Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an
American actress and former show host on Nickelodeon. After appearing in several successful television series on Nickelodeon in the late
1990s and early 2000s, Bynes has moved into a film career, starring in several films aimed at teenage audiences, including
She's the Man and Hairspray.
Amanda Bynes has been described by The Boston Globe as having an "Everygirl" appeal,
embodying "both everything her teen fans dream of being and everything they know they really are, and they love her for
it."[1] In 2006, she was named one of
Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25",[2] and in 2007, was on the Forbes list as the 5th highest paid celebrity under
21 earning $2.5 million.[3]
Biography
Early life
Bynes was born in Thousand Oaks, California to Rick Bynes, a
dentist who also practiced stand-up comedy, and Lynn (née Organ), a dental assistant and office
manager.[4] Bynes has two older siblings, Tommy
(born 1974), a chiropractor, and Jillian (born 1983), who has a Bachelor of Arts in History from UCLA and has also acted.[5] Her maternal grandparents are from Toronto,
Ontario.[6] Bynes's father is
Catholic and her mother is Jewish, and Bynes has
referred to herself as Jewish[7][8][9] though
"not that religious".[10]
Career
Bynes was trained as an actress by Arsenio Hall and Richard Pryor at a comedy camp, and began professionally acting at the age of seven, appearing in a
television advertisement for Buncha Crunch candies. During her childhood, she also
appeared on stage in versions of Annie, The Secret
Garden, The Music Man and The
Sound of Music.[11]
After taking acting classes, Bynes became a regular cast member of Nickelodeon's Figure It Out and
All That (both in 1996) and later became the star of her own hit sketch show
The Amanda Show, also on Nickelodeon. The Amanda Show features a combination of
comical skits and sketches, including Amanda Bynes playing Judge Trudy, a judge that always rules in kids' favor, and Penelope
Taynt, an Amanda-obsessed fan.
Bynes made her film debut in 2002's mild box office success, Big Fat Liar, where
she played opposite Frankie Muniz. Her first solo leading role was in 2003's
What a Girl Wants, with co-star Oliver James. Subsequently, Bynes starred in the The WB Television Network's sitcom What
I Like About You and had voice parts in 2003's Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure and 2005's CGI animated comedy, Robots. She also
co-starred in an episode of The Nightmare Room as Danielle Warner, and in
Arliss as Crystal Dupree.
Bynes appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's July 2003 edition with
nine of Hollywood's most popular female young stars, including
Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Alexis Bledel, Raven-Symoné, Evan
Rachel Wood, the Olsen Twins, and Mandy
Moore.[12] Although she is often
compared with them, Bynes has said that "It's like being the hot girl at the high school party. I was never that girl. I grew up
with terrible acne and feeling insecure. I was tall and skinny. I didn't feel pretty at all, and guys didn't even like me. That's
why I got into comedy."[13] Bynes has also said
that her relatability to teenage audiences may stem from the fact that she is "more similar to them than some... socialite or
whatever".[1]
In 2006, Bynes starred in She's the Man, a comedy based on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night;
in the film, Bynes disguises herself as her brother in order to join the boys' soccer team due to the fall of the girls' team.
Producers had originally wanted to cast singer Jesse McCartney as Bynes' brother, noting
a physical resemblance between McCartney and Bynes disguised as a boy, but McCartney was unavailable.[14] Around the time of the film's release, Bynes
commented that she would like to start appearing in more mature roles, and believes that she is still developing her acting
skills and maturing as an actress, saying that she is "getting better" with each role.[1]
Bynes appeared in another romantic comedy, Lovewrecked, which was shot before
She's the Man but released after it, showing in cinemas outside of the United States in 2005 and 2006 and debuting in the
U.S. on the ABC Family network on January 21,
2007. She also portrays Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, a film adaptation of the Broadway musical
of the same name. The movie, which was her first musical role, began filming in
Toronto in September 2006 and was released on July 20th, 2007.
Bynes has stated that she enjoyed appearing in a "fun, quirky part in a big ensemble movie".[5] Bynes next starred in another comedy, Sydney White, released on September 21, 2007.[15] The film is based
on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, with Bynes playing a freshman in
the college Greek system, co-starring alongside Sara Paxton and Matt Long.[16] In May 2007,
she was named one of People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People, as well as Number 79
on FHM's 100 Sexiest Woman for 2007.
As a designer
In 2007 Bynes has also inked a five year deal with Steve and Barry's, known for selling university apparel and sweatshirts, to
create her own fashion line, "Dear," consisting of apparel and accessories that launched in stores August 16, 2007.[citation needed]
Personal life
Bynes, who has a dog named Midge and drives a white Lexus SC430, graduated from
Fillmore High School's independent study program and has expressed a desire to
attend New York University in the near future. She briefly moved into an apartment
in Hollywood, California, but has since returned to her family
home.[17] - Bynes is interested in drawing (she once
painted a portrait of David Letterman as a gift to him) and fashion design, having
commented that she is "the girl whose biggest nightmare would be to lose my makeup bag while traveling."[13]
Bynes turned 21 on April 3, 2007 and has stated "I think I’ll
go out as much as I’ve ever gone out... which is not a lot. I like to dance and stuff, but drinking isn’t good for you in every
way. It’s not good for your skin; it makes you feel horrible. So, drinking-wise, no".[18] She reinforced these ideas throughout the summer of 2007, on the talk show
circuit, and in many press interviews. She told Access Hollywood, "I like being with my family and friends, and I don't need to
be out at the clubs."[19]
Filmography
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
- ^ a b c Tomlinson,
Sarah. "A screen Everygirl stretches her skills", The Boston Globe, 2006-03-12. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ CanWest News Service. "Young and hot", Canada.com, 2006-05-02. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ Forbes staff. "Young Hollywood's Top-Earning Stars", Forbes.com, 2007-02-26. Retrieved on
2007-07-19.
- ^ Amanda Bynes Biography (1986-). FilmReference (2007).
Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ a b Topel, Fred. "Amanda Bynes on Hairspray",
CanMan, 2007-07-18. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ Bloom, Nate (2007-07-10).
She's the Man: A Q&A with Amanda Bynes. InterfaithFamily.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ Mentioned on Jimmy Kimmel
Live, (March 7, 2006)
- ^ Mentioned on Rove, 2006 -
can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyur6BtlEOQ
- ^ Mentioned in red carpet interview at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards - can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxAcOSHBxzE
- ^ Heifetz, Laurie. "Hairspray’s Hebrew Hotties", The Jewish Daily
Forward, 2007-07-18. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ Fischer, Paul. "Amanda Bynes Talks "Hairspray" On-Set",
Dark Horizons, 2006-09-12. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ "It's Totally Raining Teens!", Vanity Fair, July, 2003. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ a b Pearlman, Cindy. "Teen queen Amanda
Bynes channels her masculine side to get the guy", Chicago Sun-Times @ FindArticles, 2006-03-12. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ Carroll, Larry. "Amanda Bynes Morphs
Into A Nerdy Jesse McCartney To Prove 'She's The Man'", MTV.com, 2006-03-08. Retrieved on
2007-07-19.
- ^ "Sydney White, filmed in Orlando, opening Sept. 21", OrlandoSentinel.com, 2007-07-19.
Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ Greenberg, Julee (2007-05-09).
Amanda Bynes in Deal With Steve & Barry's. WWD.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ Mentioned at the The Ellen
DeGeneres Show, March 8, 2006
- ^ Casablanca, Ted. "Dubious Creek", E! Online, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
- ^ http://www.newsmax.com/hirsen/Ali_Larter/2007/09/04/29607.html
External links
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