Amanda Laura Bynes was born on April 3, 1986, the picture perfect girl-next-door. She grew up in Thousand Oaks, CA, with her father, Rick – a dentist – and mother, Lynn – an office manager, older brother Tommy, and older sister Jillian. Bynes was the family superstar from the get-go, putting on her mother’s clothes and acting for them at the young age of three. She enjoyed musical theater growing up, knowing all the words to “Oliver!” (1968) and “Evita” (1996) when she was just five. Her parents took notice of the youngster’s potential; even driving her an hour from their hometown to a summer comedy camp in Los Angeles every Saturday.
The support of her parents and her hard work soon brought the star-in-training to the famous Laugh Factory in Hollywood. Bynes performed a comedy routine when she was only 10, impressing a group of people who worked for Nickelodeon. They asked her to audition for “All That” (Nickelodeon, 1994-2005), a sketch comedy show for the middle school set. Bynes was a natural fit for the series, with her charm and physical comedy skills. She was a regular “All That” cast member for four years, winning over fans and a handful of Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards in the process.
Being part of the ensemble cast of “All That” showcased Bynes comedic talents, but the network saw a lot more potential for the young star. Bynes was the driving force of the show, so she was offered her own comedy series for Nickelodeon. And so “The Amanda Show” was born, becoming the channel’s highest-rated live-action program at that point in time. Bynes was a hilarious, likeable, and versatile actress for three successful seasons. The actress even found comfort playing her characters, citing that she was more nervous doing her monologues at the start of every show because she was acting as herself. Bynes had nothing to worry about, however, since her fans adored her and supported her every career move. Naturally, such talent and charisma could only lead to the next step in stardom for the young actress – the big screen.
Bynes set her sights on a film career while still maintaining TV credibility. In 2002, the California native costarred with Frankie Muniz – another well-known TV actor – in “Big Fat Liar,” playing Kaylee, the free-spirited and slightly tomboyish best friend to Muniz’ Jason. The role was originally written for a boy, yet Bynes nailed the part with ease. That very same year, Bynes was cast in a TV comedy series about sisters living in New York titled “What I Like About You.” She played Holly, a teen who lived with her older sister, played by “Beverly Hills, 90210” (FOX, 1990-2000) alum Jennie Garth. The relationship on the show hit close to home for the actress, as she considered her older sister Jillian her best friend in real life. “What I Like About You” lasted four years, and turned Bynes into a household name and bankable teen star, joining a young Hollywood group that at the time included Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan and Mandy Moore. Unlike some of her peers, however, Bynes was not about to lose sight of her goals at the bottom of cocktail glass.
While other young stars like Lohan and Paris Hilton partied until early morning and became notorious tabloid headliners, Bynes maintained a low-key profile. She was never photographed leaving clubs nor getting in feuds with her fellow teen actresses. Instead, she focused on work and perfecting her acting chops. She got another starring role in the film “What A Girl Wants” (2003), pushing the actress way ahead of the young Hollywood pack. It was a coming-of-age movie with romantic comedy elements, so Bynes was able to showcase both her versatile acting range, but also the fact that she was growing into a lovely young lady. With mature forethought, she planned to affect a Sandra Bullock and Meg Ryan film route – actresses who could not only act but were not afraid to do physical comedy either. At a time when animated movies were also box-office dynamite, Bynes voiced for Piper in 2005’s “Robots.” The cast was a Who’s-Who of comedy, including Robin Williams, Mel Brooks, and Drew Carey. Being a former teen sketch comedy star, Bynes was finally acting among her biggest influences, a feat that made her work even harder through the years.
Never much of an athlete as a kid, Bynes had always preferred musical theater and acting over sports. When her next movie “She’s The Man” (2006), called for the actress to learn how to play soccer – as a man – she did so with flying colors. The film – a remake of “Just One of the Guys” (1985) – featured Bynes as a girl who dresses up as a boy to get on the boys’ soccer team, all in an effort to show up the ex-boyfriend who dumped her. Bynes was a genius, keeping the audience laughing at her character Viola’s attempts at lowering her voice and flirting with women onscreen. Romance was in the air off-screen as well, as Bynes and her co-star, actor Channing Tatum, became a romantic item. The young lovebirds dated for a few years, but their relationship cooled off almost as soon as it had begun. She previously dated another co-star, “What I Like About You” hunk Nick Zano, but that also lasted only briefly.
Compared to other actresses of her generation, the focus on Bynes was less about her personal life and more on her work. Her biggest project to date came in the form of 2007’s “Hairspray,” a Technicolor and musical romp through the sixties, based on John Waters’ 1988 cult film and the hit Broadway production. The “Hairspray” cast consisted of Hollywood heavyweights like John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Queen Latifah. The talented roster also included newer faces like Nikki Blonsky and Disney Channel heartthrob Zac Efron. Somewhere in the middle was Bynes, a film veteran at such a young age. She channeled the role of Tracy’s sidekick Penny Pingleton and made it her own all the way to her funny signature line “I am now a checkerboard chick!” during the movie’s big finale. Starring in the blockbuster musical brought Bynes full circle, having started in musical theater and humming show tunes growing up. Following “Hairspray’s” massive success was another fairy tale remake for the hardworking star – playing the lead in “Sydney White” (2007) a hip adaptation of the classic Snow White story.
Talented and mature well beyond her years, Bynes set out for an entirely new and different direction with her career. She launched a fashion line called “Dear By Amanda Bynes” in August 2007, with fun and trendy pieces her teen fans loved to wear. The line was sold exclusively at department store Steve and Barry’s nationwide.