Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress and fashion designer. Born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California, she performed acting roles in stage productions. In the 1990s, Bynes rose to prominence after appearing as a regular cast member on the Nickelodeon television series All That,The Amanda Show, and What I Like About You. In the 2000s, Bynes entered the film industry, appearing in teenage-oriented films including Big Fat Liar (2002), What a Girl Wants (2003), Love Wrecked (2005), She's the Man (2006), Hairspray (2007), Sydney White (2007) and Easy A (2010). In 2012, Bynes's legal problems and erratic behavior sent her career into hiatus. Bynes was born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California (part of the Greater Los Angeles Area), the youngest of three children of Lynn (née Organ), a dental assistant and office manager, and Rick Bynes, a dentist who also practiced stand-up comedy. Bynes has two older siblings, Tommy (born 1973), a chiropractor, and Jillian (born 1983), who has a B.A. in History from UCLA and has also acted. Bynes' ancestors immigrated from Ireland, Poland, Russia, and Romania, and her maternal grandparents are from Toronto, Ontario. Her father is Catholic and her mother is Jewish. Bynes has described herself as Jewish; regarding her religious beliefs, Bynes has stated: "As far as religion, I was raised both. I learned about both Judaism and Catholicism. 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."
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Amanda Bynes
