Laurie Brett

Early and personal life

Brett was born in Hamilton, Scotland, and studied at the London Studio Centre. She is fluent in Spanish. Brett has admitted to being a bit of a wild child in her youth, drinking heavily for 20 years.

Brett speaks with a Scottish accent; however, on moving to London, she adopted a London accent – fitting for her EastEnders role. She says she has always had a "knack" with accents and has admitted that speaking with a Scottish accent becomes handy when people ask if she is Jane from EastEnders. She has admitted that when asked that question she speaks with a Scottish accent and people then assume they are mistaken.

Brett was in a relationship with a musician Dave Evans for six years. The couple met on a blind date in 2001 and got engaged; however, they split in 2007 before the wedding. Brett revealed in January 2011 that she was pregnant with her first child. She gave birth to Erin Anne Millie Brett in June 2011.

Career

Her first TV role was the officer manager in London's Burning (1993). She later appeared in The Bill in two roles: as Emma Gilmore (1996) and Irene Murray (1998), and also in My Hero (2002) playing a female customer.

Needing an Equity Card to be a paid professional actress in the UK, she replied to an advert in The Stage and joined Circo Magico Italiano, a travelling circus, in Mexico and Central America. On her return she appeared in various productions on London's West End Stage, including playing a prostitute in Les Misérables, appeared in the UK Tour of The Rocky Horror Show as Magenta, starring alongside Jason Donovan as Frank, and appeared in the musical Smokey Joe's Cafe.

After being spotted in Les Misérables by EastEnders casting director Kat Collins, she was given the part of Jane Beale (initially known as Jane Collins). She made her first appearance in June 2004, and initially signed a three-year contract. In 2010, she signed a further one-year contract. She also appeared as Jane in the 2010 spin-off series EastEnders: E20. In May 2011, Brett left the soap briefly on maternity leave. It was revealed that she would return to her role in November 2011. In January 2012, her character departed from EastEnders. Brett briefly reprised her role in January 2014, and returned permanently later in the year.

On 15 March 2012, it was announced Brett would be joining the BBC's ongoing drama Waterloo Road as Christine Mulgrew, a new English teacher hired by headmaster Michael Byrne (Alec Newman). For the first time in Brett's career, she spoke in her native accent as the show had relocated to Scotland. Brett's character then took over as acting headteacher at the end of the eighth series and was appointed as permanent headteacher at the beginning of series 9. Brett continued to appear in Waterloo Road in the second half of series 9, despite her return to EastEnders. Brett confirmed via Twitter that she will continue filming on Waterloo Road in late spring 2014 and stayed in the role until the show ended.

Charity

Brett has made various television appearances in aid of charity. She participated in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 telethon appeals for Children in Need where she sang alongside the rest of the EastEnders cast. In the 2008 appeal, she was cast as Mary Poppins. She also participated in the 2010 telethon appeal for Children in Need where she appeared as Jane in the EastEnders and Coronation Street crossover episode "East Street". On 19 February 2010 Brett appeared on The Weakest Link alongside her co-stars and former co-stars Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale), Laila Morse (Mo Harris), Larry Lamb (Archie Mitchell), Todd Carty (Mark Fowler), Ricky Groves (Garry Hobbs), John Partridge (Christian Clarke), John Altman (Nick Cotton) and Charlie G. Hawkins (Darren Miller). She won and donated her winnings to Breast Cancer campaign and Alzheimer's disease Research.