Amanda Bynes

Infobox actor


imagesize = 200px
caption = Bynes at the March 2005 premiere of "Robots".
birthname = Amanda Laura Bynes
birthdate = birth date and age|1986|04|3
birthplace = city-state|Thousand Oaks|California, U.S.
occupation = actress, singer, voice actor
yearsactive = 1993 ─ present
website = http://amandabynes.com

Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress, former show host on Nickelodeon, singer and voice actor. After appearing in several successful television series on Nickelodeon in the mid-to late 1990s and early 2000s, Bynes transitioned to a film career, starring in several films aimed at teenage audiences, including "She's the Man" (2006) and "Hairspray" (2007).

Amanda Bynes has been described by The Boston Globe as having an "Everygirl" appeal,cite news |last=Tomlinson |first=Sarah |title=A screen Everygirl stretches her skills |publisher=The Boston Globe |date=2006-03-12 |url=http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2006/03/12/a_screen_everygirl_stretches_her_skills/ |accessdate=2007-07-19] In 2006, she was named one of Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25",cite news |last=CanWest News Service |title=Young and hot |publisher=Canada.com |date=2006-05-02 |url=http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/story.html?id=5b7cea46-572b-4209-a9b6-6dfff7477768&k=11653 |accessdate=2007-07-19] and in 2007, was on the Forbes list as the 5th highest paid celebrity under 21, earning $2.5 million.cite news |last=Forbes staff |title=Young Hollywood's Top-Earning Stars |publisher=Forbes.com |date=2007-02-26 |url=http://forbes.com/2007/02/23/celebrities-hollywood-earnings-tech-ent_cz_0226youngstars.html |accessdate=2007-07-19]

Biography

Early life

Bynes was born in Thousand Oaks, California, the daughter of Lynn (née Organ), a dental assistant and office manager, and Rick Bynes, a dentist who also practiced stand-up comedy.cite web |title=Amanda Bynes Biography (1986–) |publisher=FilmReference |date=2007 |url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/20/Amanda-Bynes.html |accessdate=2007-07-19] 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.cite news |last=Topel |first=Fred |title=Amanda Bynes on Hairspray |publisher=CanMan |date=2007-07-18 |url=http://www.canmag.com/nw/8365-hairspray-amanda-bynes |accessdate=2007-07-19] Her maternal grandparents are from Toronto, Ontario.cite web |last=Bloom |first=Nate |title=She's the Man: A Q&A with Amanda Bynes |publisher=InterfaithFamily.com |date=2007-07-10 |url=http://www.interfaithfamily.com/arts_and_entertainment/interviews_and_profiles/Shes_the_Man_A_Q&A_with_Amanda_Bynes.shtml |accessdate=2007-07-19] Bynes's father is Catholic and her mother is Jewish, and Bynes has referred to herself as Jewish though "not that religious".cite news |last=Heifetz |first=Laurie |title=Hairspray’s Hebrew Hotties |publisher=The Jewish Daily Forward |date=2007-07-18 |url=http://www.forward.com/articles/11176/ |accessdate=2007-07-19]

Career

In 1993, 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".cite news |last=Fischer |first=Paul |title=Amanda Bynes Talks "Hairspray" On-Set |publisher=Dark Horizons |date=2006-09-12 |url=http://darkhorizons.com/news06/060912j.php |accessdate=2007-07-19] After taking acting classes, Bynes became a regular cast member of Nickelodeon's "Figure It Out" and "All That" (both in 1996). Bynes remained a regular cast member on "All That" until its presumed cancellation in 2000, though she appeared in the sketches since shooting and preparing as the star of her own 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 based on "Judge Judy" that always rules in kids' favor, and Penelope Taynt, an Amanda-obsessed fan.

Bynes made her film debut in 2002's modest 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 WB Television Network's sitcom "What I Like About You" and had voice parts in 2003's " |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1615785.html|accessdate=2007-07-19] 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".

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.cite news |last=Carroll |first=Larry |title=Amanda Bynes Morphs Into A Nerdy Jesse McCartney To Prove 'She's The Man' |publisher=MTV.com |date=2006-03-08 |url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1524900/02242006/story.jhtml |accessdate=2007-07-19] 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. 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 20, 2007. Bynes has stated that she enjoyed appearing in a "fun, quirky part in a big ensemble movie". Bynes next starred in another comedy, "Sydney White", released on September 21, 2007.cite news |title=Sydney White, filmed in Orlando, opening Sept. 21 |publisher=OrlandoSentinel.com |date=2007-07-19 |url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_movies_blog/2007/07/sydney-white-fi.html |accessdate=2007-07-19] 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.cite web |last=Greenberg |first=Julee |title=Amanda Bynes in Deal With Steve & Barry's |publisher=WWD.com |date=2007-05-09 |url=http://www.wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/amanda-bynes-in-deal-with-steve-barry-s-497263 |accessdate=2007-07-19]

In 2008, Bynes will appear in the Lifetime Television movie "Living Proof" as the student assistant of Harry Connick Jr.'s character, who creates the Herceptin drug for breast cancer. [ [http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/movies/living-proof "About Living Proof."] Lifetime.com.] She is also rumored to appear in her first independent feature Bumped by "Blue Crush" scribe Lizzy Weiss. [ [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/453564/Bumped/overview "Bumped."] "The News York Times". Accessed October 9, 2008.]

As a designer

In 2007, Bynes signed a five year deal with Steve & Barry's (which had been expanding its product offerings outside of its traditional university apparel and sweatshirts) to create her own fashion line, "dear", consisting of apparel and accessories. The line launched in stores August 16, 2007. [ [http://dearbyamanda.com/ "dear By Amanda Bynes."] dearbyamanda.com.] ]

Personal life

Bynes graduated from Thousand Oaks High School's independent study program (though she attended La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks for some time) 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. [Mentioned on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", March 8, 2006.] 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."

In 2007, she spoke out against becoming another wild Hollywood star. "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".cite news |last=Casablanca |first=Ted |title=Dubious Creek |publisher=E! Online |date=2007 |url=http://uk.eonline.com/print/index.jsp?uuid=bb1143bf-2625-4462-9265-59d8ae67012d&contentType=awfulTruth |accessdate=2007-07-19] 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." [ [http://newsmax.com/hirsen/Ali_Larter/2007/09/04/29607.html "'Heroes' Actress Ali Larter Gets Real."] "NewsMax". September 4, 2007.] In an interview in December 2007, Bynes detailed how her parents taught her about alcohol.cite news |date=2007 |url=http://www.momlogic.com/2007/12/amanda_bynes_i_dont_drink.php |title=Amanda Bynes: I Don't Drink |accessdate=2007-07-19]

Awards

Bynes won Blimp awards at the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards four years in a row, from 2000 to 2004 for Favorite Television Actress in 2001 for "All That", Favorite Television Actress in 2002 for "The Amanda Show" as well as the following year. In 2003 she also received the Blimp for Favorite Movie Actress for "Big Fat Liar" and won another Blimp in 2004 for Favorite Movie Actress for "What a Girl Wants".cite web |title=Awards and Nominations |publisher=IMDB date=2007-12-17 |url=http://imdb.com/name/nm0004789/awards| accessdate=2007-12-17] Bynes also was a part of the "Hairspray" ensemble win at the 2008 Critics' Choice Awards.

Filmography

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0004789|name=Amanda Bynes
*amg name|2:303423
*tvtome person|id=53287|name=Amanda Bynes
* [http://amandaplease.com/ AmandaPlease.com] Official website for The Amanda Show

Persondata
NAME = Bynes, Amanda
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Amanda Laura Bynes
SHORT DESCRIPTION = American actress
DATE OF BIRTH = April 3, 1986
PLACE OF BIRTH = Thousand Oaks, California
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =