Amanda Bynes

Amanda Laura Bynes, an American actress, singer and fashion designer, was born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California, the daughter of Lynn, a dental assistant and office manager, and Rick Bynes, a dentist who also practiced stand-up comedy. Amanda has two older siblings, Tommy, a chiropractor, and Jillian, who has a B.A. in History from UCLA and has also acted. Amanda's maternal grandparents are from Toronto, Ontario and her ancestors immigrated from Ireland, Poland, Russia, and Romania. Her father is Catholic and her mother is Jewish; Amanda has described herself as Jewish, and has also stated "I haven't decided yet [on a religion]. I don't know yet exactly what I believe".

In 1993, Amanda attended a comedy camp, with guest-instructors including Arsenio Hall and Richard Pryor, and began professionally acting at the age of seven, appearing in a television advertisement for Buncha Crunch candies. During her childhood, she also appeared on stage in versions of Annie, The Secret Garden, The Music Man and The Sound of Music. After taking acting classes, she became a regular cast member of Nickelodeon's Figure It Out and All That (both in 1996). Bynes remained a regular cast member on All That until its presumed cancellation in 2000, though she appeared in the sketches since shooting and preparing as the star of her own sketch show The Amanda Show, also on Nickelodeon. The Amanda Show features a combination of comical skits and sketches, including Amanda playing Judge Trudy, a character based on Judge Judy, and Penelope Taynt, an Amanda-obsessed fan.

Amanda made her film debut in 2002's modest box office success, Big Fat Liar, where she starred opposite Frankie Muniz. Her first leading role was in 2003's What a Girl Wants. Subsequently, she starred in The WB Television Network's sitcom What I Like About You and had voice parts in 2003's Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure and 2005's CGI animated comedy, Robots. She also co-starred in an episode of The Nightmare Room as Danielle Warner, and in Arliss as Crystal Dupree. Bynes appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's July 2003 edition with nine of Hollywood's other young female stars, including Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Alexis Bledel, Raven-Symoné, Evan Rachel Wood, the Olsen Twins, and Mandy Moore. Although she is often compared with them, Amanda has said that "It's like being the hot girl at the high school party. I was never that girl. I grew up with terrible acne and feeling insecure. I was tall and skinny. I didn't feel pretty at all, and guys didn't even like me. That's why I got into comedy."

Amanda was named one of Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25" in 2006, and in 2007, Forbes listed her as the fifth highest paid celebrity under 21, with earnings of $2.5 million.

In 2007, Bynes signed a five-year deal with Steve & Barry's to create her own fashion line, Dear, consisting of apparel and accessories. The line launched in stores August 16, 2007. The clothing line was cut short when Steve & Barry's filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008 and went out of business completely in January 2009.