Amanda Brugel

(February 27th, 2010 - Toronto ON) Pointe Claire is a quiet community located on the part of Montreal that is known as the West Island. The West Island, to those not familiar with it, is an extensive region that runs from Lachine to the west. Many times, it is credited as the birthplace of Amanda Brugel but while that is true, her stay in the city was brief. Brugel grew up in Courtice outside Oshawa Ontario. When she was a child she wanted to be professional performer, however an unexpected increase in her height made it difficult. In an interview with Toronto Star, she confessed that "In heels I'm 6 feet and 1 inch." The moment I outgrew any male partner, I stopped. Former dancers often turn to acting and in the case of Brugel, it was the result of a recommendation from her high school teacher of drama. Her teacher advised her to audition for the role of Anne in their annual school production. The school's production was a success and she was selected to play the principal role for Anne of Green Gables after she had a go at. She was given a Fine Arts Talent Scholarship to attend York University's Theatre Program which she completed in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. The career of Brugel spans more than 20 years and she has performed in more than 60 shows, both on big screens and smaller ones. The most well-known role she played was as Rita (pictured beneath) in the television show The Handmaid's Tale. Brugel made an appearance on only a handful of instances in the initial season of the series The Handmaid's tale. She was the sole Canadian member.