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Amanda Peet Profile |
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Birth Date: January 11, 1972
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Birth Place: New York, New York, USA
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Birth Name: Amanda Peet
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Height: 5'6"
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Biography |
Amanda Peet was born January 11, 1972, in New York City, NY.
The younger of two daughters, Amanda was raised by her
father Charles, a lawyer, and mother Penny, a social worker,
before their subsequent divorce in 1990.
Although it was clear from the start that Amanda had the
showbiz flair after she jumped on a stage in the middle of a
play, she majored in history at Columbia University. It was
there that a drama professor encouraged her to audition for
Uta Hagen, an acting teacher.
With the urge to study drama and try her hand at acting,
Amanda spent 4 years under the dramatic training of Uta
Hagen after she graduated University in 1994. In the
meantime, she gained experience by performing in the play,
Awake & Sing.
With no more than her income as a waitress, and paychecks
from a candy commercial she starred in, to support herself,
Amanda accepted whichever acting gigs she was offered. She
was finally cast in an episode of NYPD Blue, and had a
recurring gig in Central Park West. She also appeared in Law
& Order and The Single Guy.
She finally received her film debut in 1995's Animal's Room,
and bit parts in She's the One, with Jennifer Aniston, and
One Fine Day, with Michelle Pfeiffer. Virginity followed a
year later.
In 1997, Amanda appeared in Seinfeld's "The Summer of
George" episode, as well as the sitcom Spin City. Roles in
independent features were heading her way, namely Grind and
Touch Me, and of course, they offered no more than
experience and measly paychecks.
Amanda was able to add more films to her resume, and we
would have to take her word for it as they went straight to
video, unless 1999, Southie, and Origin of the Species ring
a bell. 1998's Playing By Heart was already a career step up
considering its star-filled cast of Gillian Anderson and
Sean Connery.
By 1999, Amanda didn't need the film flop Simply
Irresistible to increase her star power; she was cast in the
WB romantic series, Jack & Jill. Although Amanda wasn't the
original beauty set to play the masculine-monikered "Jack,"
Amanda proved to be the perfect fit.
Jack & Jill has been praised with positive reviews and has
gained quite a fan base (even men tune in, thanks to Amanda
and her costar, Jaime Pressly). This was undoubtedly the
role Amanda needed to boost her career, as the short-lived
Partners certainly wasn't.
And a string of sexy movie roles didn't hurt her reputation
either, as seen in 1999's Body Shots and Whipped, in which
she stars as a dominant tease who turns the world of three
men upside-down.
After a role in Two Ninas, Jump, and the comedy Isn't She
Great, Amanda gained more recognition as a film actress in
her role as a dental hygienist in The Whole Nine Yards,
starring Bruce Willis. Her topless scene was certainly the
film's highlight.
Amanda practically reprised her role of the domineering
girlfriend from hell in 2001's Saving Silverman.
Amanda can still be seen as Jacqueline "Jack" Barrett in
Jack & Jill (although the show may be canceled due to poor
ratings), but Amanda has nothing but roles in upcoming
high-profile films, such as Changing Lanes, with Ben Affleck
and Samuel L. Jackson, High Crimes, with Ashley Judd and
Morgan Freeman, and Igby Goes Down.
Named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful Women in
the World, Amanda is a one-woman man to actor Brian Van
Holt, her Whipped co-star. |
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Other
Information |
Graduated from Columbia University in 1994.
Voted one of the 50 most beautiful people in the World 2000
by People Magazine.
Was maid of honor at actress Lauren Holly's wedding to
Francis Greco. [10 March 2001]
Worked at "City Crab" in New York before hitting it big.
(Source: Interview, "Larry King Live" (1985), 10 February
2000).
Replaced Amelia Heinle (the original "Jack" in the "Jack &
Jill" (1999) pilot episode)
Attended Friends Seminary high school with actor Liev
Schreiber when he was a senior and she was a freshman.
Educated at an all-girls' prep school in London.
Her father, Charles, has been a prominent corporate attorney
in New York City for decades.
Ranked #44 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the
World" (2002).
Born on the same day as actor Marc Blucas.
Engaged to David Benioff [July 22, 2005]. |
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