Mandy Moore

Biography

Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her 1999 debut single "Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut studio album, So Real (1999), received platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The title track from her reissue of So Real, I Wanna Be With You (2000), became Moore's first top 40 single, peaking at 24. Moore then released the albums Mandy Moore (2001), Coverage (2003), Wild Hope (2007), Amanda Leigh (2009), Silver Landings (2020), and In Real Life (2022). Moore made her feature film debut in 2001 with a minor voice role in Dr. Dolittle 2, before playing a supporting role in the comedy The Princess Diaries. She received recognition for her starring role in the romantic drama A Walk to Remember (2002). Her subsequent film credits include How to Deal (2003), Chasing Liberty (2004), Saved! (2004), Racing Stripes (2005), Because I Said So (2007), License to Wed (2007), Love, Wedding, Marriage (2011), 47 Meters Down (2017), The Darkest Minds (2018), and Midway (2019). She voiced Rapunzel in the Disney animated musical fantasy film Tangled (2010). From 2016 to 2022, she starred as Rebecca Pearson in the NBC family drama series This Is Us, receiving nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2019, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

== Early life == Amanda Leigh Moore was born on April 10, 1984, in Nashua, New Hampshire, to Stacy (née Friedman), a former news reporter who once worked for the Orlando Sentinel, and Donald Moore, a pilot for American Airlines. Moore grew up Catholic, but by 2004 had stopped religion and has since developed a "hodgepodge of things" which she believes. She is of Irish, English, and Russian-Jewish descent. She has an older brother, Scott, and a younger brother, Kyle. When Moore was two months old, she and her family moved to Longwood, Florida, outside of Orlando, because of her father's job. She attended the Park Maitland School, where she discovered her "passion for singing and the stage." From 1998 to 1999, Moore went to the Bishop Moore Catholic High School in College Park (Orlando). Moore is the step-sister of actress Carly Craig. Her brothers and mother are gay, and both parents are now in relationships.

== Career ==

=== 1993–1999: Career beginnings === Moore became interested in singing and acting at a young age, and called her British maternal grandmother, Eileen Friedman, a professional ballerina in London, one of her inspirations. Moore said "My parents thought it was just a phase I'd grow out of. But I stuck to it and begged them for acting lessons, for voice lessons." Moore began acting in lead roles in a number of local productions and performing the national anthem at a number of events in Orlando. She was twelve years old when she went to the Stagedoor Manor performing arts camp. Production director Konnie Kittrell said that Moore "... was a quiet, sweet girl", earned a number of solos, but "She wasn't a spotlight seeker." When Moore was thirteen she began working on music. One day while recording in an Orlando studio, she was overheard by Victor Cade, a delivery man who had a friend in A&R at Epic Records. Cade sent him a copy of Moore's unfinished demo, and Moore signed on with the label.

=== 1999–2000: So Real, MTV stardom, and I Wanna Be with You === After signing with Epic Records, Moore began working on her debut album. While recording the album, Moore had to leave Bishop Moore Catholic High School when she was in the ninth grade and continued receiving her education from tutors. In the summer of 1999, Moore began touring with the boy band NSYNC. Later in 1999, Moore toured with the Backstreet Boys. Moore's debut single, "Candy", was released on August 17, 1999, in the U.S. The single was a commercial success in a number of countries, and has been compared to the singles of fellow teen pop singers Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears. It debuted at number 88 on the Billboard Hot 100, before peaking at number 41 on the chart. The single later received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for sales exceeding 500,000 copies in the U.S. The single was the most successful in Australia, where it peaked at number 2 on the ARIA Charts and received a Platinum certification. Moore began to host and VJ at MTV, contributing to numerous shows including Total Request Live, Say What? Karaoke, and her own talk show which was originally called The Mandy Moore Show before being retitled as Mandy. Moore's debut studio album, So Real, was released on December 7, 1999, by 550 Music through Epic Records. The album received a limited release in a few countries. It received generally mixed reviews from critics when it was released, and Moore continued to be compared to other teen pop singers. Allmusic said about the album, "Fifteen-year-old Mandy Moore's debut album sounded like it was inspired almost entirely by listening to recent hit albums by 'N Sync, the Backstreet Boys, and Britney Spears." Entertainment Weekly had a similar opinion about the album, and gave it a C− in their review. The album debuted at number 77 on the Billboard 200 chart. It continued to climb the chart until it peaked at number 31. It received a platinum certification from the RIAA, for sales exceeding one million copies in the U.S. alone. The album's second single, "Walk Me Home", did not have the same success of its predecessor, failing to appear on any major charts. Before promotion for So Real had ended, Moore began working on more music. The single "I Wanna Be with You", was released on April 3, 2000. "I Wanna Be with You" spent 16 weeks on the chart and reached its peak of 24 during its ninth week on the chart. The song became her first Top 20 hit on the Billboard Pop Songs chart, where it peaked at number 11. The single became Moore's second Top 20 hit in Australia, where it peaked at number 13. It was a minor success on the German Media Control Charts, where it peaked at number 70. The single received mixed reviews. Billboard praised the song and said, "Top 40 programmers and listeners alike will love Moore more with this track", and Allmusic called the song a highlight track from the album. A reissue of So Real, titled I Wanna Be with You, was released on May 9, 2000. Marketed as "a new version of Mandy's debut", the album was a compilation of new songs, remixes, and songs from Moore's debut album So Real. Internationally, where the So Real album was not released, I Wanna Be with You served as Moore's debut album, with multiple alternative track listings. The album received generally mixed reviews and was criticized for not being a true follow-up. AllMusic called the album "trashier, flashier, gaudier, and altogether more disposable" than its predecessor So Real. The album was a commercial success, debuting and peaking at number 21 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. It received a Gold certification from the RIAA, for sales exceeding 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone. Moore won the Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Rising Star for the album in 2000. "Walk Me Home" was re-released in the United States as the second single from I Wanna Be with You and was slightly more successful than its original release, peaking at number 38 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart. The final single from the album, "So Real" was released in selected territories on June 13, 2000. In Australia, the single became her second Top 40 hit, peaking at number 21 on the ARIA Charts. The single peaked at number 18 on the Official New Zealand Music Chart.

=== 2001–2002: Mandy Moore and early acting roles === In 2001, Moore began working on her second studio album, which was said to move away from the bubblegum pop sound and image she became known for. She told Billboard magazine that "All of the music has started to look and sound the same", prompting her to move in a different musical direction. Moore mentioned wanting to feature more live instruments when performing, and wanted "no more dancers, no more singing to tracks. I got tired of that in a big way". The album's lead single, "In My Pocket", was released on May 29, 2001. Entertainment Weekly said the single had "pumping, Indian-influenced Eurodisco". It failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., but peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, and it reached number 21 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart. The song became her third Top 20 hit in Australia, where it peaked at number 11 on the ARIA Charts. Moore's self-titled second studio album, Mandy Moore, was released on June 19, 2001. The album had uptempo dance and pop songs and influences from Middle Eastern music. The album received mixed reviews from critics. Allmusic called the album a "lush, layered production". The album debuted and peaked at number 35 on the Billboard 200 chart, and received a Gold certification from the RIAA. The album has sold an estimated 1.5 million copies worldwide. The album reached number 37 on the ARIA charts in Australia, her highest peak in the country to date. The album's second single, "Crush", was released on August 28, 2001; it peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart, and it climbed to number 25 on the ARIA Charts. Moore made her feature film debut in 2001, where she voiced a Girl Bear Cub in the comedy Dr. Dolittle 2, which starred Eddie Murphy. Later that year, Moore co-starred with Anne Hathaway in the comedy The Princess Diaries, based on Meg Cabot's novel The Princess Diaries, and was released on August 3, 2001. She played Lana Thomas, the rival of Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway). On her role, Moore told InStyle Magazine, "I'm the crude popular girl who gets ice cream in her face." The film received mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 47% of 113 sampled critics gave the film positive reviews and that it got a rating average of 5.2 out of 10. In the film, Moore performed a cover of Connie Francis's 1958 song "Stupid Cupid" while at a beach party. In 2002, Moore made her starring debut with Shane West and Peter Coyote in the romantic drama A Walk to Remember, based on Nicholas Sparks's novel A Walk to Remember. She played Jamie Sullivan, the unpopular daughter of Reverend Sullivan (Coyote). The film opened at #3 at the U.S. box office raking in $12,177,488 in its opening weekend. The film received generally negative reviews. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised Moore and West's "quietly convincing" performances. It was a modest box office success, earning $41,281,092 in the U.S., and was a sleeper hit in Asia. The total revenue generated worldwide was $47,494,916. Moore received a number of nominations and awards for her performance in the film. Commenting on the film in 2010, she said: "It was my first movie and I know people say it may be cliché and it's a tearjerker or it's cheesy, but for me, it's the thing I'm most proud of." Moore's self-titled album's third and final single, "Cry", was released on November 4, 2001, to help promote the film.

=== 2003–2006: Coverage and continued acting === In 2003, Moore began working on her third studio album, later revealed to be a cover album called Coverage. The album had covers of 1970s and 1980s songs and was produced by John Fields. Moore's cover of John Hiatt's 1987 song "Have a Little Faith in Me" was released as the album's lead single shortly before the album. The song peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart but did not enter the Billboard Hot 100. Coverage was released on October 21, 2003, and received generally mixed reviews. Allmusic called the album a "leap to musical maturity," Entertainment Weekly called it an "effort to shed her bubblegum-blond image." The album debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first week sales of 53,000. This made it Moore's highest debut on the chart and highest-peaking album to date, but was also her lowest-selling and her first album not to be certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Moore's cover of XTC's 1982 song "Senses Working Overtime" was released as the album's second single and failed to have any chart success. Later that year, Moore's cover of Carole King's 1971 song "I Feel the Earth Move" was included on the compilation album Love Rocks from LGBT rights supporters. In 2004, Moore left Epic after five years because of creative differences. Moore and the label released her greatest hits album, The Best of Mandy Moore, on November 16, 2004, to end her contract. The album reached number 148 on the Billboard 200. Moore's third compilation album, Candy, was released on April 5, 2005. In 2003, Moore co-starred with Allison Janney, Peter Gallagher, and Trent Ford in the romantic comedy-drama How to Deal which was based on Sarah Dessen's novels That Summer and Someone like You. She played Halley Martin, a cynical and rebellious seventeen-year-old who deals with falling in love with Macon Forrester (Ford), the new boy at her school and her relationships and issues with her family and friends. The film failed to find teenage audiences in the U.S. and grossed a total of $14 million domestically. In 2004, Moore co-starred with Matthew Goode in the romantic comedy Chasing Liberty. She played Anna Foster, the rebellious eighteen-year-old "First Daughter" who wants more freedom from the Secret Service. The film grossed approximately $12 million. Both How to Deal and Chasing Liberty received generally negative reviews, respectively. Ebert singled Moore's performances out again and said in his review of How to Deal that Moore has "an unaffected natural charm" and "almost makes the movie worth seeing." In his review of Chasing Liberty he said that she has "undeniable screen presence and inspires instant affection." Other critics called her an "actress of limited range," but one review of Chasing Liberty called her the "most painless of former pop princesses." Late in 2004, Moore co-starred with Jena Malone, Macaulay Culkin and Patrick Fugit in the religion satirical comedy-drama Saved!. She played Hilary Faye Stockard, a proper and popular girl at a Christian high school. The film received generally positive reviews; it did not receive a wide release. Moore's performance was praised, with one critic calling her a "demented delight" and another calling it her best performance to date. She and Michael Stipe covered The Beach Boys' 1966 song "God Only Knows", which bookended the film. In 2005, Moore co-starred in the sports family comedy-drama Racing Stripes, where she voiced Sandy the white horse, and guest-starred in the HBO comedy-drama Entourage. Moore was originally scheduled to star in the films Cursed, Havoc and The Upside of Anger, which were all eventually released in 2005, but without her involvement in any of them. In 2006, Moore guest-starred as Julie Quinn in two episodes of the fifth season of the NBC medical sitcom Scrubs, that were the ninth episode "My Half-Acre" and the tenth episode "Her Story II". The same year, she guest-starred in the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons, where she voiced Tabitha Vixx in the seventeenth-season finale called "Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play". Moore co-starred with Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid and William Dafoe in Paul Weitz's satirical comedy American Dreamz, which was released in April 2006. She played Sally Kendoo, a sociopathic contestant on a singing competition series modelled after American Idol. Weitz said that he had Moore in mind for the role before she was cast, explaining that "there's something inherently sweet about Mandy; it makes it all the more interesting to see her in a villainess role." Moore has said that she enjoys playing mean-spirited characters, but fears being typecast as a villain. The film opened at number nine at the U.S. box office, eventually totaling barely $7 million, and it received generally mixed reviews. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly praised Moore's and Grant's "wicked barbed chemistry" in their roles, but Robert Koehler of Variety called Moore's role a "pitch-perfect study of a woman for whom a reality show is reality." Later in 2006, Moore voiced Nita, the heroine of the Disney animated sequel Brother Bear 2, which was released directly to DVD on August 29, 2006. ComingSoon.net praised Moore's "surprisingly good performance". That same year, Moore was originally cast in Emilio Estevez's drama Bobby, but was replaced by Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

=== 2007–2009: Wild Hope and Amanda Leigh ===