Amanda Bynes

Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress. Bynes began her career as a child actor and received recognition for her roles on the sketch comedy series All That (1996–2000) and The Amanda Show (1999–2002), both for Nickelodeon. She won several Kids' Choice Awards for both of these roles.

In her mid-teens, Bynes starred in The WB sitcom What I Like About You (2002–2006) and in the teen comedy films Big Fat Liar (2002) and What a Girl Wants (2003). As an adult, Bynes shifted her focus onto films, beginning with a voice role in the 2005 animated comedy Robots. She gained wide recognition for portraying Viola Hastings in the romantic comedy film She's the Man (2006) and Penny Pingleton in the musical Hairspray (2007), the latter winning her a Critics' Choice Award and becoming her highest-grossing film. She then starred in the television film Living Proof (2008) and the teen comedy Easy A (2010) before announcing a hiatus from acting. She announced her intent to return in 2018.

Known for playing comedic roles, Bynes is heralded for her television work in the 1990s and her successful pivot to film in the 2000s. In her personal life, she has struggled with mental health and substance abuse. The issues and resulting legal problems have been well documented by the media. She was in a conservatorship from 2013 to 2022.