Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an actress who has literally grown up in front of the camera with her own TV show on Nickelodeon. She is currently making the transition to more mature roles in film and television.
Bynes, who is known as Chicky among her friends, was born on April 3, 1986, in Thousand Oaks, California, as the youngest of three children including her brother, Tommy, and her sister, Jillian. Her father, Rick, is a dentist who has also worked as a stand up comedian. Her mother, Lynn, is a dental assistant. Bynes grew up in a half-Jewish half-Catholic household, though she identifies herself as being Jewish.
At the age of seven, Bynes began her training as a comedian at a comedy camp taught by Arsenio Hall and Richard Pryor. She also began taking acting classes. Her work quickly began to pay off when she started starring in commercials and plays such as Annie, The Secret Garden , and The Sound of Music.
Bynes’ first work on television was with Nickelodeon on shows like Figure It Out and All That in 1996. She was then offered the chance to star in her own spin off of All That called The Amanda Show in 1999. In 2002 the show was cancelled when Bynes was offered a part on the sitcom What I Like About You alongside Jennie Garth.
In 2004, Bynes graduated from Thousand Oaks High School through their independent study program. She received straight A’s throughout school and has expressed an interest in going to college. For now, though, she has decided to concentrate on her acting career.
Bynes made the jump to the big screen in the 2002 film, Big Fat Liar opposite Frankie Muniz, whom she later became good friends with. She then landed the lead in What a Girl Wants in 2003. Her most recent films include She’s the Man in 2006, which is based on the Shakespeare play, Twelfth Night; and Lovewrecked, set for release in 2007. She has also signed on to play Penny Pingleton in the film adaptation of Hairspray. Shooting for the film began in September of 2006.
Bynes recently moved into her own Hollywood apartment after living in her parents home growing up. She currently drives a white Lexus SC430 and her roommate is her dog, Midge. Her hobbies include fashion design and drawing. One year Bynes drew a picture of David Letterman and gave it to him as a gift.
Bynes has won numerous awards throughout her career so far. In 2003 she won two KCA awards for her performance in What a Girl Wants, including one for Best Actress. The award show also happened to fall on her eighteenth birthday. YUDDY |
