Amanda Crew (born June 5, 1986) is a Canadian actress. Following her film debut in Final Destination 3 (2006), Crew had lead roles in films such as Sex Drive (2008), Charlie St. Cloud, Repeaters (both 2010), Charlie Zone (2011), Ferocious (2013), Chokeslam (2016), Freaks (2018), and Tone-Deaf (2019). She is known for her lead roles as Carrie Miller on the CTV teen drama series Whistler (2006–2008) and Monica Hall on the HBO comedy series Silicon Valley (2014–2019).
Early life
Amanda Crew was born in Langley, British Columbia. Her mother, Debbie Crew, is a legal secretary and her father, Ian Crew, is a telecom worker. She began acting when she was cast in the musical Dragon Tales in grade five. This led to talent-agency representation and doing commercials. She trained at Tarlington Training, and she went on to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Since October 2010, she has been in a long-term relationship with actor Dustin Milligan.
Career
2005–2013
In 2005, at age 19, Crew landed her first onscreen acting role as Polly Brewer in the ABC teen drama Life as We Know It. She made a cameo appearance as a sorority sister in an episode of Smallville, a television series based on the DC Comics character Superman. From 2005 to 2006, she played Tanis McTaggart on the YTV teen drama 15/Love which co-starred actress and close friend Meaghan Rath. From 2006 to 2008, Crew played Carrie Miller on the CTV drama Whistler, for which she earned her first Leo award.
In 2006, she made her film debut in the supernatural horror film Final Destination 3, the third installment in the Final Destination film series and the fourth chronologically. She played Julie Christensen, the younger sister of the film's protagonist Wendy. Crew had originally auditioned for the role of Erin Ulmer while Alexz Johnson auditioned for Julie, but ended up switching roles prior to filming. Despite mixed reviews from critics, the film was a commercial success, earning over $117 million at the box office worldwide. She made a cameo as a high school student in the romantic teen comedy John Tucker Must Die, which was negatively received.
She later appeared in the romantic teen comedy She's the Man, a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. She played Kia, a soccer player who helps her friend Viola Hastings (played by Amanda Bynes) pretend to be her brother in order to play on the boys' soccer team after their team gets cut by their misogynistic coach. In 2008, Crew landed her first lead role in the teen road comedy Sex Drive. She played Felicia Alpine, a high school student who goes on a road trip with her two best friends (played by Josh Zuckerman and Clark Duke).
She later starred as Marie in the romantic comedy That One Night, which premiered at the Omaha Film Festival on February 19, 2008. In 2009, she had a supporting role with Martin Donovan and Kyle Gallner in the supernatural horror film The Haunting in Connecticut. Despite negative reviews from critics, the film opened in second place at the North American box office and eventually grossed $77.5 million worldwide. She starred in the romantic comedy The Break-Up Artist as Britney, a breakup artist who becomes a matchmaker after her ex-boyfriend starts his own breakup company and steals her customers.
In 2010, Crew co-starred with Zac Efron and Kim Basinger in the supernatural romantic drama Charlie St. Cloud, playing the love interest of the titular character. Despite negative reviews, it proved to be Crew's mainstream breakthrough. Later that year, she starred in the sci-fi crime thriller Repeaters as Sonia Logan, a drug addict who becomes trapped in a time loop. The film premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival on September 13 and received negative reviews from critics. Despite this, the film was nominated for nine Leo Awards, including Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture for Crew and Best Feature Length Film, losing the latter to Gunless.
In 2011, Crew starred in the crime thriller Charlie Zone as a heroin addicted single mother. After the film had its world premiere at the Atlantic Film Festival on September 16, 2011, the film was screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival on October 10, 2012, and later received a limited theatrical release on March 1, 2013. She later starred in the family drama Sisters & Brothers as Nikki, an aspiring actress who comes into conflict with her older half-sister. The film won six Leo Awards, including Best Feature Length Film, and Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture for Crew.