Amanda Brugel

Pointe Claire, a quiet neighbourhood in The West Island of Montreal is what you might call a "sleepy" area. Most people who do not know they mistakenly believe the West Island extends westward from Montreal. It is actually, the West Island includes everything westward of Montreal, including the town of Lachine. It is often cited as the place of birth for Amanda Brugel but while that is the case, her stay there was not long. Brugel lived in Courtice close to Oshawa located in Ontario. Her early ambition was to be a dancer but the growth rate of her body meant she literally outgrew her dance partners. According to an article in the Toronto Star, she revealed her height in heels as at 6'1 inches tall. As soon as I was able to outgrow male friends, I stopped. For Brugel, it was the advice of the drama instructor at her high school that inspired her to start acting. Her teacher recommended her to audition to play the character of Anne for their school's annual production. She threw herself into it to play the role of the main character in Anne of Green Gables. It led to a Fine Arts Talent Scholarship at York University where she attended the Theater Program and earned an Associate of Fine Arts degree in 2000. Over the past 20 years, Brugel's career has seen her appearing in a variety of TV and film productions. The most well-known role was that of Rita (shown below) on The Handmaid's Tale. Brugel is the only Canadian on the Season 1 actors of the series and only seen occasionally was the sole Canadian.