From Midwife to Movie Star: Laura Guest’s Big-Budget Acting Journey

Laura Guest, an actress from West Runton in Norfolk, has found success in the world of film and television, but her journey to the screen was not a typical one. Before she became an actress, Laura trained to be a midwife, which means she learned how to help mothers give birth. However, she never worked as a midwife because she felt she was too emotionally involved in the job. Instead, Laura spent years working in an office for the North Norfolk District Council. It was during this time that she rediscovered her love for acting, a passion she had as a child. She remembered playing the genie in a school play of Aladdin and realized how much she missed performing.

When Laura turned 40, she decided to take acting more seriously. She started performing in plays at the Sheringham Little Theatre and took a course in method acting. After getting an agent in London, she began to land roles in big-budget productions. Laura has appeared in popular shows like Gangs of London and Bridgerton. Her first film role was in A Moment In Time, where she played a midwife alongside famous actors Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. Laura said both Florence and Andrew were very kind and made her feel like she belonged on set.

Laura also played a midwife in the Oscar-tipped film Hamnet, directed by Chloe Zhao. She described the experience as unique and said Chloe was very collaborative, allowing everyone to contribute their ideas. Laura was on set for several days, helping with scenes that involved midwifery. Recently, Laura returned to her old school, Sheringham High, to film her own short movie called Daydreaming. She praised the local talent in Norfolk, both in front of and behind the camera, and said she received great support from a company called Epic Broadcast in Norwich. The school was excited to have a professional film made on its grounds, and Laura is now looking for a distributor for her film. She believes Norfolk has a lot to offer to filmmakers and hopes to continue her journey in the industry.