Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress, known for her work in television and film throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
Bynes began her career as a child actress, working on the
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
sketch comedy series ''
All That
''All That'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by Brian Robbins and Michael Tollin, Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by ...
'' (1996–2000), and had a breakthrough starring in its spin-off series ''
The Amanda Show
''The Amanda Show'' is an American live action sketch comedy and variety show television series created by Dan Schneider that aired on Nickelodeon from October 16, 1999 to September 21, 2002. It starred Amanda Bynes, Drake Bell, and Nancy ...
'' (1999–2002) and receiving several accolades.
During her mid-teens, Bynes played Holly Tyler in
The WB
The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on terrestrial television, broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture be ...
sitcom ''
What I Like About You'' (2002–2006), and made her film debut in the comedy ''
Big Fat Liar
''Big Fat Liar'' is a 2002 American comedy film, directed by Shawn Levy, adapted by Dan Schneider from a story by Schneider and Brian Robbins, and starring Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, Amanda Bynes, Amanda Detmer, Donald Faison, Lee Majors, a ...
'' (2002). She went on to star in a number of successful films, including the comedy ''
What a Girl Wants'' (2003) and the animated film ''
Robots "\n\n\n\n\nThe robots exclusion standard, also known as the robots exclusion protocol or simply robots.txt, is a standard used by websites to indicate to visiting web crawlers and other web robots which portions of the site they are allowed to visi ...
'' (2005); she has received praise for her roles in the sports comedy ''
She's the Man
''She's the Man'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy teen sports film directed by Andy Fickman and starring Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Vinnie Jones, and David Cross. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Twelfth Night,'' t ...
'' (2006), the musical ''
Hairspray
Hairspray may refer to:
* Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind
* ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters
** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album
** ''Hairspray ...
'' (2007), and the comedy-drama ''
Easy A
''Easy A'' (stylized as ''easy A'') is a 2010 American teen romantic
comedy film directed by Will Gluck, written by Bert V. Royal, starring Emma Stone, Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Thomas Haden Church, Dan Byrd, Amanda Bynes, Penn Bad ...
'' (2010).
In her highly publicized personal life, Bynes has struggled with
substance abuse and faced legal issues. She announced an indefinite hiatus from acting in 2010 as she struggled with various personal problems. In 2018, Bynes expressed interest in returning to television acting. She was in a
conservatorship
Under U.S. law, conservatorship is the appointment of a guardian or a protector by a judge to manage the financial affairs and/or daily life of another person due to old age or physical or mental limitations. A person under conservatorship is a ...
from August 2013 to March 2022.
Early life
Bynes was born in
Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown. It is named after the many oak tr ...
, on April 3, 1986, the youngest of three children born to Lynn (
née Organ), a
dental assistant
Dental assistants are members of the dental team. They support a dental operator (such as a dentist or other treating dental auxiliary) in providing more efficient dental treatment. ''Dental assistants'' are distinguished from other groups of de ...
and office manager, and Rick Bynes, a dentist.
Her father is
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and is of Irish, Lithuanian, and Polish descent. Her mother is
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, and was born to a Canadian couple whose families were from
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
, and
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
.
Career
1993–2005: Child acting and breakthrough
![Amanda Bynes cropped](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Amanda_Bynes_cropped.jpg)
Bynes began professionally acting at age seven, appearing in a television advertisement for
Buncha Crunch candies. During her childhood, she also appeared on stage in versions of ''
Annie
Annie may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress
* Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer
The ...
'', ''
The Secret Garden
''The Secret Garden'' is a 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 one of Burnett's most popular novels an ...
'', ''
The Music Man
''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments ...
'', 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''. S ...
''.
Later she attended a comedy camp at the
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
Laugh Factory
Laugh Factory is a chain of comedy clubs in the United States. The chain is owned by Laugh Factory Inc., and the founder and current chief executive is Jamie Masada.
Endurance record
The Laugh Factory keeps track of an endurance record fo ...
and was spotted by a
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
producer before being cast by the network on the
sketch comedy series ''
All That
''All That'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by Brian Robbins and Michael Tollin, Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by ...
'', where she played various roles from 1996 to 2000.
The show brought Bynes much recognition, and she won a
Kids' Choice Award
The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice) is an annual American children's awards ceremony show that is produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in late March or early April, the show honors ...
in 2000.
Bynes was also a regular member of the series ''
Figure It Out
''Figure It Out'' is an American children's panel game show that aired on Nickelodeon. The original series, hosted by Summer Sanders, ran for four seasons from July 7, 1997, to December 12, 1999. The show was revived in 2012, with Jeff Sutphen ...
'' from 1997 to 1999. At the age of 13, Bynes starred in the ''All That'' spin-off comedy ''
The Amanda Show
''The Amanda Show'' is an American live action sketch comedy and variety show television series created by Dan Schneider that aired on Nickelodeon from October 16, 1999 to September 21, 2002. It starred Amanda Bynes, Drake Bell, and Nancy ...
'' from 1999 to 2002. She had her breakthrough on the shows earning praise and acclaim. She won four Kids' Choice Awards and received two
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
nominations.
In 2002, Bynes made her feature film debut in ''
Big Fat Liar
''Big Fat Liar'' is a 2002 American comedy film, directed by Shawn Levy, adapted by Dan Schneider from a story by Schneider and Brian Robbins, and starring Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, Amanda Bynes, Amanda Detmer, Donald Faison, Lee Majors, a ...
'' starring as Kaylee, best friend of co-star
Frankie Muniz
Francisco Muniz IV (; born December 5, 1985) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the Fox sitcom ''Malcolm in the Middle'' (2000–2006), which earned him an Emmy Award nomination and two Golden Globe Award ...
's character. Although the film had a mixed reception, it was a commercial success; she won a 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 co-starring with
Jennie Garth
Jennifer Eve Garth (born April 3, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Kelly Taylor throughout the ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' franchise and Val Tyler on the sitcom '' What I Like About You'' (2002–06). In 2012, she starre ...
. The series garnered positive reviews and Bynes received a number of nominations from the
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United ...
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, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...
film ''
Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure'', which was panned by critics. She also had a voice role as Piper Pinwheeler in the 2005 animated film ''
Robots "\n\n\n\n\nThe robots exclusion standard, also known as the robots exclusion protocol or simply robots.txt, is a standard used by websites to indicate to visiting web crawlers and other web robots which portions of the site they are allowed to visi ...
'', which was a commercial success. Also in 2005, she starred the romantic comedy ''
Love Wrecked
''Love Wrecked'' (also known as ''Temptation Island'' internationally) is a 2005 American adventure romantic comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser. Starring Amanda Bynes, it is a romantic comedy about a girl getting stranded with a rock star on a ...
''.
2006–2010: Mainstream film successes and hiatus
![Amanda Bynes in vh1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Amanda_Bynes_in_vh1.jpg)
Bynes was named one of ''
Teen People
''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People'' had the l ...
''s "25 Hottest Stars Under 25" in 2006.
In 2006, Bynes starred in the sport comedy film ''
She's the Man
''She's the Man'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy teen sports film directed by Andy Fickman and starring Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Vinnie Jones, and David Cross. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Twelfth Night,'' t ...
'', based on
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 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
''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...
.''
She portrays Viola Hastings, a girl who pretends to be a boy to play with the boys' soccer team after her team gets cut at her school. Critic
Roger Ebert 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." Magazine
Bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
wrote in 2018: "''She's The Man'' was hot and hilarious and anxiety-inducing. It was perfect, and Bynes was a revelation in it."
In 2007, Bynes starred as Penny Pingleton, a sheltered young girl, in the musical comedy film
''Hairspray''. 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 went on to get a
Grammy nomination
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
. It was announced Bynes would reprise her role in ''Hairspray 2'', however the project was canceled.
In August 2007, Bynes teamed up 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
Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008. Bynes' next role was in another comedy, ''
Sydney White
''Sydney White'' is a 2007 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Joe Nussbaum and written by Chad Gomez Creasey based on the story of "Snow White". The film, starring Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton and Matt Long, was released theatrically on ...
'', released in 2007.
The film was a flop although Bynes's performance was praised. Review aggregator site
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American 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, and Stephen Wang ...
wrote "Amanda Bynes is charming, but ''Sydney White'' is a poorly adapted take on ''Snow White'', relying on tired ethnic stereotypes laughs."
In 2008, Bynes appeared in the
Lifetime Television
Lifetime is an American basic cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a subsidiary of A&E Networks, which is jointly owned by Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. It features programming that is geared toward ...
movie ''
Living Proof'' as the student assistant of
Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and television host. He has sold over 28million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 List of best-selling music artists i ...
's character. The film and the cast were praised. In 2009, she was set to star in the comedy ''
Post Grad
''Post Grad'' is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Vicky Jenson and starring Alexis Bledel, about a recent college graduate who moves back in with her family while she figures out what she wants to do next.
Originally under the wor ...
'', but dropped out with no reason revealed and was replaced by
Alexis Bledel
Kimberly Alexis Bledel ( ; born September 16, 1981) is an American actress and model. She is known for her role as Rory Gilmore on the television series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007), and Emily Malek in ''The Handmaid's Tale'' (2017–2021). ...
amid rumors that she was having difficulties.
In 2010, she co-starred alongside the then-relatively unknown
Emma Stone in the comedy ''
Easy A
''Easy A'' (stylized as ''easy A'') is a 2010 American teen romantic
comedy film directed by Will Gluck, written by Bert V. Royal, starring Emma Stone, Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Thomas Haden Church, Dan Byrd, Amanda Bynes, Penn Bad ...
''. She starred as Marianne Bryant playing a popular and judgmental high-school student. 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 comedy film ''
Hall Pass
''Hall Pass'' is a 2011 American comedy film produced and directed by the Farrelly brothers and co-written by them along with Pete Jones, the writer/director of ''Stolen Summer''. It stars Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis.
Rick and Fred, two hus ...
'' but dropped out of the film and was replaced by
Alexandra Daddario
Alexandra Anna Daddario (born March 16, 1986) is an American actress who had her breakthrough portraying Annabeth Chase in the ''Percy Jackson'' film series (2010–2013). In 2021, she starred in the first season of the HBO series ''The White ...
.
In July 2010, Bynes announced an indefinite hiatus from acting
but later stated in 2018 that she intended to return to television acting.
Personal life
In 2007, Bynes described herself as
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
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 largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
]. My parents said it was up to me to decide [which faith to adhere to] when I grew up. I'm sort of a spiritual person anyway. I haven't decided yet [on a religion]. I don't know yet exactly what I believe."
In 2008, Bynes briefly dated
Seth MacFarlane after voicing a character in
an episode of MacFarlane's show ''
Family Guy''.
Since childhood Bynes has been interested in illustration and
fashion design
Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer creates ...
.
In December 2013, Bynes enrolled at the
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) is a private college in downtown Los Angeles. It offers degree programs in majors including fashion, entertainment, beauty, interior design, and graphic design. The college was founded in 19 ...
in
Irvine 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 Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
program.
In 2019, Bynes graduated from FIDM.
Mental health and substance abuse problems
In 2012, Bynes was charged with
driving under the influence (DUI) in
West Hollywood
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...
. Two years later, the charge was dropped and she received a three-year probation. In May 2013, Bynes was charged with
reckless endangerment
Endangerment is a type of crime involving conduct that is wrongful and reckless or wanton, and likely to produce death or grievous bodily harm to another person. There are several kinds of endangerment, each of which is a criminal act that can ...
and
marijuana possession after she was found smoking in the lobby of her
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
apartment building.
When officers entered her 36th-floor apartment, she allegedly threw a
bong
A bong (also known as a water pipe) is a filtration device generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco, or other herbal substances. In the bong shown in the photo, the gas flows from the lower port on the left to the upper port on the right.
...
out the window.
[ A New York County judge dismissed the case against her in June 2014.][
In July 2013, ]Ventura County
Ventura County () is a County (United States), county 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, California ...
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, conservatorship is the appointment of a guardian or a protector by a judge to manage the financial affairs and/or daily life of another person due to old age or physical or mental limitations. A person under conservatorship is a ...
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 Amanda Bynes. Soon afterward Bynes announced that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
. In August 2018, paperwork was filed to continue said conservatorship until August 2020.
In 2018, Bynes stated she had been sober for four years with the help of her parents.[ She also apologized for what she said on Twitter during her years of substance abuse: "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 abuse she experimented with ]cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
and MDMA
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly seen in tablet form (ecstasy) and crystal form (molly or mandy), is a potent empathogen–entactogen with stimulant properties primarily used for recreational purposes. The desire ...
, but the drug she "abused the most" was the ADHD prescription medication Adderall
Adderall and Mydayis are trade names for a combination drug called mixed amphetamine salts containing four salts of amphetamine. The mixture is composed of equal parts racemic amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which produces a (3:1) ratio ...
.
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.
Filmography
Film
Television
Soundtrack appearances
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bynes, Amanda
1986 births
20th-century American actresses
20th-century American comedians
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American comedians
Actresses from Los Angeles
American child actresses
American fashion designers
American film actresses
American people of Canadian descent
American women comedians
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
Comedians from California
Jewish American actresses
Jewish fashion designers
Jewish American female comedians
Living people
People from Thousand Oaks, California
People with bipolar disorder
American women fashion designers
21st-century American Jews