Kirby Howell-Baptiste, born on 23 October 1987 in London, England, is an English actress who has steadily built a reputation for her versatile performances across both television and film. Credited mononymously as Kirby from 2025 onwards, she first began her acting career with minor roles in British television before making a significant leap to the United States, where she quickly became a recognizable face in a string of critically acclaimed series. Her early work included appearances on shows such as The IT Crowd and The Bill, but it was her move to the U.S. that truly launched her into the spotlight.

Howell-Baptiste’s breakthrough came with a series of prominent supporting roles that showcased her range. She played a recurring role as Beth in the comedy series Love from 2016 to 2018, and later that year, she appeared as a series regular on the ABC sitcom Downward Dog. Her profile rose significantly when she joined the cast of the BBC America thriller Killing Eve in 2018, playing Elena Felton, a colleague and friend to Sandra Oh’s Eve Polastri. That same year, she began a recurring role as Sasha Baxter on the hit NBC comedy The Good Place, and also appeared in the first season of the HBO dark comedy Barry as Sasha, a fellow acting student. These simultaneous roles demonstrated her ability to balance both comedic and dramatic material, earning her widespread recognition.

In 2019, Howell-Baptiste took on a lead role in the CBS All Access anthology series Why Women Kill, playing Taylor Harding, a lawyer in an open marriage, opposite Lucy Liu and Jack Davenport. She also appeared in the fourth season of the revived Veronica Mars, playing Nicole Malloy. Her voice work expanded the same year when she voiced a character in the animated anthology series Infinity Train. However, her most iconic role to date came in 2022 when she was cast as Death of the Endless in the Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. Her portrayal of the wise and gentle anthropomorphic personification of death was widely praised by both fans and critics, and she reprised the role in the spin-off series Dead Boy Detectives in 2024. That same year, she starred in the Apple TV+ drama Sugar, playing Melanie Mackey opposite Colin Farrell.

Beyond television, Howell-Baptiste has also made her mark in film, appearing in the 2020 comedy The Bubble directed by Judd Apatow and the 2023 thriller The Mother alongside Jennifer Lopez. She has also lent her voice to the animated series Splinter Cell: Deathwatch in 2025. As of 2025, she continues to be a sought-after talent in the industry, known for her ability to bring depth and nuance to every role she undertakes. With a career that spans across genres and platforms, Kirby Howell-Baptiste has firmly established herself as one of the most compelling British actresses working in Hollywood today.