Making her screen debut in 2008, Kirby Howell-Baptiste has raked in credits in movies and TV shows in her relatively short acting career. The English actress, born in London, England, on February 7, 1987, has a passion for acting at an early age. Howell-Baptiste enrolled at the Anna Scher Theatre to pursue her dream of being a professional actress.
With the Mark Protosevich-created 8-part mystery drama series Sugar, gaining traction on Apple TV+, all eyes turn to the beautiful and calm Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s character. Cast as Ruby in Sugar, Howell-Baptiste plays Colin Farrell’s character’s colleague and handler. If the actress looks familiar, here are Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s notable roles in movies and TV shows from where you may recognize her.
A Dog’s Purpose
A Dog’s Purpose is centered around the life of a dog whose soul is reborn into a new dog after he dies. As a result, audiences get to watch the dog help its owners in each life journey. Kirby Howell-Baptiste is introduced much later in the movie as the fourth person to own the dog. Cast as Maya Williams, Howell-Baptiste plays a lonely, shy Atlanta college student who adopts a male Corgi named Tino in the mid-1980s. Tino (the dog) stays with Maya through her marriage and the birth of her three kids. Tino died in the 1990s and was reborn in 2014 as a St. Bernard/Australian Shepherd mix puppy.
Downward Dog
Downward Dog was canceled after the first season despite having amazing reviews from critics and the audience. In the ABC sitcom, Kirby Howell-Baptiste was cast as Jenn. It was her first main role on television since she made her screen debut. Her character was Nan’s (Allison Tolman) co-worker and best friend. Interestingly, it was Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s second dog-themed project in the same year. For those fortunate to watch the series, Howell-Baptiste is one of the show’s unmissable characters.
The Good Place
The NBC fantasy comedy series The Good Place can rightly be categorized as Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s earliest and most popular project on television. The Good Place enjoyed fantastic ratings throughout its 4 seasons, with its lowest Rotten Tomatoes rating being 92% from its first season. Kirby Howell-Baptiste was cast in a recurring role as Simone Garnett, with Kristen Bell leading the cast as Eleanor Shellstrop.
Howell-Baptiste’s character was an Australian Professor of Neuroscience at St. John’s University. She joined the series in the season 3 premiere episode (“Everything Is Bonzer!” Part 1). Howell-Baptiste stayed remained on the show until its final season and finale (“Whenever You’re Ready”). Besides being the second test subject sent to the experimental Good Place, Simone Garnett also briefly dated Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper).
Killing Eve
Television audiences that missed Kirby Howell-Baptiste in The Good Place would most likely have seen her in Killing Eve. Cast as Elena Felton, Howell-Baptiste’s character was Eve Polastri’s (Sandra Oh) assistant at the MI5. Howell-Baptiste was part of the cast in the series premiere episode (“Nice Face”). The actress only appeared in the British spy thriller series in seasons 1 and 4. The character’s last appearance was a guest appearance as a hallucination in the season 4 penultimate episode (“Making Dead Things Look Nice”).
Barry
On the HBO black comedy crime drama Barry, Kirby Howell-Baptiste was cast in a recurring role as Sasha Baxter. The character was a British actress and one of the students in Gene Cousineau’s (Henry Winkler) acting class. Although Howell-Baptiste was a recurring character, she appeared in seasons 1 and 2. While she had no appearance in season 3, she appeared as a guest in the final season. The show was an astronomical success, with all 4 seasons receiving nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmy Award.
Veronica Mars
Kirby Howell-Baptiste might not have been billed as the lead actor on Veronica Mars, but she delivered an unforgettable performance. Howell-Baptiste joins the cast in the fourth and final season of the show as Nicole Malloy, the owner of a Neptune nightclub. Veronica Mars was the second time Howell-Baptiste and Kristen Bell shared screens after The Good Place. With the popularity of the series and movie, it is one place audiences would recognize the Sugar actress.
Why Women Kill
Away from playing a nightclub owner, Kirby Howell-Baptiste was cast as Taylor Harding, a bisexual feminist and a fiercely intelligent lawyer, in the dark comedy anthology series Why Women Kill. By this time in her career, Howell-Baptiste was no longer just another face in the crowd. Having starred in several successful TV shows, it’s no surprise she’s one of the leads on Why Women Kill. Howell-Baptiste’s performance received special praise from critics and audiences.
Cruella
Until 2021, most of Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s notable credits had been on television. Her casting as Anita Darling in the Emma Stone-led crime comedy Cruella helped give her the needed exposure on the big screen. Howell-Baptiste’s Anita Darling character was a gossip columnist and Estella’s (Emma Stone) childhood classmate. Although Cruella was a commercial failure, it received generally positive reviews.
The Sandman
A more recent and recognizable appearance on television would be the Netflix fantasy drama The Sandman. Kirby Howell-Baptiste may have only appeared in one of its episodes (“ Sound of Her Wings”), but her portrayal of Death was phenomenal. Although she only appears in a single episode in The Sandman season 1, audiences can expect to see more of the character in season 2.
Queenpins
Kirby Howell-Baptiste teamed up again with Kristen Bell in the 2021 comedy Queenpins. Playing co-leads, Howell-Baptiste played Joanna “JoJo” Johnson, best friend to Bell’s character. The movie follows the lead female characters as they embark on a coupon heist. Co-starring alongside Howell-Baptiste and Bell are Vince Vaughn, Paul Walter Hauser, Joel McHale, and Dayo Okeniyi.
Although Queenpins wasn’t a commercial success, it’s still one of Howell-Baptiste’s most popular projects on the big screen. Movie audiences may also recognize Kirby Howell-Baptiste from her supporting role in Silent Night (2021) and playing the lead in the 2024 drama We Strangers. If you recognize Kirby Howell-Baptiste from these movies and TV shows, learn more about the cast of Sugar.
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