Amanda Brugel

Pointe Claire in Montreal's West Island is a tiny, little town that is a bit sleepy. People unfamiliar with the term tend to think it's an island that's to the west of Montreal however, it's a part of the city that's west. West Island is home to everything from Lachine west to the City of Lachine west. Amanda Brugel grew up on the West Island, and it is often called her birthplace. It is true that she resided there for a very short time. Brugel developed on Courtice close to Oshawa within Ontario. She had a dream to dance but an increase in her height meant that she literally outgrew her dance partners. She admitted in an article published by The Toronto Star that she is 6'1" tall when wearing heels. When I grew out of my male partners, I quit. Former dancers often turn to acting and in the case of Brugel, it was the result of a recommendation by her teacher of drama. The teacher was the one who encouraged her to try out as Anne in their annual school production. The student tried it out, and was eventually cast as the lead of Anne of Green Gables. She was awarded an Fine Arts Talent Scholarship to take part in York University's Theater Program, where she graduated from the program in 2000, earning a Bachelor's of Fine Arts. Over the past 20 years that followed, Brugel has landed roles on more than 60 productions on both small and large screens. She attracted the most attention when she landed the part in the role of Rita on the award-winning series The Handmaid's Tale (pictured below). Brugel was only seen on a few instances in the initial season of the series The Handmaid's tale. She was the sole Canadian participant.