Mandy Moore Biography
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Mandy Moore (born Amanda Leigh Moore on April 10, 1984) is an American singer and actress. Moore grew up in Florida and came to fame as a teenager in 2000, after the release of So Real, her first album. Her subsequent albums, including the self-titled Mandy Moore and Coverage, established her as a well-known pop singer in the United States.
Moore has also branched out into a film career, starring in 2002′s successful teen film, A Walk to Remember, and later appearing in the lead roles of less well-received movies aimed at teenage audiences. Two of her latest films, American Dreamz and Saved!, were parodies in which Moore portrayed darker characters than in her previous roles.
Moore’s private life has been much-discussed in the media, including her relationships with tennis player Andy Roddick and actors Wilmer Valderrama and Zach Braff. Moore is scheduled to appear in several films over the course of 2006 and 2007, and is completing work on her most recent music album.
Moore was born in Nashua, New Hampshire to Stacy (a former newspaper reporter) and Don Moore (a pilot for American Airlines). Moore has Irish and Cherokee heritage on her father’s side. Her maternal grandfather was Jewish and her English maternal grandmother was a professional dancer at the theater district in the West End of London, as well as a Wren during WWII; the two met and eloped to the United States after Moore’s maternal grandfather, an American soldier, was stationed in London during WWII.
Moore has two brothers, Scott and Kyle; she grew up in Seminole County, Florida, outside of Orlando, moving there shortly after her birth because of her father’s job. Moore was raised in the Catholic religion (although she is no longer a practicing Catholic), and attended Bishop Moore Catholic High School and Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs.
Moore’s interest in singing grew after seeing the musical Oklahoma!; she was also encouraged to perform by her maternal grandmother, who was her inspiration. After Moore performed the National anthem at a several athletic events, she was spotted by a FedEx employee who sent her demo to Epic Records. Moore was subsequently signed to a record deal by the company.
Early pop albums: Moore toured with the Backstreet Boys throughout 1999. Her first album, So Real, was released on December 7, 1999. The album reached a peak of #31 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart.
At the time of her album’s release, Moore was considered by reviewers to be the latest in a series of heavily-marketed female singers described as “pop princesses”, akin to Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson. Moore was the last, and youngest, of the four to reach mainstream radio, and was initially not as successful as her peers, although So Real was certified platinum in the US by early 2000 and sold 943,000 copies; Her debut single, “Candy”, peaked at #41 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold.
Moore released a re-worked version of the debut album, entitled I Wanna Be With You, on May 9, 2000, six months after So Real’s release. The album included several new songs, along with tracks and remixes from So Real. Several reviewers criticized it as a remix album and not a true followup.
The album reached a peak of #21 on the Billboard 200; it was later certified gold in the US and sold 792,000 copies. The title track was the only single from the album and reached a peak of #24 on the Hot 100, which remains Moore’s highest peak to date. The song was also featured on the soundtrack of the film Center Stage (2000).
Moore released the self-titled album Mandy Moore on June 19, 2001. The album received mixed reviews from critics and debuted at #35 on the Billboard 200. It was later certified gold in the US and sold 443,000 copies. The lead single, “In My Pocket”, did not appear on the Hot 100; however, Moore performed the single live many times, including at the 2001 Fox network television special, “Teenapalooza”.
The album’s follow-up single, “Crush”, also failed to appear on the domestic charts, although the music video was frequently aired on MTV. It went on to be Moore’s first number one video on TRL, where she also performed the song live. The final single, “Cry”, was released in early 2002 and tied-in with the film A Walk to Remember, which was Moore’s debut as a lead actress.
In 2006, Moore looked back at her early music albums with ill feelings, noting that although she believes her first album was appropriate for her age, she believes it “sucked” and that her first albums were “just awful”.
Moore further specified that she “would give a refund to everyone who bought my first two albums” if she could; during a radio show interview in April 2006, she was asked for a refund on the first album by the show’s co-host, who had seen her comments. Moore personally provided the refund.
Coverage, compilations, and new contract: On October 21, 2003, Moore released her fourth album, Coverage. The record consisted entirely of cover versions of songs from the 1970s and 1980s that Moore was influenced by as a child. Moore has noted that she did not want to “top the original artists”, but rather to offer her “own interpretation” of their music.
The album peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200 (her highest ranking to date), but “Have a Little Faith in Me”, the only single from the album, failed to perform well on the charts, debuting at #39 on the top 40. Moore’s cover of “I Feel The Earth Move” also appeared on Love Rocks, a compilation CD of songs from gay rights supporters.
Due to low sales for Coverage, Moore was dropped from Sony’s Epic Records. As a last obligation to Moore’s contract, the company released a final album, The Best of Mandy Moore, on November 16, 2004.
The album included all of Moore’s biggest hits from the previous five years, and reached #148 on the Billboard 200. A final compilation album, Candy, was released by the company in 2005.
In early 2006, Moore stated that she misses her music career, having not produced any new music since 2003, and noted that singing is what she is the “most passionate about”. According to her official website, she is collaborating with several artists, including Chantal Kreviazuk, Michelle Branch, and Rachael Yamagata, on a new album.
Moore had initially signed to Epic Records after her contract with Sire Records was over, but left the company in May of 2006, and was announced to have signed with a new record company, The Firm, owned by EMI Music, in July of that year. Moore describes her new contract as “especially exciting”, and plans to release her next album in 2007.
During the summer of 2000, Moore hosted a half-hour talk show, the Mandy Moore Show, on MTV; the series resumed in the summer of 2001, under the title Mandy.
Moore was also a Neutrogena spokesperson, appearing in commercials as well as print ads for the product. She has also modelled for Coach handbags in Japanand was a spokesperson for the School and Youth Programs of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
In 2001, Moore appeared in a small part as the mean and popular cheerleader Lana Thomas opposite actresses Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews in the film The Princess Diaries. During the film, Moore’s character performs “Stupid Cupid”, a song from the film’s soundtrack.
In 2002, Moore had her first starring role in a major feature film in A Walk to Remember, opposite actor Shane West. The movie, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, revolves around the developing romance between a Protestant minister’s daughter (played by Moore) and an unruly teenager. The film was considered a moderate success, bringing in $41 million in the United States and establishing Moore’s status as a lead actress.
Although the film was negatively received by critics, Moore received several positive notices for her performance, with critic Roger Ebert noting that she was “quietly convincing”. At that summer’s MTV Movie Awards, Moore won an award for Breakthrough Female Performance for the role.
The same year, she voiced the Final Fantasy VII character Aerith Gainsborough in the Square Enix-Disney crossover video game Kingdom Hearts, was featured in the music video for Elton John’s “Original Sin”, and was ranked #67 in Stuff magazine’s “102 Sexiest Women In The World”.
In 2003, Moore starred in the romantic comedy film How to Deal. The movie failed to draw in the teenage crowds in the United States, and grossed a total of $14 million domestically. Moore’s next film was 2004′s Chasing Liberty, a romantic comedy which grossed approximately $12 million. Both films received negative reviews, but critic Roger Ebert once again singled Moore’s performances out, noting in his review of How to Deal that Moore has “an unaffected natural charm” and “almost makes the movie worth seeing”, and commenting that she has “undeniable screen presence and inspires instant affection” in his review of Chasing Liberty.
Other critics described her as an “actress of limited range”, though one review of Chasing Liberty noted that she is the “most painless of former pop princesses”. Later that summer, Moore appeared in a lead role in Saved!, a satire on religion, playing Hilary Faye, a proper and popular girl at a Christian school. The film, which did not receive a wide release, was positively reviewed. Moore received praise for her performance, with one critic commenting that she was a “demented delight”, and another saying that it was her best performance to date.
In 2005, Moore lent her voice to the movie Racing Stripes. She has also appeared on the television series Entourage, and guest-starred in two episodes of Scrubs in 2006. The same year, she lent her voice to The Simpsons, playing Tabitha Vixx, a dominatrix. The episode aired on May 21, 2006.
Moore’s most recent film, which opened on April 21, 2006, is the parody American Dreamz, in which she plays a deranged contestant on a television series modelled after American Idol. The film’s director, Paul Weitz, had Moore in mind for the role even before she was cast, saying that “there’s something inherently sweet about Mandy; it makes it all the more interesting to see her in a villainess role”; Moore has said that she enjoys playing mean-spirited characters, but fears being typecast as a villain.
American Dreamz opened in 1,500 theatres and grossed $ 3,667,420 during its opening weekend, reaching the #9 spot at the United States box office. The film received mixed reviews, though critic Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly noted that Moore and co-star Hugh Grant have a “wicked barbed chemistry” in their roles, while Robert Koehler of Variety described Moore’s role as a “pitch-perfect study of a woman for whom a reality show is reality”.
Moore, citing her conservative upbringing, has expressed dissatisfaction with her appearance on a May 2006 cover of Cosmopolitan, as the magazine’s headline is “orgasms unlimited”, referring to an article unrelated to Moore. Moore’s upcoming films include Southland Tales and Dedication, which are currently slated for a 2006 release, and Because I Said So, which will be released on February 2, 2007, co-starring Piper Perabo and Diane Keaton. She was also originally supposed to appear in the ensemble film Bobby, but was replaced by actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
In May 2006, Moore began filming a romantic comedy entitled License to Wed, in which she portrays a young bride who has to complete a two-week prenup course before her wedding. The film, co-starring John Krasinski as her fiance and Robin Williams as a minister, is being filmed in Mexico and Los Angeles.
Moore dated actor Wilmer Valderrama for eighteen months between 2000 and 2002; in 2006, Valderrama appeared on the Howard Stern Show and detailed that he and Moore were each other’s “first loves,” although he did not claim that their relationship was sexual as was alleged by several media sources who had misquoted his exact comments. Moore has since referred to Valderrama as a “good guy” and a “gentleman”, although she has also stated that his comments about their relationship were “utterly tacky”.
In 2002, Moore started dating tennis star Andy Roddick. The couple were together for sixteen months; Roddick ended the relationship in March of 2004. She also dated Philippines-born singer/actor Billy Crawford for a “few months” when she was younger. Moore is still in contact with both Roddick and Valderrama.
In 2004, Moore began dating Scrubs actor Zach Braff. The two met at a fundraising event for the Democratic Party around the time of the November 2004 election. Referring to her relationship with Braff, Moore has said that she likes “good Jewish boy(s)… with a sense of humor”.
In early 2006, unnamed sources told In Touch magazine that the couple were engaged. Braff called this a “total internet rumor,” and Moore’s representative denied the engagement. In early June of 2006, tabloids reported unconfirmed rumors that Braff and Moore had ended their relationship; however, around the same time period, the couple were announced to have arranged a week-long trip to Israel together, scheduled for July of 2006.
Moore’s favorite musicians are Elton John, Janet Jackson, and Bette Midler; Midler is also Moore’s favorite actress, and her film Beaches was Moore’s favorite film when she was a teenager. Moore, who describes herself as a “glass-half-full kind of person”, also enjoys Annie Hall and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Moore’s natural and preferred hair color is dark brown. She currently lives in her Hollywood Hills house, along with her brother, Kyle. Moore considers herself spiritual, and has said that she does not think of herself as distinctly Catholic nor Christian.
In early 2006, Moore stated that she missed her music career and that singing is what she was the “most passionate about.” Moore had signed to Sire Records after her contract with Epic Records ended, but she left the company in May 2006. She signed with a new EMI Music-owned record company, The Firm, in July that year, describing her new contract as “especially exciting,” and adding that she left Sire Records because she did not want to “follow the mainstream,” but rather have “complete control and freedom” over her work.
Moore’s new album, Wild Hope, was released on June 19, 2007, and includes collaborations with artists Chantal Kreviazuk, Rachael Yamagata, Lori McKenna and The Weepies. Moore stayed alone in a house in Woodstock in Upstate New York while recording the album in late 2006. She performed new material from Wild Hope at the Sundance Film Festival; her first single, “Extraordinary,” premiered on her MySpace profile on January 29, 2007. Moore performed the song at the Brick Awards on April 12, 2007 and launched a tour in the summer of 2007.
The album was released in the USA in June 2007 to positive reviews. It fared moderately well on the charts, debuting at number thirty on the Billboard 200 (Moore’s third highest charting album in the U.S.), and at number 84 in Canada. In August 2007, Moore toured with Paula Cole, and Rachael Yamagata, playing at mid-size venues in the United States and Canada. Wild Hope was placed at number 10 on Entertainment Weekly’s “The Must List” and also named Reader’s Choice for that August 10 issue, two months after its release. Moore surprised many with a free concert in Boston on July 18, 2007.
On February 23, 2008, Moore released Wild Hope in Australia, and subsequently toured with Ben Lee and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in Western Australia, supporting Kelly Clarkson on her tour. In October 2008, Moore posted on her website blog live videos of three new songs she’s been working on, along with singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist Mike Viola. It was at first expected to a be a duo album between the two, but then in January 2009, it was revealed it would be a solo album with a collaboration with him, slated for release in April 2009.
It was announced in February 2009 that the new album was to be released in May 2009, named Amanda Leigh, and be released on a new label called Storefront Recordings. This new label was founded by Moore’s long time manager John Leshay. On June 2009, Moore performed 5 tracks of her new Amanda Leigh album, including “Nothing Everything” and “Love To Love Me Back,” at the Walmart Soundcheck show.
In May 2009, she released her latest album, Amanda Leigh, to generally positive reviews. Rolling Stone said about the album: “the title is taken from the singer’s real first and middle names, the acoustic instrumentation emits a cozy campfire glow, and the album was recorded in a modest basement home studio. Message: This is real music, not computerized starlet pop.” Time Magazine said that the album was “impeccably recorded.”
After a break of almost two years from big screen roles, Mandy Moore filmed the romantic comedy Swinging with the Finkels in the United Kingdom in 2009; the film is due for release in 2010. Moore is also starring as Princess Rapunzel, the tenth Disney Princess, in the animated 3D Disney film Tangled in fall of 2010. It was also recently confirmed that Mandy Moore will star with actor Kellan Lutz in the film, First Love, Then Marriage. Moore was a guest star on the sixth season finale of Grey’s Anatomy on May 20, 2010.
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