Maria Darling is a British voice actress known for her extensive work in children's television and video games, active in the industry since 1994. Born on October 23, 1968, in London, England, she has provided character voices for numerous programmes broadcast in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

In the context of anime and anime-related projects, Darling is primarily recognised for her role in the 2009 animated film Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva. This film, based on the popular Professor Layton video game series, features Darling voicing the character Luke Triton, the young apprentice to the protagonist, Professor Hershel Layton. Her performance as Luke was part of the UK English dub produced by Manga Entertainment, in which she reprised the role she had originated for the UK releases of the Professor Layton video games. In addition to Luke Triton, she also provided the voice for the character Annie Dretche in the film's English adaptation.

Beyond this specific anime film, Darling's career is marked by a high volume of voice work in animation, often for preschool and children's series. Her credits include voicing Dizzy and Roley in the US version of Bob the Builder, the title character in Roary the Racing Car, and multiple characters in series such as Fifi and the Flowertots, Rubbadubbers, and The Backyardigans. This demonstrates a career specialisation in character voice work, frequently performing multiple roles within a single production, a skill known as "acting for two".

Her video game work is extensive and closely tied to her role in the Professor Layton series. Darling provided the UK voice for Luke Triton across the main series titles, including Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Professor Layton and Pandora's Box, and Professor Layton and the Lost Future, as well as the crossover title Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Other notable video game credits include the UK versions of the Ape Escape series and the role of Mark Evans in the Inazuma Eleven games.

Throughout her career, Darling has frequently collaborated with a consistent group of British voice actors, particularly on projects dubbed for the UK market. Her co-stars in the Professor Layton franchise, for example, have included Emma Tate, Wayne Forester, and Christopher Robin Miller, indicating a stable pool of talent used for these localisations. Her work is characterised by voicing a wide range of characters, from young boys like Luke Triton to various female and animal characters, demonstrating considerable vocal versatility.