Louisa Harland

 ( Living People ) 

Louisa Clare Harland (born ) is an Irish actress. She is known for her roles as Orla McCool in the Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls (2018–2022), as Nell Jackson in the Disney+ series Renegade Nell (2024) and as Anna Welch in the RTÉ series The Walsh Sisters (2025).

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Early life Brought up in Dundrum, Dublin, Harland has two older sisters, Katie and Ellie. She was part of the Ann Kavanagh Youth Theatre in Rathfarnham. She trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London.

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Career

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Television and film Upon graduation, Harland landed a recurring role as Kayleigh in season two of the RTÉ One series Love/Hate in 2011. She later appeared in films Rob Burke's Standby (2014) and Woody Harrelson Lost in London (2017).

In 2017, it was announced Harland had been cast as Orla McCool, the eccentric cousin of Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), in the Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls. The first series aired in January 2018, receiving critical and commercial acclaim, and the second in March 2019. A final third series, as well as a special, aired in 2022.

On 26 June 2020, Harland and her fellow Derry Girls costars performed a sketch with Saoirse Ronan for the RTÉ fundraising special RTÉ Does Comic Relief, with proceeds from the night going towards those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. That same year, Harland appeared in the film Boys from County Hell.

Harland plays the lead role of Nell Jackson in the 2024 Disney+ series Renegade Nell.

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Radio In March 2021, Harland performed with Sam Otto in an adaptation of the play Endless Second, by Theo Toksvig-Stewart, for BBC Radio 4. That May, she performed in an adaptation of the debut novel Snowflake, by Louise Nealon, for BBC Radio 4.

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Personal life Harland lives in Ladbroke Grove, London. As of 2023, she is in a relationship with English actor Calvin Demba.

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Filmography

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Film

2014	Standby	Julie
2017	Lost in London	Stella
2018	Sunday Tide	Violet	Short film
2020	Boys from County Hell	Claire McCann
2022	BabyDolls	Barbara	Short films
	Noah	Kerry
2024	Joy	Rachel
2025	Odd Socks	McBride (voice)	Short film
	Hamnet	Rowan
2026	A Woman's Work	Jolene Harper
		Ramona	Short film. Post-production
			Filming

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Television

2011	Love/Hate	Kayleigh	Series 2; 4 episodes
2016	Doctors	Caz Ellison	Episode: "Peanut"
	Harley and the Davidsons	Secretary	Mini-series; episode: "Race to the Top"
2018	Finding Joy	Tara	Episode: "Letting Go"
2018–2022	Derry Girls	Orla McCool	Main role. Series 1–3; 19 episodes
2019	Handy	Finnoula	Episode: "Pilot"
2020	The Deceived	Cloda O'Donnell	Mini-series; 3 episodes
2023	Big Boys	Midwife Kerry McFall	Episode: "The Night When"
2024	Renegade Nell	Nell Jackson	Lead role. 8 episodes
2025	The Walsh Sisters	Anna Walsh	Lead role. 6 episodes

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Audio

2021	Whistle Through the Shamrocks	Mammy	Podcast; 6 episodes

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Stage

2018	Cotton Fingers	Aoife	Aberaeron Memorial Hall, Aberaeron
2019	Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp.	Niamh	Royal Court Theatre, London
2023	Dancing at Lughnasa	Agnes	Olivier Theatre, National Theatre, London
	Ulster American	Ruth Davenport	Riverside Studios, London
2024	Long Day's Journey Into Night	Cathleen	Wyndham's Theatre, London

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External links

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