Rachael Leigh Cook Biography
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Rachael Leigh Cook
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| Rachael Leigh Cook | |
|---|---|
 Cook in an advertisement for PETA |
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| Born | October 4, 1979 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1995—present |
| Spouse(s) | Daniel Gillies (2004–present) |
| Official website | |
Rachael Leigh Cook (born October 4, 1979) is an American actress, best known for her role in the hit romantic comedy She's All That and her "This is Your Brain on Drugs" PSA.
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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.
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 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 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". 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.
In 2008 she guest-starred in a 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.
Personal life
Cook has dated actors Ben Foster, Vincent Kartheiser, Ryan Reynolds, Shane West, Rider Strong, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Colin Hanks. In 2004 she married actor Daniel Gillies. Cook, a vegetarian,1 lives mostly in Los Angeles with her three dogs, but frequently goes back to visit her family in Minnesota. Cook stated she is strongly thinking about adopting a child from a poor country.2
Filmography
| Year | Film | 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 | ||
| The Defenders: Payback | Tracey Lane | made-for-television | |
| 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 |
| The Hi-Line | Vera Johnson | direct-to-video | |
| She's All That | Laney Boggs | ||
| Dawson's Creek | Devon | guest role (Season 2, Episode 13) | |
| 2000 | Get Carter | Doreen | |
| Sally | Beth | ||
| 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 | ||
| American Crime | Jesse St. Claire | ||
| 2005 | Into the West | Clara Wheeler | miniseries |
| Las Vegas | Penny Posin | ||
| Final Fantasy VII Advent Children | Tifa Lockhart | voice (English dub) | |
| 2007 | The Final Season | Polly Hudson | |
| Matters of Life and Death | Emily Jennings | ||
| Blonde Ambition | Haley | ||
| Nancy Drew | Jane Brighton | ||
| All Hat | Chrissie | ||
| 2008 | Psych | Abigail Lytar | Season 3, Episode 2, Episode 16 |
| Ghost Whisperer | Grace Adams | Season 4, Episode 2 | |
| The Golden Door | Caitlin O' Shea | ||
| Fairy Tale Police | Officer Duffy | Xbox live | |
| 2009 | The Lodger | Amanda | |
| Bob Funk | Ms. Thorne | ||
| Psych | Abigail Lytar | Season 4, Episode 2, Episode 6 | |
| 2010 | Kerosene Cowboys | Karen Brooks | post-production |
| Broken Kingdom | Marilyn | filming | |
| Psych | Abigail Lytar | Season 4, Returns as Shawn's girlfriend. |
Robot Chicken
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 proceeding to attack her neighborhood with her frying pan.
References
External links
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