Hannah Elizabeth Waterman[1] (born 22 July 1975) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Laura Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2000–2004).
Waterman joined the cast of BBC soap opera EastEnders as Laura Dunn in February 2000. Waterman previously appeared in the soap as an HIV patient in 1997. The character of Laura became the third wife of Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), but the marriage was not a happy one as the paternity of Laura's son Bobby was disputed. The character was killed off on 30 April 2004, after falling down the stairs in her flat after tripping over a toy when going to answer the door. Janine Evans (Charlie Brooks) was wrongly accused of murdering her after a receipt was found in Laura's flat following a bust-up. Waterman's mother Patricia Maynard played Laura's mother in EastEnders for a couple of episodes in 2001, and her one-time step mother Rula Lenska had also made a guest appearance in the series during Laura's run playing Frank Butcher's girlfriend in the Spain episodes in 2002.
Other work
Since her departure from EastEnders, Waterman has appeared in episodes of the BBC medical dramas Doctors and Holby City, The Bill and a recurring role in New Tricks, which also starred her father.
On stage she has appeared in The Vagina Monologues, Soap at The Stephen Joseph theatre and Tom, Dick and Harry and Calendar Girls in the West End.
Waterman married fellow EastEnders actor Ricky Groves in 2006. They separated in 2010 and divorced in 2014.[8] Waterman has been in a relationship with Huw Higginson since 2010. They have a son, born 2011.[9]