''[[Cuffs (TV series)|Cuffs]]'' |Lynne |Episode: "1.5" |- |2016 |''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' |Carly Swinford |Episode: "Fall on Me" |- |2019 |''[[Call the Midwife]]'' | Cissy Pilkington |Series 8 Episode 6 |- |2021 | ''[[The Mash Report|Late Night Mash]]'' | Visit Britain advert narrator | Voice only |- |rowspan="2"| 2023 | ''[[Funny Woman]]'' | Audrey | Series 1 episode 1 |- | ''[[COBRA (British TV series)|COBRA]]'' | DCI Smith | Series 3 episode 3: "Rebellion 3" |- | 2024 | ''[[Dune: Prophecy]]'' | Orla Richese | 2 episodes |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0397452|name=Laura Howard}} * {{rotten-tomatoes-person|1149566-laura_howard}} * {{TV Guide person|3000391141}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Laura}} [[Category:English television actresses]] [[Category:1977 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Hounslow]] [[Category:Actresses from London]] [[Category:English film actresses]] [[Category:English stage actresses]] [[Category:English Buddhists]] [[Category:20th-century English actresses]] [[Category:21st-century English actresses]] [[Category:People from Chiswick]]