Rachael Leigh Cook facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rachael Leigh Cook
Cook in 2019
Born	(1979-10-04) October 4, 1979 (age 45) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupation	Actress model
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Daniel Gillies ​ ​ (m. 2004; div. 2021)​
Children	2

Rachael Leigh Cook (born October 4, 1979) is an American actress and model. She is known for her roles in movies like The Baby-Sitters Club (1995), She's All That (1999), and Josie and the Pussycats (2001). She has also appeared in TV shows such as Into the West and Perception.

Rachael Leigh Cook also uses her voice for different characters in the show Robot Chicken. She is also the voice of Tifa Lockhart in the Final Fantasy video game series, starting with the English version of the movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Since 2016, she has mostly appeared in movies made for TV on the Hallmark Channel.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Rachael Leigh Cook was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her dad, Thomas Howard Cook, was a social worker and used to be a stand-up comedian. Her mom, JoAnn, taught cooking and was a weaver. Rachael has some Italian family background.

When she was seven, Cook appeared in a public service announcement (a short ad for a good cause) about foster care. At age 10, she started working as a child model. She appeared in ads for stores like Target and even on boxes of Milk-Bone dog biscuits. She went to Clara Barton Open School, Laurel Springs School, and Minneapolis South High School.

Rachael's Acting Journey

Rachael Leigh Cook in 2018

Rachael Leigh Cook started trying out for acting roles when she was 14. Her first movie was The Baby-Sitters Club in 1995. She also appeared in the adventure movie Tom and Huck that same year. In 1996, her modeling agency helped her get a role in a short film called 26 Summer Street. In 1997, she played a main character in the movie Country Justice.

Becoming a Star in Movies

In 1999, Cook got her big break in the romantic comedy movie She's All That. This movie was the most successful one of her career financially. In 2000, she starred with Elijah Wood in The Bumblebee Flies Anyway, which was well-liked. She took the main role in the 2001 movie Josie and the Pussycats. While it didn't do well at the box office at first, it later became a cult classic, meaning it gained a strong following over time.

She also appeared in the music video for New Found Glory's song "Dressed to Kill" in 2000. In 2003, she starred as Cheri in the movie 11:14. She was also a main cast member in the 2005 TV miniseries Into the West, which was produced by Steven Spielberg. In 2006, she was in the music video for Daniel Powter's song "Love You Lately".

Later Roles and Voice Acting

In 2007, Cook was in the movie Nancy Drew. She also played the main female role in the sports drama The Final Season. She has appeared in many episodes of the Seth Green comedies Titan Maximum and Robot Chicken. In 2008, she was a guest star as Abigail Lytar in two episodes of the TV show Psych. She played the role again in the next season.

In 2010, Cook was chosen for the main female role in a comedy TV pilot called Nirvana. She also had a role in the Western horror movie Vampire, which was the first English-language movie by Japanese director Iwai Shunji. In 2012, Cook got the main female role in the TNT crime drama series Perception with Eric McCormack. She starred in the independent film Broken Kingdom, which was directed by her husband Daniel Gillies. She also appeared in a Funny or Die comedy sketch with Chad Michael Murray.

Cook starred in the Hallmark Channel movie Summer Love in 2016. That same year, she was in another Hallmark movie, Autumn In the Vineyard, and its sequel Summer in the Vineyard in 2017. In 2017, Cook also helped create, star in, and produce the Hallmark Channel movie Frozen in Love, which aired in January 2018.

Cook provided the voice for Chelsea Cunningham in the Kids' WB cartoon series Batman Beyond and in the animated movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Cook also voiced Tifa Lockhart in the video games Kingdom Hearts II, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, as well as the movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. In 2011, she voiced the character Jaesa Willsaam in the online game Star Wars: The Old Republic. Cook's most recent voice role is for the video game Yakuza, where she voices Reina. In 2020, Cook appeared in the fifteenth season of Criminal Minds as Max in the final episodes.

Cook has her own production company called Ben's Sister Productions, named after her younger brother Ben Cook. She produced and starred in the movie Love, Guaranteed, which came out on Netflix on September 3, 2020.

Helping Others

In 2011, the Obama administration chose her as a Champion of Change for Arts Education. This award recognizes people who do great things for arts education.

In June 2012, she started giving a small scholarship to students aged 14 to 19. This scholarship helps pay for career classes, mentoring programs, and other school fees.

Rachael's Family Life

Rachael Leigh Cook married New Zealand-Canadian actor Daniel Gillies on August 8, 2004. They got engaged after dating for about five months and married a couple of months later. They have two children: a daughter born in September 2013 and a son born in April 2015. The couple separated in June 2019 and divorced in 2021.

Cook is a vegetarian.

Filmography

Here is a list of movies Rachael Leigh Cook has been in:

Television Shows

Here is a list of TV shows Rachael Leigh Cook has appeared in:

Music Videos

Rachael Leigh Cook has also appeared in these music videos:

Video Games

Here are the video games where Rachael Leigh Cook has lent her voice:

Awards and Nominations

Rachael Leigh Cook has received several awards and nominations for her acting:

See also

In Spanish: Rachael Leigh Cook para niños