Amanda Bynes
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress. Bynes began her career as a
child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in film, movies. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associa ...
, appearing on the
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
series '' All That'' (1996–2000) and its spin-off series '' The Amanda Show'' (1999–2002). During her mid-teens, she played Holly Tyler on
The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...
sitcom '' What I Like About You'' (2002–2006) and starred in the teen comedy films '' Big Fat Liar'' (2002) and '' What a Girl Wants'' (2003). As an adult, she appeared in the films '' She's the Man'' (2006), '' Hairspray'' (2007), and '' Easy A'' (2010). Bynes is heralded for her acting work in the 1990s and 2000s, winning a Critics' Choice Award and six Kids' Choice Awards among other accolades. In her personal life, she has struggled with mental health and other issues, and was in a
conservatorship Under U.S. law, a conservatorship results from the appointment of a guardian or a protector by a judge to manage the personal or financial affairs of another person who is incapable of fully managing their own affairs due to age or physical or m ...
from August 2013 to March 2022.


Early life

Bynes was born on April 3, 1986, and raised in
Thousand Oaks, California Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, located in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles. Approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown Los Angeles, it is named after the many oak trees pr ...
, a suburb of Los Angeles. She is the youngest of three children born to Lynn (née Organ), a dental assistant and office manager, and Rick Bynes, a dentist. Her father is
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
and is of Irish, Lithuanian, and Polish descent. Her mother is
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
, born to a Canadian couple whose families were from
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
,
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, and
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
.


Career


1993–2005: Child acting and breakthrough

Bynes began professionally acting at age seven, appearing in a television advertisements for Buncha Crunch candies, Cut and Style Barbie, and
Taco Bell Taco Bell Corp. is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired ...
. During her childhood, she appeared on stage in versions of '' Annie'', ''
The Secret Garden ''The Secret Garden'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in ''The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is seen as a classic of English c ...
'', '' The Music Man'', and ''
The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
''. Later she attended a comedy camp at the Los Angeles Laugh Factory, at which she received advice from
Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Known for reaching a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, he is widely regarded ...
and Arsenio Hall. A Nickelodeon producer spotted her at a performance at the Laugh Factory, which prompted the network to cast her on the
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
series '' All That'', where she played various roles from season three to season six. The show brought Bynes recognition, and she won a Kids' Choice Award in 2000. Bynes was a regular member of the series '' Figure It Out'' from 1997 to 1999. At the age of 13, Bynes starred in the ''All That'' spin-off comedy '' The Amanda Show'' from 1999 to 2002. She had her breakthrough on the show, earning praise and acclaim. She won four Kids' Choice Awards and received two Young Artist Award nominations. In 2002, Bynes made her feature film debut in '' Big Fat Liar'' starring as Kaylee, best friend of co-star Frankie Muniz's character. Although the film had a mixed reception, it was a commercial success, and she won another Kids' Choice Award for her performance. Also in 2002, she landed a starring role in the WB sitcom ''What I Like About You'' from 2002 to 2006. The series garnered positive reviews and Bynes received a number of nominations from the
Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards were an annual awards show that aired on the Fox television network between 1999 and 2019. The awards, based on a popularity vote that could be overridden by the producerswho reserved the right to choose the winnerscovered ...
and the Young Artist Awards. In 2003, Bynes appeared on the cover of '' Vanity Fair'' July 2003 edition. She had a voice role in the
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
film '' Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure'', which was panned by critics. She had a voice role as Piper Pinwheeler in the 2005 animated film '' Robots'', which was a commercial success. Also in 2005, she starred in the romantic comedy '' Love Wrecked''.


2006–2010: Mainstream stardom and hiatus

Bynes was named one of '' Teen People''s "25 Hottest Stars Under 25" in 2006. In 2006, Bynes starred in the teen sports romantic comedy film '' She's the Man'', based on
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's '' Twelfth Night''. She portrays Viola Hastings, a girl who pretends to be her twin brother to play with the boys' soccer team at an elite boarding school after the girls soccer team at her school gets cut. Critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
wrote "Of Amanda Bynes let us say that she is sunny and plucky and somehow finds a way to play her impossible role without clearing her throat more than six or eight times. More importantly, we like her." In 2007, Bynes starred as Penny Pingleton, a sheltered young girl, in the musical comedy film ''Hairspray'', based on the musical theater adaptation of John Waters' 1988 film. The film was a critical and commercial success premiering in over 3,000 theaters, the largest debut for any musical film. It went on to become Bynes's most successful film at the time, and she and the rest of the cast were acclaimed for their performances. She won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble and received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination in 2008, among others. She was also featured on the ''Hairspray'' soundtrack, which received a Grammy nomination. It was announced Bynes would reprise her role in ''Hairspray 2'', but the project was canceled. In August 2007, Bynes worked with Steve & Barry's to create her own fashion line called Dear, consisting of apparel and accessories. The line was cut short when Steve & Barry's filed for bankruptcy in 2008. Bynes' next role was in another comedy, '' Sydney White'', released in 2007. The film was a critical and commercial failure, although Bynes' performance was praised. Review aggregator site
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
wrote "Amanda Bynes is charming, but ''Sydney White'' is a poorly adapted take on '' Snow White'', relying on tired ethnic stereotypes laughs." In 2008, she appeared in the Lifetime Television movie '' Living Proof'' as the student assistant of Harry Connick, Jr.'s character. The film and the cast were praised. Also in 2008, Bynes voiced Anna in the ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...
'' episode " Long John Peter". In 2009, she was set to star in the comedy '' Post Grad'', but she dropped out and was replaced by
Alexis Bledel Kimberly Alexis Bledel ( ; born September 16, 1981) is an American Actor, actress and Model (person), model. She is best known for her roles as Rory Gilmore on the television series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007) and Emily Malek in ''The Handm ...
amid rumors that she was having difficulties. In 2010, Bynes co-starred alongside the then-relatively unknown Emma Stone in the comedy '' Easy A''. She starred as Marianne Bryant, the president of a high school Bible study club who becomes the personal nemesis of Stone's character. The film was a critical and commercial success, with Stone and Bynes receiving critical praise for their performances. In the same year, Bynes started shooting the Farrelly Brothers comedy film '' Hall Pass'', but dropped out of the film and was replaced by Alexandra Daddario. In July 2010, Bynes announced an indefinite hiatus from acting. In 2018, Bynes considered returning to acting, but nothing happened at that time. She was going to reunite with former ''All That'' cast members at '90s Con in March 2023, her first public appearance since the end of her conservatorship, but she did not attend due to illness. In December 2023, Bynes debuted as the co-host of an interview-style podcast, ''Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast'', but she left after one episode to "get er manicurist license and have a consistent job".


Personal life

In 2007, Bynes described herself as Jewish and said: "As far as religion, I was raised both. I learned about both
Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
]. My parents said it was up to me to decide when I grew up. I'm sort of a spiritual person anyway. I haven't decided yet. I don't know yet exactly what I believe." In 2008, Bynes briefly dated Seth MacFarlane after voicing a character in the episode " Long John Peter" of MacFarlane's show ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...
''. Since childhood, Bynes has been interested in illustration and fashion design. In December 2013, Bynes enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) in
Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, planned city in central Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was named in 1888 for the landowner James Irvine. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the ...
for 2014. In 2018, she received her associate's of art degree in merchandise product development and announced her intentions to start a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
program. In 2019, Bynes graduated from FIDM.


Mental health and substance use challenges

In 2012, Bynes was charged with
driving under the influence Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (drug), alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether re ...
(DUI) in West Hollywood. She accepted a plea bargain of three years probation in exchange for the dismissal of the DUI charge. In May 2013, Bynes was charged with reckless endangerment and
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
possession after she was found smoking in the lobby of her
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
apartment building. When officers entered her 36th-floor apartment, she allegedly threw a bong out the window. A New York County judge dismissed the case against her in June 2014. In July 2013,
Ventura County, California Ventura County () is a County (United States), county located in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, Ca ...
, sheriff's deputies detained her after she allegedly started a small fire in the driveway of a stranger in Thousand Oaks. She was hospitalized under a 72-hour mental-health evaluation hold. Bynes's parents filed for
conservatorship Under U.S. law, a conservatorship results from the appointment of a guardian or a protector by a judge to manage the personal or financial affairs of another person who is incapable of fully managing their own affairs due to age or physical or m ...
of their daughter shortly after her hospitalization began. In August, Bynes' mother was granted a temporary conservatorship over Bynes's affairs. In October 2014, Bynes accused her father of emotional and sexual abuse in a series of tweets; after her parents protested and claimed innocence, Bynes tweeted that her father had never abused her, adding: "The microchip in my brain made me say those things but he's the one that ordered them to microchip me". Days later, Bynes' mother again received conservatorship of her. Soon afterward, Bynes announced that she had been diagnosed with
bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...
. In August 2018, paperwork was filed to continue the conservatorship until August 2020. In 2018, Bynes stated she had been sober for four years with the help of her parents. She apologized for what she said on Twitter during her years of substance use challenges: "I'm really ashamed and embarrassed with the things I said. I can't turn back time but if I could, I would. And I'm so sorry to whoever I hurt and whoever I lied about because it truly eats away at me." In an interview, Bynes stated that during her days of substance use she experimented with
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
and MDMA, but the drug she "abused the most" was the ADHD prescription medication Adderall. In February 2022, Bynes filed to end her conservatorship. Her attorney stated that Bynes believed her condition was improved and protection of the court was no longer necessary. Attorneys for her parents stated that they supported her in ending it. The conservatorship was officially terminated on March 22, 2022. On March 20, 2023, Bynes was placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold after she flagged a bystander for help and called 911 following a psychotic episode in Los Angeles. The previous weekend she had been scheduled to appear at an ''All That'' panel at '90s Con in Connecticut, her first scheduled public event since the end of her conservatorship, but she did not appear. On June 17, 2023, after she called the police indicating that she had thoughts of
self-harm Self-harm refers to intentional behaviors that cause harm to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues, usually without suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-abuse, self-injury, and s ...
, mental health professionals determined that she needed inpatient treatment. She left the facility on June 30 with plans for follow-up outpatient treatment.


Filmography


Film


Television


Soundtrack appearances


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bynes, Amanda 1986 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles American child actresses American fashion designers American film actresses American people of Canadian descent American people of Irish descent American people of Lithuanian descent American people of Polish descent American people of Polish-Jewish descent American people of Romanian-Jewish descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent American television actresses Television personalities from Los Angeles American women television personalities American voice actresses Jewish American actresses Jewish fashion designers Living people Nickelodeon people People from Thousand Oaks, California People with bipolar disorder American women fashion designers 21st-century American Jews Jewish American film people