Mandy Moore

Mandy Moore

Mandy Moore (born Amanda Leigh Moore on April 10, 1984) is an American singer and actress. Moore grew up in Florida and came to fame as a teenager in 2000, after the release of So Real, her first album. Her subsequent albums, including the self-titled Mandy Moore and Coverage, established her as a well-known pop singer in the United States. Moore has also branched out into a film career, starring in 2002's successful teen film, A Walk to Remember, and later appearing in the lead roles of less well-received movies aimed at teenage audiences. Two of her latest films, the parodies American Dreamz and Saved!, were considered by some critics to be a change of pace into darker roles.

Moore's private life has been much-discussed in the media, including her previous relationships to actor Wilmer Valderrama and tennis player Andy Roddick. Moore, who is currently dating actor Zach Braff, is scheduled to appear in several films over the course of 2006 and 2007, while her music career is on hold, having parted ways with her record company.

Early life
Moore was born in Nashua, New Hampshire to Don Moore (a pilot for American Airlines) and Stacy (a former newspaper reporter). Moore has Irish and Cherokee heritage on her father's side. Her maternal grandfather was Jewish and her English maternal grandmother was a professional dancer at the theater district in the West End of London, as well as a Wren during WWII; the two met and eloped to the United States after Moore's maternal grandfather, an American soldier, was stationed in London during WWII.

Moore has two brothers, Scott and Kyle; she grew up in Seminole County, Florida, outside of Orlando, moving there shortly after her birth because of her father's job. Moore was raised in the Catholic religion (although she is no longer a practicing Catholic), and attended Park Maitland School (for elementary school) in Maitland, Florida, Bishop Moore Catholic High School and Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs.

Moore's interest in singing grew after seeing the musical Oklahoma!; she was also encouraged to perform by her maternal grandmother, who was her inspiration. Moore subsequently sang the National Anthem at a few athletic events, and was spotted by a FedEx employee, who sent her demo to Epic Records; She was signed with the record company at the age of fourteen and toured with The Backstreet Boys throughout 1999.

Music career

1999-2002: Early pop albums
Moore, fifteen years-old at the time, released her first album, So Real, on December 7, 1999. The album reached a peak of #31 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. At the time of her album's release, Moore was considered by critics to be only the latest in a quickly-growing series of heavily-marketed 'pop princesses' akin to Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson. Moore was the last (and youngest) of the four to reach mainstream radio, and was initially not as successful as her peers. Still, So Real was certified platinum in the US by early 2000 and sold 943,000 copies; Her debut single, "Candy," peaked at #41 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold. A follow-up single, "Walk Me Home," was also released, but to less success. Moore also released the title track, "So Real," outside the States.

Moore released a re-worked version of her debut album entitled I Wanna Be With You on May 9, 2000, six months after So Real's release. The album included several new songs, along with tracks from So Real, as well as a couple of remixed songs. Some reviewers criticized it as a remix album and not a true followup. The album reached a peak of #21 on the Billboard 200; it was later certified gold in the US and sold 792,000 copies. The title track was the only single and reached a peak of #17 on the Hot 100, Moore's highest peak to date. The song was also featured in the film Center Stage (2000).

Moore released the self-titled album Mandy Moore on June 19, 2001. The album received mixed reviews and debuted at a low #35 on the Billboard 200. It was later certified gold in the US and sold 443,000 copies. The album's main producer was Tim Mitchell. The lead single, "In My Pocket", was tinged with a Middle-Eastern sound, along with a colorful video; it failed to make a dent in the charts, however, missing the Hot 100 completely. The song was a popular dance success not only in the States but also a commercial hit in Australia, Thailand, and other countries. Moore performed "In My Pocket" live many times, including once at the 2001 Fox network television special, "Teenapalooza".

The follow-up single, "Crush", also failed to chart, although the music video received considerable airtime on MTV. It went on to be Moore's first number one video on TRL, where she also performed the song live. The final single, "Cry", was released in early 2002 and tied-in with the film A Walk to Remember, which was Moore's debut as a lead actress. It also failed to perform well on the charts. The album sold well in Eastern Asia, however, and the songs "17" and "Saturate Me" were both released as singles overseas.

Moore looks back at her old pop days with ill feelings, saying that although her first album was appropriate for her age and music tastes at the time, it "sucked" and that "If I had the money, I would give a refund to everyone who bought my first two albums"; during a radio show interview in April 2006, she was asked for a refund on the first album by the show's co-host, a request that she immediately fulfilled. Moore has since also described her early albums as "just awful".

Due to disappointing sales for Coverage, Moore was dropped from Sony's Epic Records. As a last obligation to Moore's contract, Sony released The Best of Mandy Moore on November 16, 2004, which included all of Moore's biggest hits from the past five years. The album reached #148 on the Billboard 200.

Another compilation album, Candy was released around the time Moore began working on her 2006 album. It was released with no promotion and never appeared on the charts. This was the final release of Moore's music from Epic Records. To date, Moore has sold more than 6 million albums worldwide.

2006: Slummin' In Paradise
A new studio album from Moore was supposed to be released by the end of 2006 through Warner's Sire Records. According to "Instyle Magazine" (2/06), the title of the album is Slummin' In Paradise; one of the tracks is called "Terminal Procrastination". The album was co-written by singers Michelle Branch, Rachael Yamagata, and Lori McKenna. Moore has stated that she misses her music career, and that singing is what she is the "most passionate about". Moore recently announced via her MySpace blog that she and Sire Records had "amicably parted ways", citing varying opinions between her and the company regarding her musical direction.

Television and film career
Between 2000 and 2001, Moore hosted a talk show, the Mandy Moore Show, on MTV. She performed a remix to her song "So Real" on that show to further promote I Wanna Be With You. Moore was a Neutrogena spokesperson, appearing in commercials as well as print ads for the product. She has also modelled for Coach handbags in Japan, as well as for the clothing brand Penshoppe in the Philippines, and was a spokesperson for the School and Youth Programs of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

In 2001, Moore appeared in a small part as the mean and popular cheerleader Lana Thomas opposite actresses Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews in the film The Princess Diaries. In the movie, Moore's character performs a song from the film's soundtrack, "Stupid Cupid".

In 2002, Moore had her first starring role in a major feature film in A Walk to Remember, opposite actor Shane West. The movie, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, revolves around the developing romance between a Protestant minister's daughter (played by Moore) and an unruly teenager. The film was considered a moderate success, bringing in $41 million and establishing Moore's status as a lead actress.

The soundtrack for the film featured four songs by Moore ("Cry", "Someday We'll Know", "It's Gonna Be Love" and "Only Hope"). Moore won an award for Breakthrough Female Performance at that summer's MTV Movie Awards, as well as Choice Female Breakout Performance and Choice Chemistry (with Shane West) at the Teen Choice Awards. In 2002, she also voiced the Final Fantasy VII character Aerith Gainsborough in the Square Enix-Disney crossover video game Kingdom Hearts. She didn't, however, reprise the role for the sequel.

In March 2002, Moore was featured in Elton John's video for "Original Sin". That year, she was also ranked #67 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women In The World."

In 2003, Moore starred in the romantic comedy film How to Deal. The movie failed to draw in the teenage crowds in the US and grossed a total of $14 million. Moore's next film was 2004's Chasing Liberty, a romantic comedy which only grossed $12 million. Later that summer, she appeared in a lead role in the low-budget satire on religion, Saved!, playing Hilary Faye, a proper and popular girl at a Christian school. The film, which did not receive a wide release, was positively reviewed. Moore received praise for her performance, with one critic commenting that she was a "demented delight", and another saying that it was her best performance to date. In 2005, Moore lent her voice to the movie Racing Stripes.

Moore has also appeared on the television series, Entourage, and guest-starred in two episodes of boyfriend Zach Braff's comedy Scrubs in 2006. She also lent her voice to The Simpsons, playing a dominatrix named "Tabitha Vixx". The episode aired on May 21, 2006.

Moore's most recent film, which opened on April 21, 2006, is the parody American Dreamz, in which she plays a deranged contestant on a television series modelled after American Idol. The film's director, Paul Weitz, had Moore in mind for the role even before she was cast, saying that "There's something inherently sweet about Mandy; it makes it all the more interesting to see her in a villainess role"; Moore has said that she enjoys playing villainous roles, but fears being typecast as a villain. American Dreamz opened in 1,500 theatres and grossed $ 3,667,420 during its opening weekend, reaching the #9 spot at the United States box office.

Moore, citing her conservative upbringing, has expressed dissatisfaction with her appearance on a May 2006 cover of Cosmopolitan, as the magazine's headline is "orgasms unlimited", referring to an article unrelated to Moore. Moore maintains a loyal male fan base; Maxim magazine named her #28 in their May 2006 Hot 100 issue.

Moore's upcoming films include Southland Tales and Dedication, which are currently slated for a 2006 release, and Because I Said So, which will be released on February 2, 2007, co-starring Piper Perabo and Diane Keaton. She was also originally supposed to appear in the upcoming ensemble film Bobby, but was replaced by actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead. In May 2006, Moore began filming a romantic comedy entitled License to Wed, in which she portrays a young bride who has to complete a two-week prenup course before her wedding. The film, co-starring John Krasinski as her fiance and Robin Williams as a minister, is being filmed in Mexico and Los Angeles.

Personal life
Moore dated actor Wilmer Valderrama for eighteen months between 2000 and 2002; in 2006, Valderrama appeared on the Howard Stern Show and claimed that he and Moore were each other's "first loves," although he did not claim that their relationship was sexual as was alleged by several media sources who had misquoted his exact comments. Moore has since referred to Valderrama as a "good guy" and a "gentleman", although she has also stated that his comments about their relationship were "utterly tacky". In 2002, Moore started dating tennis star Andy Roddick. The couple were together for sixteen months, hardly spending time together due to Moore's film schedule; Roddick ended the relationship in March of 2004. She also dated Philippines-born singer/actor Billy Crawford for a "few months" when she was younger. Moore is still in contact with both Roddick and Valderrama.

In 2004, Moore began dating Scrubs actor Zach Braff. The two met at a fundraising event for the Democratic Party around the time of the November 2004 election. Referring to her relationship with Braff, Moore has said that she likes "good Jewish boy(s)... with a sense of humor". In early 2006, unnamed sources told In Touch magazine that the couple were engaged. Braff called this a "total internet rumor," and Moore's representative denied the engagement. In early June of 2006, tabloids reported unconfirmed rumors that Braff and Moore had ended their relationship; however, around the same time period, the couple were announced to have arranged a week-long trip to Israel together, scheduled for July of 2006.

Moore's favorite musicians are Elton John, Janet Jackson, and Bette Midler; Midler is also Moore's favorite actress, and her film Beaches was Moore's favorite film when she was a teenager. Moore, who describes herself as a "glass-half-full kind of person", also enjoys Annie Hall and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. She is friends with the Osbourne family and in 2003 frequently appeared in episodes of their MTV reality show The Osbournes.

Moore's natural and preferred hair color is dark brown. She currently lives in her Hollywood Hills house, along with her brother, Kyle. Moore considers herself spiritual, and has said that she does not think of herself as distinctly Catholic nor Christian.

Selected Filmography
2007: License to Wed
2007: Because I Said So
2006: Dedication
2006: Southland Tales
2006: Romance & Cigarettes
2006: Brother Bear 2
2006: American Dreamz
2005: Racing Stripes
2004: Saved!
2004: Chasing Liberty
2003: Try Seventeen or All I Want
2003: How to Deal
2002: A Walk to Remember
2001: The Princess Diaries

Mandy Moore Picture Gallery

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