Amanda's Show

Background:

"I want to be looked at as an adult actress. That's why I didn't want to do a big movie when I was 11. I was waiting till I was little bit older." Amanda Bynes

One of Forbes' Most Powerful Celebrities (2003), Amanda Bynes first rose to popularity being a regular (1996-2000) in the TV series All That. She was also noticed while starring in her own show, The Amanda Show, which ran from 1999 to 2002.

"People don't recognize I'm getting older. They see reruns of "All That" so they assume I'm ten years old. I'm 16. I'm almost 5' 8". I'm driving now." Amanda Bynes.

Off screen, the 3rd Hottest Teen Female Star (2003), Amanda Bynes has been linked to actor Taran Killam (dated in 2001), whom she met during the production of The Amanda Show and Big Fat Liar film. In 2003, she was reported to be involved with MTV VJ, Nick Zano.

Chicky Bynes

Childhood and Family:

"I think my parents are a big part of that because I'm still a normal kid. Like there are times I get frustrated because I want to wear certain shoes and they don't want me to wear them. It's all good in the end because I realize that there will be a time and place for high shoes." Amanda Bynes

In Thousand Oaks, California, Amanda Laura Bynes was born on April 3, 1986 to parents Dr. Rick Bynes (dentist) and Lynn Bynes (dental assistant). The youngest of three, Amanda has two older siblings, sister Jillian Bynes and brother Tommy Bynes (chiropractor). Amanda, nicknamed Chicky, attended Thousand Oaks High School and graduated in 2003. Straight-A student Amanda once said that her favorite subject was English.

"I'm a positive person. People should find happiness in the little things, like family."

Currently, 19-year-old Amanda lives with her parents in Ventura County, California with her pets dogs Tootsie Roll (golden Labrador) and Betty Boop (Australian shepherd), cats Subbie, Dubbie and Tiger, and fish Bella. During her free time Amanda relaxes by doing such fun activities as drawing, painting and writing. A fan of soft drinks and roses, Amanda also enjoys massages, facials, meditating, going to the movies, and hanging out with friends.

What A Girl Wants

Career:

"I'm the type of person who believes that everything happens for a reason and at the time that it's supposed to. So now ... other ideas are coming up for other movies and everything is just happening really wonderfully." Amanda Bynes

Having been interested in acting since the age of 3, Amanda Bynes spent part of her childhood in a comedy camp and performing in several plays, including starring in Annie at the Camarillo Youth Center, as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Arts Council Center in Thousand Oaks, and as Mary in The Secret Garden at the Conejo Players Theater. She landed her first television work in a commercial for Nestle's Buncha Crunch candy.

While performing in Los Angeles, Amanda was spotted by producers Brian Robbins and Dan Schneider, who later recommended her for a role in Nickelodeon's All That. Amanda was a regular in the series from 1996 to 2000 and was nominated for a 1997 Cable Ace Award and became the Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Award winner for Favorite Television Actress several times. A year before her contract with All That ended, 13-year-old Amanda nabbed her own variety show, The Amanda Show (1999).

"The first time I got the script, it said The Amanda Show on it, I thought they were kidding. I'm still little Amanda, and to be getting my own show, it's like, oh, my gosh!" Amanda Bynes.

Subsequently, Amanda was seen more often on the small screen. She once became a panelist for the game show Figure It Out and her voice could be heard in the hit cartoon Rugrats. She also guest starred in several TV series including the WB's brief-running series The Nightmare Room and appeared in an episode of The Drew Carey Show. Her silver screen's debut came in 2002 when film director Shawn Levy handed her the role of Frankie Muniz's friend Kaylee in the comedy Big Fat Liar. In the same year, Amanda also played Jennie Garth's kid sister Holly Tyler in the WB's family comedy, What I Like About You (alongside Wesley Jonathan).

Amanda's big screen breakout role was probably the starring role of Colin Firth and Kelly Preston's daughter Daphne in Dennie Gordon's adaptation of William Douglas-Home's 1958 play, What A Girl Wants (2003). The role handed her the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress in 2003 and 2004. Additionally, Amanda provided her voice as Nellie in Mario Piluso's animated movie, Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure, in 2003. She also appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair (a 2003 edition) and was nominated for the 2003 Teen Choice Award for TV Actress in a Comedy. Young, accomplished Amanda, was recently getting busy again with her acting schedule. Early in 2005, she lent her voice for Piper in Chris Wedge's animated movie, Robots (with Halle Berry and Ewan McGregor).

About the role and the film Amanda commented, "...I was very lucky they sent me the script and they wanted me to be Piper..."

"...If you have goals and if you want to be something or whatever it is you want to do the only person who can stop you is yourself." Amanda Bynes

In 2005 Amanda will be seen starring in Randal Kleiser's romantic comedy Lovewreck (alongside Chris Carmack and Jonathan Bennett), in which she will portray Jenny Riley, who took a cruise trip with her rock and roll idol. In order to sharpen her acting skills, Amanda continues to be tutored by Arsenio Hall and Richard Pryor.

"I'm a good person and I don't want to undermine anyone. I don't want to make anyone look stupid. I don't talk badly about people. I just try to be a nice girl and that's the best way to stay out of it.

Some people have such big egos that they have to knock people down to get ahead. And I'm just who I am and I'm a person who's very lucky. But my life is my family and not my job. If it ever got too crazy I'd be like, 'Okay, I'm checkin' out now.'" Amanda Bynes

Awards:

• Kids Choice Award: Favorite Movie Actress, What A Girl Wants, 2004
• Kids Choice Award: Favorite Movie Actress, Big Fat Liar, 2003
• Kids Choice Award: Favorite Actress, What I Like About You, 2003
• Kids Choice Award: Favorite Actress, What I Like About You, 2002
• Kids' Choice Awards: Favorite TV Actress, The Amanda Show, 2001
• Kids' Choice Awards: Favorite Cartoon, The Amanda Show, 2000