She followed that appearance with the recurring role as Nikki Munson in As the World Turns, for which Brewster was nominated for Outstanding Teen Performer at the 1997 Soap Opera Digest Award. Her role brought her to the attention of a much wider audience, gained critical acclaim and achieved financial success. Her breakthrough role came in the 2001 high budget car-themed action film The Fast and the Furious, which was a worldwide success.
