Laura Carmichael is a British actress. Her TV appearances include her performance as Lady Edith Crawley in the ITV (UK) and PBS (US) television period drama series Downton Abbey, Marcella (2016), and the feature film A United Kingdom (2016). She is also a member of The Fitzrovia Radio Hour. Carmichael was born in Southampton, England. She is the middle of three daughters. Her sister Amy works for a software start-up company and her other sister Olivia is a charity fundraiser with the NHS. She was educated at Shirley Junior School, The Mountbatten School, and Peter Symonds College. Carmichael attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol, graduating in 2007, before spending two years in various odd jobs, including a teaching assistant, receptionist, and nanny while going to tiny auditions in fringe theatres