Laurie Brett facts for kids

Laurie Brett (born 28 March 1969) is a Scottish actress. She is famous for playing Jane Beale in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. She also starred as Christine Mulgrew in the BBC drama series Waterloo Road.

Early Life and Fun Facts

Laurie Brett was born in Hamilton, a town in Lanarkshire, Scotland. She later moved to England to study at the London Studio Centre. Besides acting, she is also fluent in Spanish.

Brett naturally speaks with a Scottish accent. However, when she moved to London for her role in EastEnders, she learned to speak with a London accent. She has said she is good at learning different accents. This skill was useful when she starred in Waterloo Road, where she used her Scottish accent. If people asked if she was Jane from EastEnders, she would reply in her Scottish accent, and they would think they had made a mistake!

In 2011, Brett had her daughter, Erin.

Acting Career

Starting Out

Brett loved drama from a young age. To become a professional actress in the United Kingdom, she needed a special permit called an Equity Card. When she was 17, she saw an ad in The Stage magazine and joined a travelling circus in Mexico and Central America. This helped her start her career.

When she returned to the UK, she performed in many famous plays in London's West End. She was in the musical Les Misérables and toured the UK with The Rocky Horror Show.

Her first role on television was in 1993 in the show London's Burning. She also appeared in the police drama The Bill and the comedy My Hero.

EastEnders Fame

A casting director for EastEnders saw Brett performing in Les Misérables and offered her the role of Jane Beale. She first appeared on the show in June 2004. The character of Jane became very popular with viewers.

Brett played Jane for many years, taking a short break in 2011. Her character left the show in 2012 but made a brief return in January 2014. She came back as a permanent character later that year. In 2017, she left the show again. Fans were excited when Jane made a surprise return to EastEnders on 15 July 2024.

Waterloo Road and Other Shows

In 2012, Brett joined the cast of the BBC school drama Waterloo Road. She played Christine Mulgrew, a new English teacher. Since the show had moved to Scotland, Brett was able to use her real Scottish accent for the role.

Her character, Christine, was later promoted to headteacher of the school. Brett continued to play this role until the show ended in 2015, even while she was also appearing in EastEnders.

In 2018, Brett won a celebrity special of the singing show All Together Now. In 2020, she acted in the crime drama Deadwater Fell, and in 2022, she joined the cast of the BBC drama Shetland.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Laurie Brett para niños