Behind the closed doors of lecture halls and across dorms and West Campus apartments sit thousands of students, each with a story begging to be told. This is People of UT, a series highlighting the voices and experiences that shape the extraordinary students at the University of Texas. Faith Bryant’s is just one of many pivotal stories.
Bryant, a public relations and Plan II freshman, aims to attend law school and is heavily involved in Texas Mock Trial and Texas Alpha Phi. However, preceding the courtroom battles and social mixers, Bryant’s presence on the big screen — as a series regular on Fox’s crime drama “The Cleaning Lady,” and as 15-year-old Coretta Scott King in National Geographic’s Emmy-winning series “Genius” — consumed most of her time. Beginning her acting career at just 11 years old, Bryant signed herself up for an agency without her parents knowing and began booking gigs.
“I had gone to a showcase, and a lot of agents and managers had offered me to sign with them,” Bryant said. “I convinced my parents to let me move to (Los Angeles from Houston) at the ripe age of 12, and we sat in our apartment with no furniture and no electricity on the first night. … (I was) going to do middle school online just so that I could pursue my dream. It was definitely a big leap.”
That leap paid off. Bryant’s agent, April Baker, was one of the talent agents she had met at the showcase that launched her career. Baker reminisced that she saw an ‘it-factor’ in Bryant and chose to work with her because of her passion for the craft and ability to take charge of her roles, even at a young age.
“(Over time), she really started to understand how to dive into her characters, how to take bigger risks, (and) how to make strong choices,” Baker said. “When you’re on a set like she was, working with seasoned vets who have been doing this for 20 (or) 30 years, you’re learning how to dive deeper into your craft, … (and how you are) interacting with the other talent on set. You learn so much just by watching.”
Bryant’s experience came full circle as she appeared in two UT student films at 11, before returning to UT as a student in 2025. Although she has since shifted her focus to her academics and her interests beyond acting, Bryant continues to send audition tapes to casting directors in Los Angeles.
“All my friends know that if you’re really close (to) me, at some point you’re going to have to help me film an audition, and I’m going to laugh every five takes we do,” Bryant said. “I film them on a backdrop that I keep in my dorm. It’s really funny because I have to move around all my furniture every time I get an audition.”
Bryant met her close friend, business freshman Emma Nowotny, during Ignite, a faith-based retreat for incoming UT students. During this retreat, Bryant and Nowotny formed a close bond through deep conversations, furthered by joining the same sorority.
“(Bryant is) insanely talented, but she’s humble with that,” Nowotny said. “She’s not one to brag about her accomplishments (because) she lets her accomplishments stand on their own. I think that level of discipline and consistency is really rare to see in a person.”
From sets in Los Angeles to classrooms in Austin, Bryant’s dedication transcends professional, academic and social relationships. As she looks forward to a career as a lawyer, while remembering her passions and the people who support her, Faith Bryant’s story continues to write itself.
