Hidden Palms

Background:

“I would just love to work in films for the rest of my life. I don't care about famous or about being anything like that. All I care about is living my life, being able to do what I love, working project to project, city to city, in films I believe in. That's the only way to live.” Amber Heard

One of Hollywood's young talents Amber Heard is known as Greta Matthews on the CW television series “Hidden Palms” (2007-2008) and for playing roles in such movies as “Alpha Dog” (2006), “All the Boys Love Mandy Lane” (2006), “The Beautiful Ordinary” (2007), “Never Back Down” (2008), “Pineapple Express” (2008) and “The Informers” (2008). About her character on “Hidden Palms,” she said, “Greta is wild and gets into trouble.” She has guest starred in TV series like “The O.C.,” “The Mountain” and “Jack & Bobby.”

Making her feature film debut in “Friday Night Lights” (2004), Heard is scheduled to star in the forthcoming films “Ex-Terminators” (2009), “The Joneses” (2009), “The River Why” (2009) and “The Stepfather” (2009).

The green-eyed, blonde beauty was voted by FHM as one of “100 Sexiest Women in the World of 2008” and was ranked No. 21 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 List, that same year. She was also named one of Jane Magazine's most beautiful rising stars of 2008, an honor she shared with Kellan Rhude.

Heard has appeared in music videos for Kenny Chesney and Brooks & Dunn. She has been the cover girl of Saturday Night and Maxim magazines, and has done several print and TV commercials.

Today is What I Have

Childhood and Family:

Amber Laura Heard was born on April 22, 1986, in Austin, Texas. She dropped out of St. Michael's Catholic Academy in her junior year to pursue a career in Hollywood. Later, she earned her diploma via a home schooling program.

At age 16, Amber had to deal with the death of her best friend from a car crash. After the tragedy,

Amber, who was raised Catholic, declared herself an Atheist. Recalling, she stated, “My very best friend died in a car accident when I was 16 years old. That was the hardest blow emotionally that I have ever had to endure. Suddenly, you realize tomorrow might not come. Now I live by the motto, Today is what I have.”

Amber loves to dive, swim, ride horses, play golf and rock climb, but hates to watch television. She is a certified lifeguard. She can speak Spanish and knows sign language.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane

Career:

Amber Heard left Texas for the bright lights of Hollywood when she was still in high school. By the time she was 18 years old, the drop out had started taking roles in both films and television. Heard played Maria on the Billy Bob Thornton vehicle “Friday Night Lights” (2004), based on H.G. Bissinger's book, “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream,” which profiled the economically down town of Odessa, Texas and their heroic high school football team, The Permian High Panthers. She also appeared in the pilot episode of the WB's short-lived, but critically praised drama “Jack & Bobby” (2004), as Liz, and in one episode of the short-lived drama “The Mountain” (2004), as Riley.

Heard costarred with Amanda Phillips and Todd Swift for the 2005 horror “SideFX,” helmed and written by Patrick Johnson. She followed it up with roles in the Michael Philip comedy “Drop Dead Sexy” (2005), starring Jason Lee and Crispin Glover, the Oscar nominee “North Country” (2005), in which she was cast as the young Charlize Theron, the Michael McCready-directed drama “Price to Pay” (2006), opposite Brian Skala, Steve Sandvoss and Fatso-Fasano, and filmmaker Nick Cassavetes’ controversial “Alpha Dog” (2006), where she emerged as the sloppy seductress, Alma. Among her costars in the latter were Bruce Willis, Emile Hirsch and Justin Timberlake.

Meanwhile, on the small screen, Heard appeared as salesgirl in an episode of “The O.C.” (2005) and had a significant role in the television drama “The Prince” (2006), as Serena. She also played Lila Archer on an episode of “Criminal Minds” called “Somebody's Watching” (2006).

Heard got her first leading role, as Mandy Lane, in the horror film “All the Boys Love Mandy Lane,” directed by Jonathan Levine. The film debuted at the Toronto Film Festival on September 9, 2006 and has since been shown at several film festivals like the 2006 Sitges Film Festival in Spain, the 2007 London FrightFest Film Festival in UK and the 2008 Lyon L'Étrange Festival in France. It even received a 2008 Golden Trailer nomination in the category of Best Horror.

The gifted actress next had supporting roles in the comedy/romance “You Are Here” (2007), for director/write Henry Pincus, and the short “Day 73 with Sarah” (2007), starring Elle Fanning, before headlining the Jess Manafort comedy/drama “The Beautiful Ordinary” (2007), about interracial relationship. However, it was her television work that put Heard on the spotlight.

On May 30, 2007, the Kevin Williamson-created drama “Hidden Palms,” in which Heard played the regular role of Greta Matthews, a beautiful young woman with an irritating secret, debuted at the CW network and gained mostly good response. Among her costars in the show were Michael Cassidy, Taylor Handley, Sharon Lawrence, D.W. Moffett, Gail O'Grady, Ellary Porterfield and others. Later that same year, on October 1, she made a guest appearance in the David Duchovny series “Californication.”

Back to the big screen, Heard starred opposite Sean Faris in the teen movie “Never Back Down” (2008), playing Baja Miller, was cast as love interest Angie Anderson in director David Gordon Green's nominated comedy “Pineapple Express” (2008), starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, and appeared with Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Winona Ryder and Billy Bob Thornton in “The Informers” (2008), adapted from a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, who also wrote the screenplay.

Currently, Heard has four upcoming projects under her belt. She will star opposite Heather Graham and Matthew Settle in John Inwood's comedy/drama “Ex-Terminators” (2009), team up with Demi Moore, David Duchovny and Gary Cole for the Derrick Borte drama “The Joneses” (2009) and join Zach Gilford and William Hurt in the based-on-novel “The River Why” (2009). She is also set to play Kelly in the remake of “The Stepfather” (2009), also starring Penn Badgley and Sela Ward.

Apart from acting, Heard has done several modeling gigs. She graced on the covers of Saturday Night Magazine Magazine (June 2008) and Maxim Magazine (August 2008). She has appeared in television commercials for Saturn car and Pacific Heat & Electric as well as in print ads for clients like Luxe Apothotique Boutique, Safer Internet Sites and JRC Model & Talent.

“There's no real talent involved in modeling. Acting has substance.” Amber Heard

Awards:
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