Rachael Leigh Cook

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Rachael Leigh Cook

Cook at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
Born Rachael Leigh Cook
October 4, 1979 (1979-10-04) (age 32)
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.

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[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.[1] She will star in the Western horror film Vampire, which is the English-language feature debut of Japanese director Iwai Shunji.[2]

In 2011, she was selected by the Obama administration as a Champion of Change for Arts Education.[3]

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

[edit] Personal life

In 2004 Cook married actor Daniel Gillies. Cook, a vegetarian,[4] 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.[5]

[edit] 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

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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