Born in Islington in 1957.  He was trained at the Anna Scher Theatre in Islington. His TV work includes ‘Playthings’ with Stephen Frears, ‘Waterloo Sunset’, ‘Victims of Apartheid’ and ‘Vanishing Army’ He is one of the founder members of the Black Theatre Co-operative and played the part of Zippy in their production of ‘Welcome Home Jacko’. His other classical credits include Firk in Thomas Dekker's The Shoemaker's Holiday at the Leeds Playhouse in February 1989, directed by Jude Kelly, and also  for Jude Kelly in 1992, Laird played Ambitioso in Cyril Tourneur's The Revenger's Tragedy..