Born: 11th October 1960 (as Nicola Jane Bryant)
Episodes Broadcast: 1984-1986, 1993

Nicola Bryant was born in Guildford, Surrey and raised in nearby Shalford. As a child, she aspired to be a ballerina, but her father refused to let her attend ballet school. Instead, Bryant's mother encouraged her interest in youth theatre. Bryant then gained admission to the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, where one of her fellow students was an American named Scott Kennedy. They were wed in 1982 and, although the marriage didn't last, Bryant could soon adopt a credible American accent. It proved invaluable in the spring of 1983, when Bryant won the role of Peri Brown, the first Doctor Who companion to hail from the United States. Even producer John Nathan-Turner was convinced that Bryant was an American, and the facade was maintained for the benefit of the press and public.

Before she could start working on Doctor Who, Bryant had to secure membership in Equity -- the British actors' union -- and so she spent several weeks that summer working in cabaret and performing at children's parties. She made her Doctor Who debut in 1984's Planet Of Fire, the penultimate adventure for Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor. Bryant was disappointed by the caustic relationship which the production team then developed between Peri and Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor over the course of the 1985 season. She decided that 1986 would be her last year on Doctor Who, but her exit was delayed by the BBC's decision to retool the programme for its twenty-third season. In the interim, Bryant appeared in the Doctor Who radio drama Slipback.

Bryant departed Doctor Who at the climax of The Trial Of A Time Lord (Segment 2), with Peri apparently killed off

When Bryant's last eight episodes finally made it to air, the Doctor and Peri enjoyed a warmer rapport. She ultimately departed at the climax of The Trial Of A Time Lord (Segment Two), with Peri apparently killed off -- although this was later revealed to be a hoax. Bryant then concentrated on the stage for many years, with Blackadder's Christmas Carol representing a rare television appearance. In 1991, she joined Colin Baker in The Stranger, a line of video dramas released by BBV. Initially, the series served as a thinly-veiled reunion for the Doctor and Peri -- Bryant's character was even called “Miss Brown” -- although it eventually evolved away from this approach. In 1993, Bryant made an official return to the role of Peri for the charity special Dimensions In Time, in honour of Doctor Who's thirtieth anniversary.

During the Nineties, Bryant had a regular role in the children's drama The Biz, and could also be seen in The 10 Percenters and Animal Ark. Her first film was the 1998 comedy Parting Shots, where she was reunited with Davison. In 1999, Bryant joined Big Finish Productions' range of Doctor Who audio dramas, initially reprising Peri in Whispers Of Terror. She also directed several of the company's releases. Bryant suffered a serious stage injury soon after the turn of the century, but she nonetheless appeared in programmes such as Casualty, Doctors, Holby City and My Family.

In the 2010s, Bryant's credits included Scoop, The Promise and New Blood, while she also took a role in the fan-made Star Trek Continues. By this time, she had been in a relationship for many years with Nev Fountain, whose work included several Doctor Who scripts for Big Finish. In 2022, Bryant played Peri in a specially-produced trailer for the Blu-ray release of Season Twenty-Two. The following year, she returned to the character again for an episode of Tales Of The TARDIS on BBC iPlayer, which featured an abridged version of Vengeance On Varos.