Rachael Leigh Cook

Rachael Leigh Cook
Cook at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	Rachael Leigh Cook October 4, 1979 (1979-10-04) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1995–present
Spouse	Daniel Gillies (2004–present)

Rachael Leigh Cook (born October 4, 1979) is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This Is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.

Early life

Cook was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of JoAnn, a cooking instructor and weaver, and Thomas H. Cook, a social worker and former stand-up comic. Cook attended school at Clara Barton Open, Laurel Springs School and Minneapolis South High School. She began working as a print model at the age of 10, most notably in nationwide advertisements for Target and appearing on the boxes of Milk-Bone dog biscuits.

Career

At the age of 14, Cook began auditioning for acting work. Her modeling agency sent her to read for a short film, 26 Summer Street (1996). She first gained national attention in 1998, when she was featured in a This Is Your Brain on Drugs public-service television advertisement, in which she proceeds to destroy a kitchen with a frying pan as she lists the things that heroin harms. Cook made her debut as an actress in the 1995 film The Baby-Sitters Club, which was based on Ann M. Martin's book series of the same name. Her second movie role was in Tom and Huck, where she portrayed Rebecca "Becky" Thatcher. In 1997, Cook appeared in a leading role in the film Country Justice as a 15-year-old rape victim who is impregnated by her rapist.

Cook's two highest-profile lead roles to date have been in the films She's All That (1999) and Josie and the Pussycats (2001). Cook has also appeared in a number of independent films and in the 2005 television miniseries Into the West.

In 2000, she was the cover girl for the premier issue of FHM US (March/April issue). Cook also provided the voice for Chelsea Cunningham on the Kids' WB animated series Batman Beyond in the episode "Last Resort" and in the animated film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. In 2002, she was ranked #26 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World".

Cook has provided the voice of Tifa Lockhart in the video games Kingdom Hearts II, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, as well as the CG movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. She also starred in the video for New Found Glory's 2000 single "Dressed to Kill". Cook's latest voice-over role is for the video game Yakuza where she voices the role of Reina, a beautiful barkeep. She has also appeared in Daniel Powter's "Love You Lately".

Cook owns her own production company, Ben's Sister Productions (in reference to her younger brother, an aspiring filmmaker). Cook eventually stepped away from the spotlight to focus on spending time with friends and family. She later returned to mainstream films when she signed on to a new casting agency. Cook was later cast in a role in the big screen adaptation of Nancy Drew, the female lead in the independent sports drama The Final Season, and playing a small supporting lead in Blonde Ambition.

Cook has appeared in numerous episodes of the Seth Green-created comedies, Titan Maximum and Robot Chicken. Although Robot Chicken featured an episode that parodied Final Fantasy VII which involved Tifa Lockhart (a character Cook voiced in Advent Children), in this parody there were no voices, but simply text like in the original game. She has, however, parodied the "This Is Your Brain on Drugs" role she made famous, by destroying her kitchen with her frying pan.

In 2008, she guest-starred in an episode of the USA Network series Psych as Abigail Lytar, an old flame of Shawn Spencer. She returned in the season finale where Abigail and Shawn start dating and has since appeared in many more episodes in the following season.

In February 2010, Rachael Leigh Cook signed on as the female lead in Fox TV's comedy pilot Nirvana. She will star in the Western horror film Vampire, which is the English-language feature debut of Japanese director Iwai Shunji.

In 2011, she was selected by the Obama administration as a Champion of Change for Arts Education.

In 2011, she voiced the character of Jaesa Willsaam in the MMO game, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Personal life

In 2004 Cook married actor Daniel Gillies. Cook, a vegetarian, lives mostly in Los Angeles with her three dogs, but frequently goes back to visit her family in Minnesota. Cook stated she is strongly considering adopting a child from a developing country.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1995	Baby-Sitters Club, TheThe Baby-Sitters Club	Mary Anne Spier
1995	Tom and Huck	Becky Thatcher
1996	26 Summer Street	The Girl	Short film
1996	Carpool	Kayla
1997	House of Yes, TheThe House of Yes	Young 'Jackie-O'
1998	Eighteenth Angel, TheThe Eighteenth Angel	Lucy Stanton
1998	Hairy Bird, TheThe Hairy Bird	Abigail 'Abby' Sawyer
1998	Naked Man, TheThe Naked Man	Delores
1998	Living Out Loud	Teenage Judith
1999	Hi-Line, TheThe Hi-Line	Vera Johnson
1999	She's All That	Laney Boggs
1999	Bumblebee Flies Anyway, TheThe Bumblebee Flies Anyway	Cassie
2000	Sally	Beth
2000	Get Carter	Doreen
2001	Antitrust	Lisa Calighan
2001	Blow Dry	Christina Robertson
2001	Josie and the Pussycats	Josie McCoy
2001	Texas Rangers	Caroline Dukes
2001	Tangled	Jenny Kelley
2002	29 Palms	The Waitress
2003	Scorched	Shmally
2003	Bookies	Hunter
2003	11:14	Cheri
2003	Big Empty, TheThe Big Empty	Ruthie
2003	Tempo	Jenny Travile
2004	Stateside	Dori Lawrence
2006	My First Wedding	Vanessa
2006	Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children	Tifa Lockheart (voice)
2007	Descent	Allison (uncredited)
2007	Nancy Drew	Jane Brighton
2007	All Hat	Chrissie Nugent
2007	Matters of Life and Death	Emily Jennings	Short film
2007	Final Season, TheThe Final Season	Polly Hudson
2007	Blonde Ambition	Haley
2008	Fairy Tale Police	Officer Duffy	Short film
2009	Lodger, TheThe Lodger	Amanda
2009	Bob Funk	Ms. Thorne
2009	Falling Up	Caitlin O'Shea
2010	Family Tree, TheThe Family Tree	Rachel
2011	Broken Kingdom	Marilyn	Post-production
2011	Vampire	Laura King
2012	High Midnight	TBA	In production
2013	Red Sky	TBA	Pre-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997	Country Justice	Emma Baker	TV movie
1997	True Women	Georgia Lawshe (young)	TV movie
1997	Defenders: Payback, TheThe Defenders: Payback	Tracey Lane	TV movie
1998	Outer Limits, TheThe Outer Limits	Cassie Boussard	Episode: "Glyphic"
1999	Dawson's Creek	Devon	3 episodes
2000	Batman Beyond	Chelsea (voice)	Episode: "The Last Resort" Episode: "Plague"
2000	Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker	Chelsea Cunninham (voice)	Video
2004	Fearless	Gaia Moore	TV movie
2004	American Crime	Jesse St. Claire	Video
2005	Into the West	Clara Wheeler	TV miniseries
2005	Las Vegas	Penny Posin	5 episodes
2006-2009	Robot Chicken	Various (voice)	6 episodes
2008	Ghost Whisperer	Grace Adams	Episode "Big Chills"
2008	Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II	Various (voice)	TV movie
2008-2010	Psych	Abigail Lytar	6 episodes
2009	Titan Maximum	Lt. Jodi Yanarella (voice)	9 episodes
2010	Nevermind Nirvana	Elizabeth	TV movie
2010	Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III	Beru Lars / Gary's Wife (voice)	TV movie
2011	Stealing Paradise	Amanda Collier	TV movie
2012	Perception	Kate Moretti	TV series, post-production

Video games

2011

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Jaesa Willsaam (voice)

Online video game

External links

• Rachael Leigh Cook at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview, 2005, JAM Movies
• Interview, 10/05/00, Mr. Showbiz
• Collection of Cook interviews