Holly Laird joins the School of the
Arts as a drama major in the episode “Gonna Learn How To Fly”. At first she
struggles to fit in as the competition is too fierce. She considers quitting School but her friends
persuade her to stay.
Initially she is more concerned with
being a star than the quality of the work but she soon discovers she is going
to have to work really hard just to keep up with the other kids and soon starts
working with vocal coaches to improve herself.
Holly is pretty and frequently comes
across the prejudice of others thinking life is easy for her. Doris initially
has a problem with Holly because of her looks but eventually the two become
friends.
Holly isn’t particularly lucky in
love. Starting at the school at the same time as Chris Donlon creates a special
bond with him and they develop chemistry particularly when they are the leads
in a romantic show in “Appearances” but going out on a date together turns into
a disaster. As does her date with Billy, the pianist from Caruso’s, in “Equals”,
who turns out to be in wheelchair and pretty hung up about how people treat his
disability.
In “Indian Summer” she develops a crush
on Drama Teacher David Reardon but eventually realises that won’t go anywhere
either.
Holly is best friends with Nicole Chapman and the wo try living together in "Team Work" but that doesn't work out very well.
Holly’s parents Jim and Suzi Laird, live
in Darien New York and when Holly got accepted to the school she moved to an apartment
in the building owned by a friend of her father’s Mr Gianni, who keeps an eye
on her.
Dwight Mendenhall develops a crush on
Holly in season 4 but never plucks up the courage to tell Holly how he feels
until after she has left. In “The Inheritance” the kids phone Holly to get her
to speak to Dwight who has become unbearable, whilst directing his first play.
Holly lets him down gently.
Her Mother Suzi, had wanted to be a
singer before she got married and before Holly and her brothers were born and
Suzi career got put on hold. Although she would teach Holly to sing when she
was little as the hung the clothes out in the back yard. With the Family grown
up, Suzi wanted to pursue her singing career again. When she visits her
daughter there is often tension as Holly feels she can’t live up to her Mother’s
expectations.
Things become particularly unbearable
for Holly when her Mother fills in as a dance teacher at the school for a
couple of weeks in “The Rivalry” as Holly feels she can’t live up to the
expectation of being the best she can be.
As Suzi wants more out of life it
highlights problems in her relationship with her husband Jim. Fearing her
parents are getting a divorce Holly struggles with her feelings, which
manifests in her eating habits and Holly becomes anorexic, which leads to her
being hospitalised at one point. Thankfully she manages to come back from the
edge and gets her disorder under control.
In “Choices” Holly gets a part in day
time TV Soap Opera “Tomorrow Never Comes” as candy stripper Samantha Farrington
and leaves the School of the Arts to move to California to film the show.
She returns for Alumni week in “Baby
Remember My Name”.
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