Amanda Peet

Amanda Peet (born January 11, 1972) is an American actress.

For much of the late 1990s, Peet maintained a steady acting career in relatively obscure independent films co-starring more established actors.

Peet's first screen performances were in a television commercial for Skittles and an uncredited appearance as the girlfriend of the titular character in the second episode of The Larry Sanders Show in 1992.

She began her career with small parts on television before making her feature film debut in Animal Room (1995).

Her film debut was in the drama Animal Room (1995), which also starred Neil Patrick Harris and Matthew Lillard.

She also appeared in the November 1995 episode "Hot Pursuit" of Law & Order.

In 1996, for instance, she appeared in One Fine Day, with George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer, and She's the One, with Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz.

Peet appeared in the critically acclaimed film Playing by Heart (1998), as part of an ensemble cast that included Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie, and Ryan Phillippe.

Outside of film, Peet played Jacqueline Barrett on The WB's Jack & Jill (1999–2001), Jordan McDeere on NBC's short-lived Aaron Sorkin series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006-2007), Tina Morris on HBO's Togetherness (2015–2016), Jules on IFC's Brockmire (2016–2020), Betty Broderick on the second season of Bravo's Dirty John (2020), and Beth Gallagher in the Paramount+ adaptation of Fatal Attraction (2023).

In 2021, she wrote and co-executive produced The Chair for Netflix.

Peet is married to American screenwriter David Benioff, with whom she has three children.

Peet was born in New York City, the daughter of Penny (née Levy), a social worker, and Charles Peet Jr., a corporate lawyer, who later divorced.

Her father is a Quaker and her mother is Jewish; both are also atheists.

Peet's maternal great-grandfathers were Samuel Levy, a lawyer, businessman, and public official, who served as Manhattan Borough President; and Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel, a theatrical impresario and entrepreneur.

At age seven, Peet relocated with her family to London, returning to New York four years later.

She enrolled in HB Studio's teen acting program when she was 13.

Peet attended Friends Seminary, and graduated from Columbia University with a degree in American history.

In college, she auditioned for acting with teacher Uta Hagen and decided to become an actress after taking Hagen's class.

During her four-year period of study with Hagen, Peet appeared in the off-Broadway revival of Clifford Odets's Awake and Sing! with Stephen Lang.

She had her first major role as Jacqueline Barrett in the WB network series Jack & Jill, which aired for two seasons, between 1999 and 2001, to moderate success.

She appeared in the eighth-season finale of Seinfeld ("The Summer of George") as a waitress whom Jerry Seinfeld dates.

In 1999, Peet also starred in the fantasy romantic comedy Simply Irresistible, opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar.

That film was panned by critics and flopped at the box office.

Her portrayal of Jill St. Claire in The Whole Nine Yards (2000) brought her wider recognition, and she has since appeared in a variety of films, such as Saving Silverman (2001), High Crimes, Changing Lanes, Igby Goes Down (all 2002), Something's Gotta Give, Identity (both 2003), Melinda and Melinda (2004), A Lot like Love, Syriana (both 2005), The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008), 2012 (2009), Gulliver's Travels (2010), Identity Thief, and The Way, Way Back (both 2013).

Peet appeared alongside Bette Midler and Nathan Lane in Andrew Bergman's Isn't She Great (2000), a highly fictionalized account of the life and career of author Jacqueline Susann.

However, her first role in a widely released feature film came later that year, with the part of Jill St. Claire in the mafia comedy film The Whole Nine Yards.

The film, which also starred Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry, received mixed reviews.

Roger Ebert gave it one of the more positive reviews, noting in particular that Peet's performance, which he called "perfect", highlighted the story.

The Whole Nine Yards was a commercial success, grossing US$106.3 million worldwide.

For her performance, she received a Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination for Favorite Supporting Actress: Comedy, and a Teen Choice Award nomination for Choice Film Liar.

In 2000, she played a love interest in the independent comedy Whipped, won the Young Hollywood Award for "Best New Style Maker", and was voted one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People magazine.

Peet took on the role of a psychologist and the romantic interest of Jason Biggs in the comedy Saving Silverman (2001), and portrayed a heroin-addicted trophy mistress in the dramedy Igby Goes Down, which garnered acclaim among critics.

She also played the wife of a successful, young Wall Street lawyer thriller film Changing Lanes (2002), with Ben Affleck.

Also in 2002, she played the sister of Ashley Judd in the suspense thriller High Crimes, in which Judd and co-star Morgan Freeman take on the military's court-martial of Judd's husband for murder.

In 2003, Peet appeared with Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves in the romantic comedy Something's Gotta Give, directed by Nancy Meyers, playing an auctioneer, working for Christie's.

The film was a critical darling and a major success at the box office, grossing US$125 million in North America.

In her other 2003 film release, the psychological horror thriller Identity, Peet starred as a Las Vegas prostitute, alongside John Cusack, Ray Liotta and John Hawkes.

Identity received critical acclaim and was a moderate commercial success.

In 2004, Peet starred in The Whole Ten Yards, the sequel to The Whole Nine Yards.

Unlike the first film, this production was critically panned and flopped at the box office.