Amanda Peet (born January 11, 1972) is an American motion picture actress. Born in New York, Peet attended Friends Seminary High School with Liev Schreiber and studied history at Columbia University, where she auditioned for acting teacher Uta Hagen. During her 4-year period of study with Hagen, Peet appeared in the off-Broadway revival of Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing. In 2000, she was voted one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine.
Her early career saw her in relatively minor roles. Beginning with a television commercial for Skittles, her early roles included a guest starring role on Law & Order, and she made her film debut in 1995, with Animal Room. Afterwards, Peet was able to maintain a steady acting career, although most of her work was in relatively obscure indie movies. In one of these, Whipped, she met her current boyfriend Brian Van Holt. She is good friends with Lauren Holly, and served as maid of honor at her wedding to Francis Greco.
Her first major role in a wide-release feature film came in 2000, with The Whole Nine Yards, opposite Bruce Willis, elevating her status from supporting actress to lead. Other well-known movies she has appeared in, include Saving Silverman, High Crimes, Igby Goes Down, Changing Lanes, Identity, The Whole Ten Yards, and Something's Gotta Give.
During the erotic sequence in The Whole Nine Yards, Peet was afraid to do the nude scenes, but overcame the fear after the director stated that the erotic scenes was pertinent to the script.
