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You may not be familiar with this stunning
brunette from the films she has appeared in, but you may find her
face familiar thanks to the ads she had done prior to becoming an
actress. Having risen to stardom with the film She's All That, Rachael's
movie roles have been increasing at an exponential rate.
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 onto the big screen, Rachael began acting by the time she
was 7 in commercials and school musicals, and modeling at age 10.
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 on a Milk-Bone ad and on the Milk-Bone
box), Minnesota was not the hub of acting. Rachael headed to the West
Coast, to pursue an acting career.
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 90's were marked by independent films such as Carpool,
the short feature 26 Summer Street, The Eighteenth Angel, and The
House of Yes, which earned recognition at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.
After a couple more films, including Living Out Loud and Strike!,
Rachael bounced onto the big-screen in the sleeper hit She's All That,
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.
Television audiences must have been accustomed to seeing Rachael
on the television screen by then, as she also had a guest-starring
recurring role in the high school series Dawson's Creek; an appearance
on The Outer Limits; as well as roles in made-for-TV movies such as
True Women, The Eighteenth Angel and Country Justice.
What's next for the young doe-eyed beauty? Since She's All That,
she appeared in the film Texas Rangers, and she will next star in
a string of upcoming films, including Blow Dry, Northanger Abbey,
Get Carter (co-starring Sylvester Stallone), as well as the film adaptation
of the popular cartoon, Josie and the Pussycats.
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.
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.
Nominated for the MTV Award for Best Breakthrough Female Performance
for her role in She's All That, and currently one of Hollywood's most
promising young actresses (watch out Jennifer Leigh Cook), Rachael
proves that she's all that -- and then some.Rachael
Leigh Cook Personal videos and photos - Click here!
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