Lucy Halliday
Lucy Halliday | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2004 (age 21–22) Paisley, Scotland |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Known for | Blue Jean (2022) California Schemin'' (2025) The Testaments (2026) |
| Awards | BAFTA Scotland |
Lucy Halliday is a Scottish actress from Paisley, Scotland. She first rose to prominence in 2022 after making her screen debut in the British drama Blue Jean, for which she received a British Independent Film Award nomination and won the BAFTA Scotland Award for Actress Film.[1]
She appeared in the musical biographical film California Schemin' (2025) alongside James McAvoy, before taking the co-lead role of Daisy in The Testaments (2026).
Early life and career
[edit]Lucy Halliday was raised in Paisley, near Glasgow in west central Scotland,[2] where she took part in youth theatre productions with PACE Youth Theatre from a young age.[3] Despite her early involvement in acting, she did not initially consider it a long-term career and had set those ambitions aside by the time she reached adulthood.[4] After being accepted to study medicine, her plans changed when Halliday came across an open casting call for Blue Jean and decided to audition.[5][6]
"How I got my first job was quite gutsy, There was an open call for a film that I saw online, and I didn't really match any of the description that they'd said, but I sent an email anyway, being like, ‘I'm perfect for this!’."
Halliday's first professional audition came about after she responded to an open casting call for Georgia Oakley's debut feature Blue Jean. By her own account, she did not match the brief listed in the call but emailed the production regardless.[7] She was cast as Lois, a secondary school student.[1]
At the 2022 British Independent Film Awards, Halliday was nominated for Best Supporting Performance, and was also included in the ensemble nomination shared by the cast.[8][9]
She won the Actress Film award at the BAFTA Scotland Awards in Glasgow on 19 November 2023 for her debut on-screen performance.[10][11]
In 2025, Halliday appeared as Mary Boyd in California Schemin', a musical biographical film based on Gavin Bain's memoir of the same name. The film tells the true story of Silibil N' Brains, a rap duo from Dundee. Halliday was listed among the principal cast alongside Séamus McLean Ross and Samuel Bottomley.[12]
Halliday starred in Hulu's television adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 2019 novel The Testaments, a sequel to The Handmaid's Tale.[13] She portrayed Daisy, of the three central narrators.[14][15][16]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Blue Jean | Lois |
| 2025 | California Schemin' | Mary Boyd |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | The Testaments | Daisy |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | British Independent Film Awards | Best Supporting Performance | Blue Jean | Nominated |
| Best Ensemble Performance | Nominated | |||
| 2023 | BAFTA Scotland | Actress Film | Won |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "'The Testaments' Star Lucy Halliday Reveals the "Best Piece of Advice" Elisabeth Moss Gave Her". Marie Claire. 2026-04-08. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ Rankin, Seija (2026-04-08). "Gilead's Latest It Girl: Lucy Halliday". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ "The Testaments star Lucy Halliday's rise from youth theatre to big time". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ "Lucy Halliday". Island Magazine. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ "Meet The Testaments actress Lucy Halliday, who's already won a Bafta Scotland". South China Morning Post. 2026-04-16. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ Calnan, Ellie. "Stars of Tomorrow 2024: Lucy Halliday (actor)". Screen. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ Fishman, Sophie (2026-04-08). "Exclusive: A "Ballsy Email" Changed The Life Of 'Testaments' Star Lucy Halliday". Bustle. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ "Winners and Nominations · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards". BIFA · British Independent Film Awards. 2022-11-03. Archived from the original on 2026-01-18. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (2022-11-04). "British Independent Film Awards: Debut Movies 'Aftersun,' 'Blue Jean' Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ "Winners announced: 2023 BAFTA Scotland Awards". Bafta. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ Raymond, Natasha (2023-10-12). "2023 BAFTA Scotland Awards Nominations Announced". Spotlight. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ "Lucy Halliday: The 'Girlfriend' Character Shouldn't be a Bystander". www.curzon.com. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2025-03-03). "'The Handmaid's Tale' Sequel 'The Testaments' Casts Lucy Halliday As Co-Lead Daisy". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ "Lucy Halliday Breaks Down Daisy's Daring 'Testaments' Finale — and What Elisabeth Moss Taught Her". ELLE. 2026-05-29. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ "Hulu's "The Testaments" Returns to Gilead For Another Timely Tale About Privilege and Complicity". www.rogerebert.com. 2026-04-02. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2025-03-03). "'The Handmaid's Tale' Sequel 'The Testaments' Casts Lucy Halliday As Co-Lead Daisy". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
