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With the recent 10th anniversary of She's the Man, the announcement of an All That reunion special (which she unfortunately won't be joining), and her 30th birthday on April 3, we can't help but continue to be nostalgic for Amanda Bynes. Her wit, charm, and unique characters were all so quintessentially '90s. She first made her appearance on Nickelodeon as a cast member of All That in 1996 when she was only 10 years old. Less than three years later, she was given her own one-woman series, The Amanda Show.
After that, she seemed to be the ideal maturing child star, standing out amongst the Lindsay Lohans and Paris Hiltons of the world, not just for her clean behavior, but for her commitment to her roots — comedy. She wasn't afraid to get down and dirty to deliver slapstick humor as she does inShe's the Man, nor did she recoil from playing the bitchy Christian antagonist in Easy A. She even tackled an iconic movie musical turned Broadway hit turned movie again, Hairspray, which is no easy feat.
But with peaks come the inevitable valleys. A handful of films, including a couple made-for-TV movies, led to a rut in her acting career. Her personal issues aside, Bynes always was a daring actress who knew how to be silly without being obnoxious.
In her honor, we ranked the best of her major film roles to help celebrate the big 3-0. Here's to you, Amanda!
10. In Living Proof(2008)
This movie has a respectable cast (including Harry Connick, Jr. and Regina King) and a strong social message in its plot about finding a cure for breast cancer. But Bynes disappoints as the girly student lab assistant. Plus, it's a Lifetime movie, so take it with a grain of salt.
9. Easy A(2010)
If these rankings were based on the movies themselves, Easy A would easily sky-rocket to the top three. But Bynes' character in the movie is by far the most unlikeable of her on-screen career. Her portrayal as the snobby, holier-than-thou (literally) headband-wearer is a major departure from her previous roles. It made us miss the old Bynes.
8. Lovewrecked (2005)
This mashup of Six Days Seven Nights and Win a Date With Tad Hamilton! is a cheesy-rom-com-lovers' kryptonite. But if this genre isn't your cup of tea, you'll probably find this flick kind of dry.
7. Sydney White(2007)
This modern take on the tale of Snow White has its funny moments, but the whole Apple-crashing situation is a bit too literal.
6. What I Like About You (2006)
First off, RIP the WB. Second off, the basics of this show are totally unrealistic, starting with Holly Tyler (Bynes) crashing with her older sister Valerie (Jennie Garth) in a ginormous NYC apartment. Plus, most of their sisterly moments are way overdone. But Bynes always does seem to shine in a fight scene.
5. What a Girl Wants (2003)
This was Bynes' first big-girl role. She plays Daphne Reynolds, a young woman unafraid to, yes, get what she wants. That includes flying to England alone to find her father (Colin Firth), putting a few mean girls in their place, and showing her own mother what confidence and girl power is really about. That a way, Manda.
4. Hairspray (2007)
Who knew girl could sing? Bynes' performance as Penny Pingleton is unexpected, impressive, and fun. The romance between Penny and Seaweed J. Stubbs (Elijah Kelley) is also a treat.
3. Big Fat Liar(2002)
Kaylee (Bynes) is the perfect wingwoman for all of her friend Jason's (Frankie Muniz) wild antics. And has there ever been a better prank than when they both sneak into Marty Wolf's (Paul Giamatti) house and mess with his fancy pool water, turning it blue? Roger Ebert, back me up on this: "A lot of the funniest scenes involve Giamatti, who is the target of so many practical jokes by the two kids that his life becomes miserable. The best: They fill his swimming pool with blue dye, so that on the day of his big meeting with the studio chief, he looks like an understudy for the Blue Man Group. "
2.She's the Man(2006)
You already know our feelings about this. The 2006 comedy almost rocked the vote to be No. 1, but we knew we had to stick with the most quintessential Bynes role, ever...
1. The Amanda Show(1999)
From the obsessed Penelope, Amanda's No. 1 fan ("Who are you please? Amanda please?") to the iconic Dancing Lobsters to Moody's Point, this skit show doles out too many one-liners to count. The series ran for three years, giving us the opportunity to watch Bynes grow up before our eyes. The laughs still stand up, almost 17 years later.
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