Amanda Brugel

(February 27th, 2010 - Toronto ON) Pointe Claire is a sleepy community on that part of the island of Montreal known as"the West Island. The West Island has a lot of diverse communities. Many who've never heard of it often mistake it for a separate island facing west. Amanda Brugel grew up on the island and is commonly referred to as her birthplace. But she only was there for a brief duration. Brugel grew to be a young woman in Courtice Ontario, just outside Oshawa. In her early years she hoped to become the next big thing in her career, but a sudden increase in her height made it difficult. In an article in the Toronto Star she admitted In heels, I'm 6 feet one inch. When I outgrew my male companions, I quit. Some former dancers switch to acting and in the case of Brugel, it was a suggestion from an instructor in drama at high school that pushed her in the right direction. Her teacher suggested she audition for the role of Anne in the school's annual production. She auditioned and was cast in the role of Anne of Green Gables. The Fine Arts Talent Scholarship led her to York University, where she studied Theatre and received the Bachelors in Fine Arts in 2000. The career of Brugel spans more than 20 years and she has performed in more than 60 shows including big screen productions and smaller ones. Her most recognizable role was as Rita (pictured in the below photo) in the television show The Handmaid's Tale. Brugel was the sole Canadian actor in Season 1 and only appeared at times.