Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 4, 1979, Rachael Leigh Cook was shy as a child. She knew early on that she wanted to become an actress, to use acting as a means of expressing herself. Before jumping on to the big screen, Rachael began acting in commercials and school musicals by the time she was 7, and modeling at age 10.

Rachael appears in psas

Rather than being a fashion model (probably difficult, standing at 5’2″), Rachael used her beautiful face and talent in more beneficial ways: in public service announcements. She appeared in a non-speaking part in a PSA about adopting foster children, while her most notable work was in the famous anti-drug PSA that simulated how the brain is affected by drugs, by smashing eggs with a frying pan and then destroying the kitchen.

Although Rachael was receiving work as a print model during her 4-year modeling stint (her face appears in a Milk-Bone ad and on the Milk-Bone box), Minnesota was not the hub of acting. So Rachael headed to the West Coast, to pursue an acting career.

Rachael leigh in tom and huck

Once in Los Angeles, Rachael didn’t have much trouble landing roles. In 1995, she made her feature film debut in the film adaptation of the popular children’s book series, The Baby-Sitters Club. Remaining true to her younger fans, she followed up that performance with a role in the film Tom and Huck, co-starring Home Improvement’s Jonathan Taylor Thomas.

The rest of the ’90s were marked by independent films such as Carpool (1996), the short feature 26 Summer Street (1996), The House of Yes (1997), which earned recognition at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, and The Eighteenth Angel (1998).

Rachael leigh does she’s all that

After a couple more films, including Living Out Loud and Strike! (both in 1998), Rachael bounced onto the big-screen in the sleeper hit She’s All That (1999), and landed in the hearts of many a young man. As the nerd-turned-high school sweetheart in the modern day adaptation of Pygmalion, Rachael gave a credible performance, although she couldn’t fool audiences into believing that she was really the scrawny, awkward girl she portrayed.

The success of She’s All That gave Rachael the recognition she needed to become the in-demand star that she is today. She appeared in Six-Pence None the Richer’s video for “Kiss Me” (off the She’s All That soundtrack) with co-star, Freddie Prinze Jr.

Rachael stars on dawson’s creek

Television audiences must have been accustomed to seeing Rachael on the television screen by then, as she also made an appearance on The Outer Limits, had a guest-starring recurring role in the high school series Dawson’s Creek (1998), as well as roles in made-for-TV movies such as True Women, Country Justice and The Defenders: Payback (all in 1997)).

Rachael and stallone get carter

After starring in Get Carter with Sylvester Stallone, it seems the new millennium hasn’t been incredibly kind to Rachael, as she has been starring in movies that don’t do very well at the box office. In 2001, Rachael appeared alongside Ashton Kutcher in film Texas Rangers, and with Tara Reid and Rosario Dawson in the film adaptation of the popular cartoon Josie and the Pussycats, which tanked at the box office; in 2002, she starred in two more box-office bombs entitled Scorched and 29 Palms.

2003 saw Rachael starring in four more films, including The Big Empty with Jon Favreau, and Tempo. In 2004, Rachael continued to star in little heard of films including American Crime and Fearless.

Besides acting, Rachael is passionate about art, especially drawing. She would like to eventually try screenwriting and she will get her chance to co-produce an independent film entitled Tangled.

Currently engaged to actor Daniel Gillies, Rachael lives mostly in her L.A. apartment, and she has a boxer dog and two cats. She’s a vegetarian and has a tattoo on her left arm.

Buying cigarettes is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?

Filmography

Year Title Role
1995 The Baby-Sitters Club Mary Anne Spier
Tom and Huck Becky Thatcher
1996 26 Summer Street The Girl
Carpool Kayla
1997 The House of Yes Young ‘Jackie-O’
Country Justice Emma Baker
True Women Young Georgia Lawshe
The Defenders: Payback Tracey Lane
1998 The Eighteenth Angel Lucy Stanton
The Outer Limits Cassie Boussard
The Hairy Bird Abigail ‘Abby’ Sawyer
The Naked Man Delores
Living Out Loud Teenage Judith
1999 WOAK Live Herself
The Hi-Line Vera Johnson
She’s All That Laney Boggs
Dawson’s Creek Devon
The Bumblebee Flies Anyway Cassie
2000 Sally Beth
Get Carter Doreen
Batman Beyond Chelsea Cunningham (voice)
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Chelsea Cunningham (voice)
2001 Antitrust Lisa Calighan
Blow Dry Christina Robertson
Josie and the Pussycats Josie McCoy
Texas Rangers Caroline Dukes
Tangled Jenny Kelley
2002 29 Palms Waitress
2003 Scorched Shmally
Bookies Hunter
The Big Empty Ruthie
11:14 Cheri
Tempo Jenny Travile
2004 Fearless Gaia Moore
My First Wedding Vanessa
Stateside Dori Lawrence
American Crime Jesse St. Claire
2005 Into the West Clara Wheeler
Las Vegas Penny Posin
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Tifa Lockhart (voice)
2006 Robot Chicken Various Characters (voice)
2007 Descent Allison (uncredited)
Nancy Drew Jane Brighton
All Hat Chrissie Nugent
Matters of Life and Death Emily Jennings
The Final Season Polly Hudson
Blonde Ambition Haley
2008 Ghost Whisperer Grace Adams
Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II Mon Mothma / Sally Johnson / Gary’s Wife (voice)
Fairy Tale Police Officer Duffy
Psych Abigail Lytar
2009 Falling Up Caitlin O’Shea
The Lodger Amanda
Bob Funk Ms. Thorne
Titan Maximum Lt. Jodi Yanarella (voice)
2010 Broken Kingdom Marilyn
The Family Tree Rachel
Kerosene Cowboys Karen Brooks

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