Doctor Who actor spotlight: Nicholas Briggs – Voice of the Daleks and other monsters
By James Aggas
Since the Daleks returned in 2005 – and even before then – Nicholas Briggs has been the voice of many major Doctor Who monsters. We look at what makes him such a strong voice actor.
I think one man that doesn’t get enough credit in Doctor Who is Nicholas Briggs. I’ve praised him before regarding his ability to write strong Dalek stories. But – and this is easy to overlook, considering he’s never actually seen in the TV series – he’s also a great voice actor, too.
He’s particularly gifted at voicing monsters. Including, of course, the Daleks. Not just on television, but on audio, too. What’s very easy to forget is that, for many scenes involving several Daleks, he’d usually be voicing all of them.
And yet it’s still easy to tell which one is which. This can be partly due to voice modulation but, despite the core Dalek voice always being the same and recognizable, Briggs also makes sure to add at least some personality to each Dalek, too.
The best example of this is with the episodes featuring the Cult of Skaro. Despite sharing the same voice actor, it’s very easy to believe that Daleks Sec, Jast, Thay and Caan were four different characters. When they are talking to each other, it’s hard to believe that it’s essentially just Nicholas Briggs talking to himself!
Beyond the voice of the Daleks, Briggs has also voiced other monsters in the series. These have, unsurprisingly, included the Cybermen, another monster he had previously voiced for in the audios. (You can see how many monsters he’s voiced for in the New Series on his IMDb page.)
But perhaps most impressive is the fact that he voiced for the Judoon, as well. Because – unlike the Daleks or the Cybermen – while distinct templates for those voices had been created before, with the Judoon, he got to create the voice from scratch. And I think that, despite not appearing in that many episodes, we all remember what the Judoon voice sounds like, which says a lot about how well that voice works for the Rhino-like aliens.
Outside of Doctor Who, Nicholas Briggs has played the role of Sherlock Holmes both on stage and on audio.
(Image credit: Sherlock Holmes/Big Finish Productions.
Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)
From Doctor Who to Sherlock Holmes
Lastly, it’s also important to remember that, as an actor, he also does more than voice monsters. You can see him on-screen not in Doctor Who, but in Torchwood: Children of Earth as the rather unlikable politician Rick Yates.
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However, if I were to recommend one major role for Briggs outside of his usual monster roles, it would have to be his interpretation of Sherlock Holmes. Across Big Finish’s many audios, he really stands out in the role. Very different to many on-screen interpretations such as Jeremy Brett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr. etc.
But he is still very recognizably Holmes, even when he’s playing a version of the character that’s noticeably younger or older in the story. Along with Richard Earl’s perfect Watson and the excellent chemistry they share, it’s a key reason to check out Big Finish’s interpretation of Sherlock Holmes.
Overall, while it’s easy to overlook because he’s very rarely on-screen, Nicholas Briggs is an excellent actor, and it’s important to acknowledge his contribution to Doctor Who, both on-screen and on audio.
Next. How Big Finish made the Daleks threatening again. dark
Is Nicholas Briggs the definitive voice of the Daleks for you? Are you a fan of his performance? Which is your favorite monster that he’s voiced? Let us know in the comments below.
