Biography, Filmography, Pictures And Video:

Amanda Peet was born in New York City on January 11, 1972 and raised by Quaker parents. She attended the Friends Seminary until she was almost eight years old, then her family relocated to London England. A few years later, they moved back to New York where she stayed with her Quaker education before enrolling at Columbia University where she graduated with a degree in American History. While attending college, she grew to love acting, and started taking acting and performance classes as often as possible. After graduating, she found a manager who started the young beginner on auditions, where she was quickly hired for small roles on various television shows and commercials. 

Peet's first professional experience was with guest appearances on "Law & Order", the daytime soap opera "One Life To Live", "The Single Guy", "Spin City" and six episodes on the drama "Central Park West" about ambitious New Yorkers who maneuver against each other as they chase their love for money, sex, and power. Her first big screen role was as Molly Donati in the romantic comedy "She's The One" (1996), with Cameron Diaz, Edward Burns and Jennifer Aniston. Another small role followed in the comedy "One Fine Day" (1996), starring A-listers Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney. While her roles to this point had all been small ones, The actress was attracting the attention of the media and movie directors, and her star was starting to shine.

Amanda's first big Hollywood break came with a one episode appearance in the role of Lanette, one of Jerry Seinfeld's unusually demanding girlfriends on a 1997 episode of the smash hit and cult favorite sitcom "Seinfeld”. Her appearance shot her into celebrity super-stardom almost overnight, and the job offers started to roll in. She then returned to the big screen in the starring role of Bridgette in the romantic "Touch Me" (1997), where her character Bridgette is an actress teaching aerobics when she falls in love with a man, later learning an ex-lover of hers has died of AIDS she is tested and finds she also has HIV. The role was an emotional stretch for the star, and she proved that she could carry a film on her own talents, without A-list help and big-name directors.

After staying away from the limelight for several years, Peet resurfaced as Nicole, a supporting role to Jennifer Garner, in the dramatic "1999", about a group of young New Yorkers who discuss their life's and future at a party celebrating the new millennium on New Year Eve. The actress then took a small role in a big blockbuster film, mainly for the experience and exposure of working with an incredible list of famous celebrities in "Playing By Heart" (1998), staring Angelina Jolie, Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands, Gillian Anderson, Ryan Phillippe and Dennis Quaid, where a group of expressive people work through affairs of the heart, love and friendship in Los Angeles. While her role was small, it grabbed her much needed attention and showed she could standout in a crowd of famous talent.

She was then hired and cast in a small supporting role in the comedy "Simply Irresistible" (1999), and then the comedy "Jump" (1999), about a man prepared to commit suicide by jumping from a roof while all his friends try to talk him down. "Jump" shows the man and all of his friends to be leading trivial, drifting lives, and reveals a lot about the psychological condition of the group. She wrapped the year starring with Sean Patrick Flanery and Jerry O'Connell in the drama "Body Shots" (1999), a tale of the mysterious, but necessary mating ritual between men and women of today and everything they think about sex - but are afraid to talk about. 

She started off the following year starring alongside Bette Midler, Nathan Lane, Stockard Channing and David Hyde Pierce in the biographical drama "Isn't She Great" (2000), where an unsuccessful over-the-top actress becomes a successful over-the-top author in this biography of Jacqueline Susann portrayed by Bette Midler. Unfortunately, the movie tanked and was panned by critics. 

But Peet rebounded in her next film portraying Jill St. Claire in the crime comedy "The Whole Nine Yards" (2000), working with Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Rosanna Arquette and Michael Clarke Duncan, in the funny story about a struggling dentist in Canada, where after a new neighbor moves in he discovers that it is Jimmy "The Tulip" Teduski - a mob boss and killer. The film was a box office hit, and Amanda was singled out and nominated for a Teen Choice Award and Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress - Comedy & Romance. The film also marked a turning point for the now famous celebrity, as one of her scenes came complete with a spectacular nude scene. Amanda would join the original cast again in 2004 for the sequel "The Whole Ten Yards" (2004).

She wrapped the year 2000 starring in the romantic comedy "Whipped", about three arrogant swingers, who think they're God's gift to women, and end up having their friendships tested when all three of them start dating the same woman. Another high-profile starring role followed as Judith in the comedy "Saving Silverman" (2001), working with Jack Black and Jason Biggs about a pair of friends who scheme to save their best friend from marrying the wrong woman. She then returned to series television to co-star in thirty-two episodes of the comedy "Jack & Jill" (1999), before returning to the big screen with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd in the crime thriller "High Crimes" (2002). Another supporting role followed working with Ben Affleck and Samuel J. Jackson in the thriller "Changing Lanes" (2002). But her big break was waiting just around the corner.

The young star had shown she was capable of both large and small roles, in comedy, dramatic and thriller genres, and was now ready to start looking for more unique and diverse roles. She found what she was looking for in the role of Rachel in the dramatic comedy "Igby Goes Down" (2002), starring Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Ryan Phillippe and Susan Sarandon as the dying mother.  "Igby Goes Down" is a powerful story about a young man's (Culkin) unusual upbringing that renders him unable to adeptly cope with the struggle of growing up. The film was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and walked away with seven other industry recognitions. She next appeared in the horror mystery thriller "Identity" (2003) as one of the group of outwardly unrelated people stranded at a roadside motel who come to realize they are being killed off one by one.

The actor was next cast in the supporting role of Marin in the romantic comedy "Something's Gotta Give" (2003), playing the vivacious young girlfriend of an aging womanizer (Jack Nicholson), who against his will finds himself attracted to the young woman's older mother. The film was nominated for and Academy Award and two Golden Glove Awards. 

She then took a comedic role as Will Ferrell's career fixated movie maker wife in Woody Allen's "Melinda and Melinda" (2005), a film of two alternating stories about Melinda's attempts to straighten out her life. Peet was then hired and cast  in one of her most charming and well received starring roles to date in the romantic comedy "A Lot Like Love" (2005), where she portrays an anxious, romantically challenged aspiring actress who finds herself sidetracked every couple of  years by her involvement with an intense young man (Ashton Kutcher), with elaborate plans for his life.

She then ventured back to thrillers with her role in  "Syriana" (2005) starring George Clooney and Matt Damon, where she played the distressed young wife of an oil magnet whose family loss leaves him obsessed with helping an oil rich country being fought over by various political enemies. Clooney won an Oscar Award for his role, and the film was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards. Peet then portrayed Phoenix, the lead character in the romantic comedy "Griffin & Phoenix" (2006) opposite Dermot Mulroney, a sad but hilarious love story about two people who face an impossible hurdle that may come between them and a last chance at love. She closed out the year starring with Zach Braff, Jason Bateman and  Mia Farrow in the comedy "Fast Track" (2006), about a slacker who is forced to work for his father-in-law after his pregnant wife steps down from her high-paying job.  

Deciding to give the big-screen a break, Amanda returned to network television for twenty-two episodes of the comedy "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip" (2006), a behind-the-scenes look at the drama on a fictional sketch comedy television show loosely based on the hit comedy series "Saturday Night Live". She played incoming network president Jordan McDeere, who is hired by the Executives to save the network. “Studio 60” started the fall season with high ratings, but the frenzy quickly slowed when audiences began switching to Tina Fey's "30 Rock", which was less dramatic and had more comedy in its scripts.

Having accomplished so much in the Hollywood world of movies and television, the only thing left untried for the actor was animated film. She stepped up to the plate as the voice of Maria in the animated adventure "Terra", working with other famous voices belonging to Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Wilson, Justin Long, Danny Glover, and Dennis Quaid. "Terra" tells the story of a peaceful alien planet that faces annihilation. As the homeless remainder of the human race sets its eyes on Terra, Mala, a rebellious young teenager, will do everything she can to stop it. She then returned to the dramatic with a role in "Martian Child" (2007), about a science fiction author who considers adopting a hyper-imaginative six-year-old abandoned and socially unwanted young boy, who says he's from Mars. The film was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Family Feature Film.

In 2008, Peet starred alongside Christopher Walken, Sharon Stone and Dean Cain in the comedy "$5 A Day" (2008), a funny tale about the conservative son of a thrifty conman who joins his dad on the road, after just being let out of jail for one of his father's past crimes. Another huge Hollywood blockbuster break came for the famous star in the role of Dakota Whitney in the long anticipated thriller "The X Files - I Want To Believe" (2008), starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. The movie adaptation of the hit television series that finds Mulder and Scully back on duty for the FBI when a former priest claims to be receiving psychic visions pertaining to a kidnapped agent. 

She wrapped her year working with John Cusack, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson in the thriller "2012" (2009), a fascinating story based on the end of the world myth and the Mayan calendar that mysteriously stops in 2012, and a large group of people who must deal with natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, typhoons and glaciers.

Watch Amanda Peet In "Martian Child" Movie Trailer

Watch Amanda On The David Letterman Show

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