Rachael Leigh Cook

Rachael Leigh Cook
Cook at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1995—present
Spouse	Daniel Gillies (2004–present)
Parent(s)	Thomas H. and JoAnn Cook
Website	http://www.RachaelLeighCook.com

Rachael Leigh Cook (born October 4, 1979) is an American actress. She came to fame after her role in the 1999 teen romantic comedy She's All That, and has since appeared mostly in lower-profile films.

Biography

Early life

Cook was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Thomas H. Cook, a social worker and former stand-up comic, and JoAnn, a cooking instructor and weaver. 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 for medium sized dogs.

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 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 (in 1998). Cook began her feature film career some years earlier, debuting in The Baby-Sitters Club (1995) as shy 13-year-old babysitter Mary Anne Spier. The movie was based on Ann M. Martin's book series of the same name. Her second movie role was in Tom and Huck as Rebecca "Becky" Thatcher.

In 1997, Cook appeared in a leading role in the film Country Justice as Emma a 15 year old who gets raped.

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 and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, as well as the CG movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. She also starred in the video for New Found Glory's 2002 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". The band Red Car Wire has also made a song called Rachael Leigh Cook because the lead singer and guitarist "used to be madly in love with her." The song is a metaphor for not being able to be with the girl you want.

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.

Personal life

Cook at Drexel University for the Barack Obama campaign

Cook has dated actors Ben Foster, Thomas Montgomery, Vincent Kartheiser, Ryan Reynolds, Shane West, Rider Strong, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Colin Hanks. She is now married to 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.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1995	The Baby-Sitters Club	Mary Anne Spier
	Tom and Huck	Rebecca "Becky" Thatcher
1996	Carpool	Kayla
	26 Summer Street	The Girl
1997	True Women	Young Georgia Lawshe
	The House of Yes	Young Jacqueline "Jackie-O"	minor role
	Country Justice	Emma
1998	The Eighteenth Angel	Lucy Stanton	direct-to-video
	The Outer Limits	Cassie Boussard	Season 4, Episode 9, Glyphic
	The Hairy Bird	Abigail 'Abby' Sawyer
	The Naked Man	Delores
	Living Out Loud	Young Judith
1999	The Bumblebee Flies Anyway	Cassie	made-for-television
	She's All That	Laney Boggs
	Dawson's Creek	Devon	guest role (Season 2 Episode 13)
2000	Get Carter	Doreen
	Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker	Chelsea Cunningham	voice
2001	Texas Rangers	Caroline Dukes
	Josie and the Pussycats	Josie McCoy
	Blow Dry	Christina Robertson
	AntiTrust	Lisa Calighan
2002	29 Palms	The Waitress	direct-to-video
	Tangled	Jenny Kelley
2003	11:14	Cheri
	Bookies	Hunter
	Scorched	Shmally	limited release
	The Big Empty	Ruthie
	Tempo	Jenny Travile	direct-to-video
2004	Stateside	Dori Lawrence
	My First Wedding	Vanessa
2005	Into the West	Clara Wheeler	miniseries
	Las Vegas	Penny Posin
	Final Fantasy VII Advent Children	Tifa Lockhart	voice
2007	The Final Season	Polly Hudson
	Matters of Life and Death	Emily Jennings
	Blonde Ambition	Haley
	Nancy Drew	Jane Brighton
2008	Psych	Abigail Lightar	Season 3, Episode 2', Episode 16'
	Ghost Whisperer	Grace Adams	Season 4, Episode 2
	The Golden Door	Caitlin O' Shea
	The Fairy Tail Police (2008 film)	female officer	xbox live
2009	The Lodger	Amanda	awaiting release
	Bob Funk	Ms. Thorne	awaiting release
	Broken Kingdom	Marilyn	filming

Robot Chicken

Cook has appeared in numerous episodes of the Seth Green-created comedy, 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 proceeding to attack her neighborhood with her frying pan.

External links

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