Rachael Leigh Cook | |
---|---|
Born | [1] Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | October 4, 1979
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1995–present |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Rachael Leigh Cook (born October 4, 1979 [1] ) is an American actress and model. She has starred in the films The Baby-Sitters Club (1995), She's All That (1999), and Josie and the Pussycats (2001), and in the television series Into the West and Perception . She is also the voice behind various characters in Robot Chicken and Tifa Lockhart in the Final Fantasy series, starting with the English version of the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children . Since 2016, her television appearances have primarily been made-for-TV movies on the Hallmark Channel.
Rachael Leigh Cook was born on October 4, 1979, [1] in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Thomas Howard Cook, a social worker and former stand-up comedian, and JoAnn, a cooking instructor and weaver. [2] She is of part English and Italian descent. Cook first appeared in a public service announcement for foster care at seven years of age and began working as a child print model at the age of 10, including nationwide advertisements for Target and appearing on the boxes of Milk-Bone dog biscuits. She attended Clara Barton Open School, Laurel Springs School, and Minneapolis South High School.[ citation needed ]
Cook began auditioning for acting work at age 14. [2] She made her screen debut as an actress in the 1995 film The Baby-Sitters Club . She also played a role in the adventure film Tom and Huck , released in December 1995. In 1996, her modeling agency sent her to star in a short film, 26 Summer Street. 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.
In 1999, Cook starred in her breakout role in the romantic comedy film She's All That , [3] the most financially successful film of her career. In 2000, she starred opposite Elijah Wood in the well-received The Bumblebee Flies Anyway . She took the lead role in 2001's Josie and the Pussycats , which turned out to be a box office failure, although it has since become a cult classic. [4]
In 2000, she was the cover girl for the U.S. March/April issue of FHM . She also starred in the music video for New Found Glory's 2000 single "Dressed to Kill". [5] In 2002, she was ranked No. 26 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World". In 2003, she starred in the film 11:14 as Cheri. She also appeared as a main cast member in the 2005 television miniseries Into the West produced by Steven Spielberg. In 2006, she appeared in the music video for Daniel Powter's "Love You Lately".
In 2007, Cook was seen in the big screen adaptation of Nancy Drew . She played the female lead in the independent sports drama The Final Season . She has appeared in numerous episodes of the Seth Green comedies Titan Maximum and Robot Chicken . In 2008, she guest-starred as Abigail Lytar in two third-season episodes of the USA Network series Psych . She reprised the role in the following season.
In February 2010, Cook signed on to play the female lead role in Fox TV's comedy pilot Nirvana. [6] She had a role in the Western horror film Vampire , the English-language feature debut of Japanese director Iwai Shunji. [7] In 2012, Cook signed on to play the female lead role in the TNT crime drama series Perception opposite Eric McCormack. She starred in the independent film Broken Kingdom, which was directed by her husband Daniel Gillies. She also appeared in a Funny or Die sketch with Chad Michael Murray. [8] [9]
Cook starred in the Hallmark Channel original film Summer Love in 2016. [10] In the same year, she starred in another Hallmark film, Autumn In the Vineyard , followed by its sequel Summer in the Vineyard in 2017. [11] 2017 also saw Cook develop, star and executive produce the Hallmark Channel film Frozen in Love , which was broadcast in January 2018 as part of the channel's 'Winterfest' season of programming. [12] [13]
Cook provided the voice for Chelsea Cunningham on the Kids' WB animated series Batman Beyond and in the animated film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker . Cook voiced Tifa Lockhart in the video games Kingdom Hearts II , Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy , as well as the film Final Fantasy VII Advent Children . In 2011, she voiced the character of Jaesa Willsaam in the MMO game, Star Wars: The Old Republic . Cook's latest voice-over role is for the video game Yakuza in which she voices the role of Reina. In 2020 Cook appeared in the fifteenth season of Criminal Minds playing the role of Max in the final episodes of the series. [14]
Cook owns her own production company, Ben's Sister Productions (in reference to her younger brother Ben Cook). She produced and starred in the film Love, Guaranteed , which debuted on Netflix on September 3, 2020. [15]
Cook first gained national attention in 1997, when she was featured in an updated This Is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement (PSA) television advertisement, in which she proceeds to destroy a kitchen with a frying pan. [16]
In 2011, she was selected by the Obama administration as a Champion of Change for Arts Education. [17]
In June 2012, she began to award a small scholarship to students between ages 14 and 19. The scholarship helps pay for career classes, mentoring programs, and other school fees. [2]
In 2017, Rachael Leigh Cook reprised her "This Is Your Brain on Drugs" role twenty years later for a PSA by the Drug Policy Alliance critiquing the War on Drugs and its contribution to mass incarceration, structural racism and poverty. The ad was posted to YouTube on April 20, 2017, in recognition of 4/20. [16]
Cook married New Zealand-Canadian actor Daniel Gillies on August 8, 2004, [18] “We got engaged after dating for maybe five months and we got married a couple of months after that.” [19] They have two children: a daughter born in September 2013 [20] and a son born in April 2015. [21] The couple separated in June 2019 and divorced in 2021. [22] [23] [24]
Cook is a vegetarian. [25]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | The Baby-Sitters Club | Mary Anne Spier | |
1995 | Tom and Huck | Becky Thatcher | |
1996 | Carpool | Kayla | |
1997 | The House of Yes | Young 'Jackie-O' | |
1997 | Country Justice | Emma Baker | |
1997 | The Eighteenth Angel | Lucy Stanton | |
1998 | All I Wanna Do | Abigail 'Abby' Sawyer | |
1998 | The Naked Man | Dolores | |
1998 | Living Out Loud | Teenage Judith Moore | |
1999 | The Hi-Line | Vera Johnson | |
1999 | She's All That | Laney Boggs | |
1999 | The Bumblebee Flies Anyway | Cassie | |
2000 | Sally | Beth | |
2000 | Get Carter | Doreen Carter | |
2000 | Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker | Chelsea Cunningham | Voice; direct-to-video [26] |
2001 | Antitrust | Lisa Calighan | |
2001 | Blow Dry | Christina Robertson | |
2001 | Texas Rangers | Caroline Dukes | |
2001 | Josie and the Pussycats | Josie McCoy | |
2001 | Tangled | Jenny Kelley | |
2002 | 29 Palms | The Waitress | |
2003 | Bookies | Hunter | |
2003 | Scorched | Shmally | |
2003 | The Big Empty | Ruthie | |
2003 | 11:14 | Cheri | |
2003 | Tempo | Jenny Travile | |
2004 | Stateside | Dori Lawrence | |
2004 | American Crime | Jesse St. Claire | Direct-to-video |
2005 | Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children | Tifa Lockhart | Voice [26] |
2006 | My First Wedding | Vanessa | Direct-to-video |
2007 | Descent | Allison | Direct-to-video |
2007 | All Hat | Chrissie Nugent | Direct-to-video |
2007 | Nancy Drew | Jane Brighton | |
2007 | The Final Season | Polly Hudson | |
2007 | Blonde Ambition | Haley | |
2009 | The Lodger | Amanda Manning | Direct-to-video |
2009 | Bob Funk | Ms. Thorne | Direct-to-video |
2009 | Falling Up | Caitlin O'Shea | Direct-to-video |
2011 | Vampire | Laura King | Direct-to-video |
2011 | The Family Tree | Rachel Levy | Direct-to-video |
2012 | Broken Kingdom | Marilyn | Direct-to-video |
2014 | Red Sky | Karen Brooks | Direct-to-video |
2017 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Hermia | |
2020 | Love, Guaranteed | Susan | Also producer |
2021 | He's All That | Anna Sawyer | |
2022 | Spirit Halloween: The Movie | Sue | |
2023 | A Tourist's Guide to Love | Amanda Riley | Also producer |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | True Women | Young Georgia Lawshe | Miniseries |
1997 | The Defenders: Payback | Tracey Lane | TV movie |
1998 | The Outer Limits | Cassie Boussard | Episode: "Glyphic" |
1999 | Dawson's Creek | Devon | 3 episodes |
2000 | Batman Beyond | Chelsea Cunningham | 2 episodes; voice role |
2004 | Fearless | Gaia Moore | Unsold pilot |
2005 | Into the West | Clara Wheeler | Miniseries |
2005 | Las Vegas | Penny Posin | Recurring role |
2005 | I Love the '80s 3-D | Herself | TV documentary; 2 episodes |
2006–2019 | Robot Chicken | various | Recurring voice roles |
2008 | Ghost Whisperer | Grace Adams | Episode: "Big Chills" |
2008–2010 | Psych | Abigail Lytar | Recurring role |
2009 | Titan Maximum | Lt. Jodi Yanarella | Main cast; voice role |
2010 | Nevermind Nirvana | Elizabeth | Unaired pilot [27] [28] |
2011 | Stealing Paradise | Amanda Collier | TV movie |
2012 | Left to Die | Tammi Chase | TV movie |
2012–2015 | Perception | Kate Moretti | Main cast |
2014 | A Christmas Tail | N/A | TV movie |
2016 | Summer Love | Maya Sulliway | TV movie |
2016 | Autumn in the Vineyard | Frankie Baldwin | TV movie |
2017 | Summer in the Vineyard | Frankie Baldwin | TV movie |
2018 | Frozen in Love | Mary Campbell | TV movie |
2019 | Valentine in the Vineyard | Frankie Baldwin | TV movie |
2019 | A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas | Willow Petersen | TV movie |
2019 | Liza on Demand | Rachael Leigh Cook | Episode: "New Year's Eve: Part 1" "New Year's Eve: Part 2" |
2020 | Criminal Minds | Maxine | 2 episodes |
2020 | Cross Country Christmas | Lina | TV movie |
2021 | Tis the Season to Be Merry | Merry Rozelle | TV movie |
2023 | Rescuing Christmas | Erin | TV movie |
Year | Title | Artist |
---|---|---|
1999 | "Kiss Me" | Sixpence None the Richer |
2001 | "Dressed to Kill" | New Found Glory |
2006 | "Love You Lately" | Daniel Powter |
2013 | "The UniCorps Wants You!" | Team Unicorn |
2017 | "Young Dumb & Broke" | Khalid |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Yakuza | Reina | [26] |
2005 | Kingdom Hearts II | Tifa Lockhart | [26] |
2006 | Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII | Tifa Lockhart | [26] |
2007 | Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ | Tifa Lockhart | |
2011 | Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy | Tifa Lockhart | [26] |
2011 | Star Wars: The Old Republic | Jaesa Willsaam | [26] |
2013 | Star Wars: The Old Republic - Rise of the Hutt Cartel | Jaesa Willsaam | |
2014 | Star Wars: The Old Republic - Shadow of Revan | Jaesa Willsaam | |
2016 | Final Fantasy Explorers | Tifa Lockhart | Archive audio [26] |
2016 | World of Final Fantasy | Tifa Lockhart | [26] |
2018 | Mobius Final Fantasy | Tifa Lockhart | Archive audio[ citation needed ] |
2019 | Dissidia Final Fantasy NT | Tifa Lockhart |
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(February 2020) |
Year | Work | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | Tom and Huck | YoungStar Award | Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film | Nominated | |
1999 | She's All That | YoungStar Awards | Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film | Won | |
MTV Movie Awards | Best Breakthrough Female Performance | Nominated | |||
Best On-Screen Duo (Shared with: Freddie Prinze Jr.) | Nominated | ||||
Teen Choice Awards | Film – Sexiest Love Scene (Shared with: Freddie Prinze Jr.) | Won | |||
Dawson's Creek | Teen Choice Awards | TV – Breakout Performance | Nominated | ||
2000 | The Hi-Line | Santa Monica Film Festival | Best Actress | Won | |
She's All That | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Couple (Shared with: Freddie Prinze Jr.) | Won | ||
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Actress – Newcomer (Internet Only) | Won | [29] | ||
Sally | New York International Independent Film & Video Festival | Best Actress | Won | ||
2001 | Herself | Young Hollywood Awards | Superstar of Tomorrow – Female | Won | |
Josie and the Pussycats | Teen Choice Awards | Film – Choice Actress | Nominated | ||
2006 | Into the West | Western Heritage Awards | Television Feature Film (Shared with cast) | Won | [30] |
Rosalie Anderson MacDowell is an American actress and former fashion model. MacDowell is known for her starring film roles in romantic comedies and dramas. She has modeled for Calvin Klein and has been a spokeswoman for L'Oréal since 1986.
Jeanette Helen Morrison, known professionally as Janet Leigh, was an American actress. Raised in Stockton, California, by working-class parents, Leigh was discovered at 18 by actress Norma Shearer, who helped her secure a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. With MGM, she appeared in films such as the dramas The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947), the crime-drama Act of Violence (1948), the drama Little Women (1949), the comedy Angels in the Outfield (1951), the romance Scaramouche (1952), and the Western drama The Naked Spur (1953), and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho along with Anthony Perkins (1960).
Lacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress. One of her first roles as a child actress was the part of Bianca Montgomery, the daughter of Erica Kane, on All My Children from 1992 to 1993. She gained further prominence for her portrayal of Claudia Salinger in the Fox television drama Party of Five (1994–2000).
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is a 2005 Japanese adult animated science fantasy action-adventure film directed by Tetsuya Nomura, written by Kazushige Nojima, and produced by Yoshinori Kitase and Shinji Hashimoto. Developed by Visual Works and Square Enix, Advent Children is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series of media, which is based in the world and continuity of the 1997 role-playing video game Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children was released on DVD and Universal Media Disc with Japanese voice acting in Japan on September 14, 2005, and on April 25, 2006 with English voice acting in North America and the UK.
Vanessa Marcil is an American actress. She is best known for her television roles as Brenda Barrett on General Hospital, Gina Kincaid on Beverly Hills, 90210, and Sam Marquez on Las Vegas.
Nancy Ann Travis is an American actress. She began her career on Off-Broadway theater, before her first leading screen role in the ABC television miniseries Harem opposite Omar Sharif. Her breakthrough came in 1987, playing Sylvia Bennington in the comedy film Three Men and a Baby. She later starred in its sequel, Three Men and a Little Lady (1990).
Kaley Christine Cuoco is an American actress. She is known for starring as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules (2002–2005), Penny on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019), and as the title character in the HBO Max comedic thriller The Flight Attendant (2020–2022). The last earned her nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards.
Tifa Lockhart is a character who debuted in Square's 1997 role-playing video game Final Fantasy VII. She was created as a foil to her teammate Aerith Gainsborough by members of the development team including director Yoshinori Kitase and writers Kazushige Nojima and Tetsuya Nomura; Nomura additionally contributed her visual design. She has since appeared as a playable fighter in Ehrgeiz and the Dissidia Final Fantasy series and made cameo appearances in several other titles, such as Kingdom Hearts II and Itadaki Street. Beginning in 2005, she has been featured in sequels and spin-offs as part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series, including the animated film Advent Children and the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy.
Chyler Leigh West, known professionally as Chyler Leigh, is an American actress, singer and model. She is best known for her roles as Janey Briggs in the comedy film Not Another Teen Movie (2001), Lexie Grey in the ABC medical drama series Grey's Anatomy, Alex Danvers in the DC Comics superhero series Supergirl (2015–2021), and Katherine "Kat" Landry in the Hallmark drama The Way Home (2023–present).
Rachael Harris is an American actress and comedian. The accolades she has received include nominations for an Independent Spirit Award and a Saturn Award.
Daniel Joshua Gillies is a Canadian-born New Zealand actor, film producer, director and screenwriter. He played Elijah Mikaelson on The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off, The Originals; Dr. Joel Goran on Saving Hope. He wrote and directed the 2012 film, Broken Kingdom.
Final Fantasy VII, a role-playing video game developed by Square, now Square Enix, and originally released in 1997, features many fictional characters in both major and minor roles. VII has been followed by multiple sequels and prequels, grouped into the multimedia series Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. These include the 2004 mobile game prequel Before Crisis, the 2005 movie sequel Advent Children, the 2006 shooter spin-off sequel Dirge of Cerberus, and the 2007 action game prequel Crisis Core. Other media include spin-off books and the original video animation Last Order. The setting of Final Fantasy VII has been described as industrial or post-industrial science fiction. It is referred to as "the Planet" in most games, and was retroactively named "Gaia" in some Square Enix promotional material.
Chad Michael Murray is an American actor, writer, and former model. He played the lead role of Lucas Scott in The WB/CW teen drama series One Tree Hill, and recurring roles as Tristin DuGray on Gilmore Girls (2000–01), Charlie Todd on Dawson's Creek (2001–02), and Edgar Evernever on Riverdale (2019), all on the same network.
Meghan Ory is a Canadian-American television and film actress. She is best known for her role as Red Riding Hood/Ruby on the ABC fantasy series Once Upon a Time and also starred in the short-lived CBS drama Intelligence as Riley Neal. Ory starred in the Hallmark family drama Chesapeake Shores as Abby O'Brien.
Katrina Bowden is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Cerie on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock (2006–2013) and as Flo Fulton on the CBS daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (2019–2021). She has also appeared in the films Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Sex Drive, Piranha 3DD, American Reunion, and Scary Movie 5.
Niall Matter is a Canadian actor. Following recovery from a serious accident sustained while working on an oil rig, Matter chose to pursue a full-time acting career. He received his first significant break in 2007, with a main role in teen drama The Best Years. Later in the same year, he joined the cast of Eureka as bad-boy genius Zane Donovan. In 2009 he had a small supporting role in Zack Snyder's film Watchmen. He went on to star as Evan Cross in the short-lived 2012 series Primeval: New World. His career subsequently moved away from science fiction, seeing him star in several television movies, as well as joining Canadian series such as Remedy, Arctic Air and When Calls the Heart.
Elizabeth Egan Gillies is an American actress and singer. She made her Broadway debut at age 15 in the musical 13, playing the character of Lucy. After her first television appearance in The Black Donnellys (2007), she gained recognition for her role as Jade West in the Nickelodeon series Victorious (2010–2013), and also starred as Gigi Rock in the FX comedy series Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2015–2016) and Fallon Carrington on The CW reboot of Dynasty (2017–2022). She voiced Daphne in the Nickelodeon series Winx Club (2011–2014) and Catwoman / Selina Kyle in the animated film Catwoman: Hunted (2022), and has appeared in various feature and television films, including the horror film Animal (2014), the television film Killing Daddy (2014), the comedy film Vacation (2015), and the black comedy thriller film Arizona (2018).
Brendan James Penny is a Canadian film and television actor who first became well known to TV audiences as A.J. Varland in the first season of Whistler that aired in Canada from 2006 to 2008. He is perhaps best known as Detective Brian Lucas in Motive, a Canadian crime drama centred on a team of Vancouver homicide detectives, also starring Kristin Lehman, Louis Ferreira and Lauren Holly, which aired from 2013 to 2016. Brendan currently stars as Kevin O'Brien in the Hallmark Channel family drama series Chesapeake Shores, which premiered on August 14, 2016. He has also been the hero of a number of Hallmark originals.
Tammy Gillis is a Canadian actress who works on television and film projects across the country.
Frozen in Love is a 2018 American-Canadian made for television romantic drama film directed by Scott Smith and starring Rachael Leigh Cook and Niall Matter. It was developed from an original idea by Cook. The film was produced by the Hallmark Channel and premiered on their network in the United States on January 13, 2018, as part of their 'Winterfest' season.
it was her breakout role as secretly-hot art student Laney Boggs
One of these days I'm going to meet this girl
a Los Angeles judge signed off on the actors' divorce on March 10, nearly two years after the couple split in June 2019.