Tala Gouveia facts for kids

Tala Helen Gouveia is a British actress. She was born on February 13, 1988. Many people know her best for playing DCI Lauren McDonald. This role was in the ITV crime drama McDonald & Dodds, which aired from 2020 to 2024.

Early Life

Tala Gouveia was born in Nottingham, a city in the United Kingdom. Her parents were both actors who worked in theatre. Tala studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic. This is a well-known drama school.

Acting Career

Tala's first job on television was a small part in the show EastEnders. She played a character named Nurse Green. She was on the show from 2011 to 2013.

Starring in McDonald & Dodds

From March 2020 to August 2024, Tala Gouveia starred in the ITV police drama McDonald & Dodds. She played DCI Lauren McDonald. The show was set in Bath. In the series, she worked alongside Jason Watkins. He played Detective Dodds. They were a pair of detectives who were very different from each other. Many famous guest stars also appeared on the show. These included actors like Rob Brydon and Patsy Kensit.

Other TV Shows and Voice Work

Tala has also appeared in other popular TV shows. She played Gemma Murphy in the drama Cold Feet. She also lent her voice to the CBeebies children's series Go Jetters. In 2018, she was in the BBC1 Christmas show Click & Collect.

Besides live-action roles, Tala Gouveia has done voice acting. She provided the voice for Cleo Farr in the animated series Scream Street. She worked with other voice actors like Jim Howick and Tyger Drew-Honey on this show.

Selected Filmography