Amanda Bynes biography

Synopsis

Early TV Career

Born on April 3, 1986 in Thousand Oaks, California, Amanda Bynes got her acting start at 7 years old in a Nestlé’s candy commercial, going on to star in the Nickelodeon show All That. Conveying a high degree of comedic skill and timing at a young age, Bynes then became the star of her own skit-based series The Amanda Show, which ran for three seasons and garnered the actress three Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.

At the age of 15, Bynes jumped onto the big screen in 2002, starring in the film Big Fat Liar with fellow teen actor Frankie Muniz. That fall, she became co-star of the WB Network series What I Like About You, in which she played a fun-loving younger sibling to actress Jennie Garth, formerly of Beverly Hills 90210. The following year she had the lead role in the movie What a Girl Wants, in which she depicted a New York City teen who travels to London to find her wealthy father, played by Colin Firth.

With both Big Fat Liar and What a Girl Wants earning significant money at the box office, and What I Like About You running for multiple seasons, Bynes continued to garner notice for her prodigious slapstick chops. The stage was being set for more significant roles.

Growing Body of Film Work

Bynes then did voiceover work for 2005's Robots, and in 2006 starred in She's the Man—where her character disguises herself as her own brother, with Channing Tatum co-starring—and the tropical romantic comedy Lovewrecked. Then, in 2007, she landed a major supporting role in the musical film adaptation of Hairspray playing Penny Lou Pingleton, a girl who has a budding romance with an African-American boy in 1960s Baltimore. The movie was a hit, earning more than $100 million at the box office and receiving multiple award nominations. Later that year Bynes had the lead role in the college film Sydney White and also released her own clothing line.

In 2010, at age 23, Bynes embraced a sexier adult image as she posed for the cover of Maxim magazine. She also went against previous type with her role as a gossiping student in Easy A, a comedic retooling of The Scarlet Letter that also featured Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson.

Challenges With the Law

The young star would soon face difficult times. Her acting output stopped as she alluded via her Twitter feed to the need for a break, having been in the business since she was a child. Later, in the spring of 2012, she allegedly hit the rear corner of a police officer's vehicle.