Brett, the son of a dockyard worker, grew up in Portsmouth, England, where his early life was influenced by his father's work. His fascination with the performing arts began when he worked on the stage crew at the Chichester Festival Theatre, where he had the opportunity to watch from the wings as the great Sir John Mills performed. This experience sparked a desire in Brett to become an actor, and he subsequently applied to drama school.
Brett's hard work and dedication earned him a place at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in the Barbican, City of London, where he was awarded the Gold Medal for acting. He began his professional career by returning to Chichester, this time to perform in the repertory company, where his first role was an exciting nightly fight sequence with Sir Donald Sinden in 'The Scarlet Pimpernel', directed by Nicholas Hytner.
Throughout his career, Brett has played a diverse range of roles on stages all around England, including the Royal National Theatre. Some of his notable performances include 'Single Spies' alongside Alan Bennett, Simon Callow, and Prunella Scales; 'Antony and Cleopatra' starring Alan Rickman, Helen Mirren, and Samuel West; and 'Mother Courage' opposite Diana Rigg and Lesley Sharp.
Brett's breakthrough in television came with the support of the legendary producer, Leonard Lewis, on the police series Rockliffe's Babies (1987),where he played the racist rookie detective Steve Hood. He has since played guest and leading characters in many British television series.
Brett's first film role was a scene with Charlton Heston in Treasure Island (1990),alongside Pete Postlethwaite and a young Christian Bale. His first major film role came with the part of Taktarov, a battle-worn Russian mercenary in the horror film Outpost (2008),starring alongside Ray Stevenson, Julian Wadham, and Richard Brake. He has since appeared in a wide range of films, including Lost Christmas (2011),Kill Me Now (2012),Untitled (A Film) (2017),and Six from Eight (2018).
In addition to his film and television work, Brett has also had a successful career in theatre, with performances in productions such as 'The Scarlet Pimpernel', 'Antony and Cleopatra', and 'Mother Courage'.
