Amanda Bynes

Amanda Laura Bynes, born April 3, 1986, is an American retired actress. She gained early recognition as a child star on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That and The Amanda Show, winning multiple Kids' Choice Awards for both. She later starred in the television sitcom What I Like About You and featured in films such as Big Fat Liar, What a Girl Wants, She's the Man, Hairspray, and Easy A before announcing her retirement from acting.

Bynes was raised in Thousand Oaks, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. Her father is Catholic, with Irish, Lithuanian, and Polish ancestry, while her mother is Jewish, born to a Canadian couple with roots in Poland, Russia, and Romania. Interested in illustration and fashion design since childhood, Bynes enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Irvine, California, in December 2013. She earned an associate's of art degree in merchandise product development in 2018 and graduated from the institute in 2019.

Her professional acting career began at age seven through television advertisements for brands including Buncha Crunch, Taco Bell, and Cut and Style Barbie. She also performed in local stage productions of Annie, The Secret Garden, The Music Man, and The Sound of Music. After attending a comedy camp at the Los Angeles Laugh Factory, Bynes was discovered by a Nickelodeon producer, leading to her cast role on All That from season three to season six and regular appearances on Figure It Out. At age 13, she starred in the spin-off The Amanda Show, earning critical praise, four Kids' Choice Awards, and two Young Artist Award nominations.

In 2002, Bynes made her feature film debut in the commercial success Big Fat Liar and began starring in the WB sitcom What I Like About You, which ran through 2006. She provided voice roles for Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure and the animated feature Robots. She subsequently starred in She's the Man in 2006, the musical film Hairspray in 2007, and Sydney White. After appearing in the television movie Living Proof and the teen comedy Easy A in 2010, Bynes publicly announced her retirement from acting to move to New York and pursue a career in fashion design.

Following her retirement, Bynes pursued various other projects. In December 2023, she briefly co-hosted Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast before leaving after one episode to pursue a manicurist license. In December 2024, she hosted a pop-up art show in West Hollywood featuring collaborative work with artist Austin Babbitt. In April 2026, she signed with Create Music Group and released an EDM trap single titled "Girlfriend" featuring Fenix Flexin.

In her personal life, Bynes experienced mental health challenges, substance abuse, and legal issues. These difficulties led to her parents being granted a conservatorship over her affairs from 2013 until its official termination in March 2022. Bynes became engaged to Paul Michael in 2020 before breaking up in July 2022. In 2023, she underwent additional psychiatric holds and received inpatient treatment.