Carl was born in Pittsburgh. She enjoyed performing from a young age, but became especially interested in her senior year of high school. She graduated from Point Park College in 1982.^[1] During her studies, Carl trained in classical theatre at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. She moved to England in 1985, wanting to do Shakespeare, and joined a theatre company called TNT.^[2]

Carl played news anchor Trinity Wells, a recurring character in the first four series of the 2005 revival of Doctor Who,^[3] appearing in the episodes "Aliens of London"/"World War Three", "The Christmas Invasion", "The Sound of Drums", "The Poison Sky", "Turn Left", "The Stolen Earth" and "The End of Time". Wells also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-offs The Sarah Jane Adventures (in the stories Revenge of the Slitheen and Secrets of the Stars) and Torchwood, during its five-part serial Children of Earth, making her the first character to appear in all three programmes.^{[citation needed]} To this date, Carl is one of just four actors to have appeared in all three shows, the others being Anthony Daebeck (who plays a French newsreader),^[4] Julian Bleach^{[citation needed]} and Paul Marc Davis. In 2023, Carl reprised her role in "The Giggle", as part of Doctor Who's 2023 specials.

Carl also narrated the behind-the-scenes special Doctor Who: The Companions for BBC America, released as part of the seventh series DVD box set.

Carl has also appeared in Grange Hill, Batman and Alien Autopsy. She plays one of the voices in The Notekins and was the first voice of Muck and Molly in the American English dub of the children's TV series Bob the Builder. Carl played a minor role as the US Ambassador in the British TV show Ambassadors.

Carl lives in Crouch End, North London with her husband, composer Alejandro Viñao. They have a son.^[2]

• Lachele Carl at IMDb