Mandy Moore was born in New Hampshire on April 10, 1984, grew up in Florida, and was raised a Catholic. Mandy had performed in public several times, including singing the national anthem at various athletic events. At one game she was spotted by a FedEx employee who sent her demo to Epic Records, a move that ultimately resulted in a record deal.

Moore first enjoyed celebrity status with the release of her first album, So Real, in 1999. She was also touring with boy band, the Backstreet Boys that year. Moore did have to initially fight to make a name for herself in show biz, as she started her career after a drove of already-successful pop princesses such as Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson. However, So Real gave her the ticket she needed to become known around the world as a successful American pop singer, with her driving tunes and breathy, sensual voice.

Moore has released four albums since, meeting with mixed reviews. Her follow-up album, I Wanna Be with You, was released in 2000, and the following year she released her self-titled album. Subsequent albums are Coverage, released in 2003; The Best of Mandy Moore, released in 2004; and Candy, released in 2005.

Mandy Moore decided to expand her career and branch out into film. Her movie debut was a slightly forgettable role as snobby and spiteful cheerleading teenager named Lana in Disney’s The Princess Diaries in 2001, starring Anne Hathaway.

However, Moore’s breakthrough role came in 2003 when she played the preacher’s sick but beautiful daughter Jamie Sullivan in the critically acclaimed teen flick A Walk to Remember, opposite Shane West, and also starring Peter Coyote and Daryl Hannah. Moore later appeared in several lead roles, mostly for films geared toward teen audiences. Her work was met with mixed reviews and less success, including How to Deal, opposite newbie Trent Ford, which also featured Peter Gallagher as her character’s father; and Chasing Liberty in 2004 with Matthew Goode.

Mandy Moore expanded her acting horizons, attempting to portray darker characters in 2004’s religious satire entitled Saved!, with Jena Malone and Macaulay Culkin, as well as the parody American Dreamz, where she starred alongside numerous big-name actors including Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Willem Dafoe, and Jennifer Coolidge.

Mandy Moore’s personal life has been under the media spotlight, particularly her relationships with Andy Roddick, a tennis player, and actors Zach Braff and Wilmer Valderrama. The media is still speculating whether Mandy and Zach are in fact still together.

Mandy Moore recently released her latest album, Wild Hope, and will be featured in several upcoming films.

YUDDY