Born Laird La'akea Akeo, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Ladd Akeo and Andrea Wicklund. Raised in Maui, Hawaii, Laird got his start acting in theatre at the Haleakala Waldorf School. He went on to pursue a degree in acting at Nebraska Wesleyan University, shortly thereafter landing his first on-screen role in the film Paradise City, directed by Chuck Russell.