Amanda Peet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amanda Peet
Peet in 2014
Born	(1972-01-11) January 11, 1972 (age 53) New York City, U.S.
Education	Columbia University (BA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	David Benioff ​ (m. 2006)​
Children	3
Relatives	Stephen Friedman (father-in-law) Samuel Roxy Rothafel (great-grandfather) Samuel Levy (great-grandfather)

Amanda Peet (born January 11, 1972) is an American actress. She started her acting journey with small roles on TV shows. Later, she made her first movie appearance in Animal Room (1995).

She became more widely known for her role as Jill St. Claire in The Whole Nine Yards (2000). Since then, she has acted in many different films. Some of these include Saving Silverman (2001), High Crimes (2002), Something's Gotta Give (2003), Syriana (2005), and 2012 (2009).

On television, Peet has played Jacqueline Barrett in Jack & Jill (1999–2001). She was also Jordan McDeere in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006-2007) and Tina Morris in Togetherness (2015–2016). More recently, she played Betty Broderick in Dirty John (2020) and Beth Gallagher in Fatal Attraction (2023). In 2021, she also wrote and helped produce a show for Netflix called The Chair. Amanda Peet is married to writer David Benioff, and they have three children.

Early life and education

Amanda Peet was born in New York City. Her mother, Penny, was a social worker, and her father, Charles Peet Jr., was a lawyer. Her parents later divorced. Her father was a Quaker, and her mother was Jewish. Both were also atheists.

When she was seven, Peet moved with her family to London. They returned to New York four years later. Peet went to Friends Seminary school. She then graduated from Columbia University with a degree in American history.

While in college, she tried out for acting classes with a teacher named Uta Hagen. After taking Hagen's class, she decided she wanted to become an actress. She studied with Hagen for four years. During this time, Peet appeared in a play called Awake and Sing!

Career highlights

Starting out and becoming known (1995–2004)

Amanda Peet's first appearances were in a TV commercial for Skittles. She also had a small, uncredited role in The Larry Sanders Show in 1992. Her first movie was the drama Animal Room (1995). She also appeared in an episode of Law & Order in 1995.

In the late 1990s, Peet acted in many independent films. These included One Fine Day (1996) with George Clooney. She also appeared in She's the One (1996) and Playing by Heart (1998).

Her first big role was as Jacqueline Barrett in the TV series Jack & Jill. This show ran for two seasons from 1999 to 2001. She also had a guest role in the TV show Seinfeld. In 1999, Peet starred in the romantic comedy Simply Irresistible.

In 2000, Peet appeared in Isn't She Great. However, her first role in a widely released movie was as Jill St. Claire in The Whole Nine Yards. This movie also starred Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry. Critics liked her performance, with one calling it "perfect." The movie was very successful. For her role, she was nominated for a Blockbuster Entertainment Award and a Teen Choice Award. In 2000, People magazine named her one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.

In 2002, Peet played the wife of a lawyer in the thriller Changing Lanes with Ben Affleck. She also played Ashley Judd's sister in the thriller High Crimes. In 2003, Peet appeared in the romantic comedy Something's Gotta Give. This movie was a big hit. In 2004, she starred in The Whole Ten Yards, a sequel to The Whole Nine Yards.

Later career (2005–present)

In 2005, Peet starred in the romantic comedy A Lot like Love. She also appeared in the play This Is How It Goes. That same year, she was in Woody Allen's film Melinda and Melinda and the thriller Syriana.

Peet at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2006, Peet acted in the Broadway play Barefoot in the Park. She then starred in the romantic drama Griffin & Phoenix. She also played Jordan McDeere in the TV series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. She was nominated for a Satellite Award for her role.

In 2008, Peet starred in the mystery drama The X-Files: I Want to Believe. She also appeared in Five Dollars a Day and What Doesn't Kill You. Critics praised her performance in What Doesn't Kill You.

In 2009, Peet reunited with actor John Cusack in the disaster film 2012. This movie was very popular worldwide. In 2010, she starred in the dramedy Please Give, which received good reviews. She also voiced a character in Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey and starred in Gulliver's Travels with Jack Black.

From 2015 to 2016, Peet played Tina Morris in the HBO series Togetherness. This show was well-liked for its stories and acting. From 2016 to 2020, Peet appeared in Brockmire.

Writing and producing

In 2021, Netflix released The Chair. This was a six-episode comedy-drama series that Amanda Peet wrote. She also worked as a co-executive producer on the show with her husband, David Benioff.

Other activities

Peet at a charity event in 2009

Advocacy

In 2008, Peet became a spokesperson for Every Child By Two (ECBT). This group helps spread awareness about childhood vaccinations. Peet started working with them because she was worried about wrong information about vaccines. She believes vaccinations are very important for children's health.

In 2009, the Independent Investigative Group (IIG) gave an award to Peet. This award recognized her efforts in promoting science, especially her work for vaccines.

Writing

Peet has also co-written a children's book. It's called Dear Santa, Love, Rachel Rosenstein. The book is about a Jewish girl during the Christmas season and was released in 2015.

She also wrote a play called Our Very Own Carlin McCullough. This play was performed in Los Angeles in 2018 and received good reviews.

Personal life

Amanda Peet married screenwriter David Benioff on September 30, 2006, in New York City. David Benioff is the son of Stephen Friedman, who used to be a CEO at Goldman Sachs. They have three children together. The family lives in Manhattan and Beverly Hills.

Peet is also friends with actor Peter Dinklage. He starred in her husband's famous series Game of Thrones. They met years ago through friends.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Amanda Peet para niños