Lara Pulver was born on September 1, 1980, in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. She attended the National Youth Music Theatre from 1995 to 1999 and later trained at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts, graduating in 2000.
Pulver began her professional career in musical theatre. Notable stage roles include originating the role of Lucille Frank in the UK premiere of Parade (Donmar Warehouse, 2007), for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She also starred as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, 2008) and took over the role of Doris in Enron in the West End.
Pulver gained wider recognition for her television work. She is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Irene Adler in the BBC series Sherlock (2012), an episode that garnered critical acclaim and cemented her status as a prominent actress. Other significant television roles include: