Biography

Talented, young and spiritually devout Tiffany Marie Brissette is best known to television audiences as the star of the hit comedy series Small Wonder, portraying Vicki -- or more accurately, V.I.C.I., a Voice Input Child Identicant. Playing a computerized robot would pose a unique challenge to any actor, but this usually bespectacled young lady brought an impressive background of professional experience to the task.

Conceived in Bay City, Michigan and born December 26, 1974, in Paradise, California, coffee-eyed, mousy-maned, peaches-and-cream Tiffany has been working professionally in the entertainment field well over half her life. Since the age of 4, this tiny talent with the big brown eyes has been actively involved in all facets of the industry: She has appeared on stage, on television and in film, has recorded radio spots and albums, and has appeared in a slew of television commercials for top corporate advertisers.

While still a toddler, Tiffany began appearing in local theater productions, including Pippin, Babes in Toyland, South Pacific and Frog Prince -- a natural outlet for a child who, at the age of 2, would jump up on the coffee table to entertain the family.

Since the age of 2, Tiffany has participated in many beauty and talent competitions, winning awards and titles on both the local and state levels. At the urging of a pageant director, Tiffany's mother agreed to secure the services of a booking agent; the pint-sized performer proved to be a natural, landing the first assignment for which she auditioned. What followed was a spate of commercial bookings that began with spots for Jell-O Puddin' Pops with Bill Cosby, Florida Gold orange juice, Duncan Hines, Care Bears, IBM, Kenner, Beatrice Foods and Kidco Toys, to name a few. She also was profiled in an issue of Stickers & Stuff magazine (whence came the large color photograph on the biography cover page).

This charming young entertainer has also been active in the recording medium, lending her voice to radio spots for McDonald's and the California Dental Association as well as cutting voice-overs for the telefilms A Woman Called Golda and Marco Polo. A gifted singer, Tiffany sang a cut for Gingerbrook Fair album, recorded the voice of Cindel for the film The Ewok Adventure and participated in a recording to benefit Ethiopia.

After she starred in the American Film Institute special A Perfect Day for Banana Fish with Bob Hope, her talents so impressed the producers and director that Tiffany was greatly encouraged to pursue a career in acting. What followed was a role in the American Film Institute production of The Pin and a recurring portrayal as Kathy in the ABC-TV series Webster (where she made a cute snow bunny and a tiny Lucille Ball). In the motion picture Heart Like a Wheel, Tiffany portrayed race car driver Shirley Muldowney as a little girl.

During Small Wonder, the young actress stepped out of her computer role and into a number of special appearances. She twice acted as co-host on Kids Are People Too, was a celebrity judge for Puttin' on the Kids and guest performed on that show's Christmas special, appeared with Small Wonder co-star Jerry Supiran during Teen Star Week on the game show Fun House, and performed on the trapeze on Circus of the Stars. She also was a five-time guest on the Disney Channel's Teen Win, Lose or Draw. When Tiffany wasn't working on Small Wonder, she continued to develop her talents in different areas. Easily making the transition from comedy to very serious roles, she starred with Emmanuel Lewis and Gordon Jump in Come in from the Storm, an educational film about child abuse, which was shown to schools throughout the country.

Tiffany has also actively participated in the Variety Club Telethon in Des Moines, Iowa, which aids very sick and terminally ill children; and the Shriners Telethon, benefitting children's hospitals and their burn centers. She also has cut public service spots for the Hearing Institute, and has appeared in several of the "Helpful Hints" segments of the cartoon The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.

A science fair winner in grammar school, Tiffany's technological role on Small Wonder inspired her to become an advocate for science education and cut public service announcements for the California Museum of Science and Industry, Lawrence Center of Science and Technology, and other science museums. "I just wanted to play a normal little girl, but playing a robot makes you think about how a real one would change your family just like pets do," Tiffany recalled of her Vicki role.

After Small Wonder, Tiffany has made appearances at amusement parks, mall openings and pageants, and played roles in ABC-TV's sitcom pilot Beanpole, Fox TV's Parker Lewis Can't Lose, CBS-TV's Muddling Through, and NBC-TV's Equal Justice. In 1990 Tiffany appeared in a Christmas videotape, Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect. In autumn 1991 she was a co-hostess on The 700 Club where she sang "Say Yes (to Jesus)".

Now a young lady in every true sense of the phrase, she is a psychology graduate of Westmont College. Tiffany's versatile talents, which include singing, classical dancing, and concert piano, are also among her hobbies. She also enjoys gymnastics, swimming, skiing, skating, snorkeling and lots of reading, and rates horseback riding as her #1 favorite pastime.

A Woman Called Golda (telefilm; voice only) 4.26, 4.28.82 TNN
Marco Polo (miniseries; voice only) 5.16 to 5.19.82 NBC
The Ewok Advebture (telefilm; voice only) 11.25.84 ABC
Webster (episode. Too Much Class) 11.30.84 ABC
Webster (episode. The Uh-oh Feeling) 1.25.85 ABC
Webster (episode. Strike Up the Band) 2.1.85 ABC
Small Wonder (series) 9.13.85 to 9.9.89 FOX
New Love American Style (episode Love and the Doll) 1.8.86 ABC
Fun House (game) 11.7.88 TNN
Teen Win, Lose or Draw (game) 7.9, 7.30.89 DIS
Teen Win, Lose or Draw (game) 8.6, 9.2.89 DIS
Teen Win, Lose or Draw (game) 10.26.89 DIS
Guest artist on WECB AM, Emerson College radio, Boston.

On March 2, 1997, Tiffany participated in the Los Angeles Marathon. She placed 921st among 5,312 females, and 101st in her age class of 545, finishing in 4:33:06. She placed 5,110th in an overall field of 15,899 entrants.

Read also The Girl Inside V.I.C.I.

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