Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress, singer and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You. She transitioned to a film career, starring in several films aimed at teenage audiences, including What a Girl Wants (2003), Love Wrecked (2005), She's the Man (2006), Hairspray (2007), and Easy A (2010).
She was named one of Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25" in 2006, and in 2007, Forbes listed her as the fifth highest paid celebrity under 21, with earnings of $2.5 million *.
Bynes was born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California, USA, the daughter 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.[5] Bynes' maternal grandparents are from Toronto, Ontario and her ancestors immigrated from Ireland, Poland, Russia, and Romania. Her father is Catholic and her mother is Jewish; Bynes has described herself as Jewish, and has also stated "I haven't decided yet [on a religion]. I don't know yet exactly what I believe".**
* Forbes staff (2007-02-26). "Young Hollywood's Top-Earning Stars". Forbes.com. http://forbes.com/2007/02/23/celebrities-hollywood-earnings-tech-ent_cz_0226youngstars.html. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
** Bloom, Nate (2007-07-10). "She's the Man: A Q&A with Amanda Bynes". InterfaithFamily.com. http://www.interfaithfamily.com/arts_and_entertainment/interviews_and_profiles/Shes_the_Man_A_Q&A_with_Amanda_Bynes.shtml. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
