Nicola Bryant

Nicola Jane Bryant (born 11 October 1960) is an English actress best known for her role as Peri Brown, a companion to both the Fifth and Sixth Doctors, in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.

Early life Nicola Bryant was born and grew up in a small village near Guildford in Surrey, the older of two daughters of Denis and Sheila Bryant. She has a younger sister, Tracy. She began taking dance classes at the age of three, and also took piano lessons. At the age of ten she auditioned to go to ballet schools, but was unable to take up places offered because of asthma. Upset by this development, she joined a local amateur dramatic group.

On leaving school she auditioned for all of the London drama schools, and took up a scholarship to the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. In her final year there, she played the part of Nanette in a production of the musical No, No, Nanette.

Career Bryant's first professional part was as Peri Brown in Doctor Who. Bryant's tenure on the show was met with raised eyebrows in some quarters as series producer John Nathan-Turner admitted (in his book Doctor Who: The Companions and elsewhere) that his intention was to pump up the sex appeal of the ageing series by casting the young actress who was often seen wearing low-cut outfits in the show. As the Doctor Who production team were only auditioning American actors for the role of Peri, Bryant's agent encouraged her to use an American accent until contracted for the role, and backtracked on a promise to inform the production of her nationality before any public appearances as herself. Bryant therefore continued to speak in an American accent throughout her time in the role, including in interviews and rehearsals, with only Baker becoming aware of her true nationality and accent.

Bryant appeared in the Doctor Who serial The Two Doctors (1985), and she enjoyed working with Patrick Troughton, who returned as the Second Doctor. During the programme's hiatus during 1985 and 1986, Bryant reprised the role of Peri in a BBC radio production entitled Slipback alongside Baker. As a consequence of the hiatus, Bryant's three-year contract expired half way through season 23; Nathan-Turner did not renew her contract as he did not wish for a companion to be part of the series for more years than previous Doctors.

She returned to the stage in 2008 in a touring production of an adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's "Don't Look Now", playing the part of Laura Baxter. This production continued into 2009. and in 2011 she featured in the Dark Shadows audio drama The Blind Painter. In 2013 she appeared in a Doctor Who-themed episode of the game show Pointless.

Bryant guest-starred as 'Lana' in the 2017 two-part finale of the internet series Star Trek Continues, which finishes the five-year mission of Star Trek: The Original Series.

Appearing in commercials, Bryant has been the face of Woolwich Building Society, National Saving, and Nurofen. Bryant was in the Ridley Scott Associates production for Axa Health Insurance.

Bryant's voice-over work spans more than three decades. She has been the voice behind BMW, Duchy Originals, Florida Orange Juice, Twinings Tea, Nationwide, Woolwich Building Society, medical and pharmaceutical companies and Bovis Houses. She has also voiced documentaries for the BBC and NBC.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1991 Summoned By Shadows Miss Brown 1992 More Than A Messiah 1993 In Memory Alone 1993 The Airzone Solution Elenya 1994 The Terror Game Miss Brown (archive footage) (uncredited) 1998 Parting Shots Beverley 2011 Unlawful Killing Romilly Weeks 2016 The Head Hunter Dr. Shaw 2021 Midas Charlotte Ward 2022 The Wilds Helen (short) TBA Dreadnought: Invasion Six Lord Doctor Elli Morsto (Pre-production) TBA Chuck Sister Hackett (short) (Pre-production)

Television

Audio

Theatre Year Title Role Notes Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Honey Twelfth Night Olivia Skin Deep ad Come on Jeeves Gateway Theatre (Chester) Secret Garden Martha Leicester Spring's Awakening and Absurd Person Singular Eva Vienna's English Theatre The Ride Down Mount Morgan Leah Derby Playhouse So Long on Lonely Street touring The Great Gatsby Daisy Buchanan touring Dinner with George touring Home Truths touring A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia touring Don't Look Now Laura touring The Trouble with Old Lovers Alice touring

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2022 British Horror Film Festival Jury Prize Best Supporting Actress The Wilds