Amanda Peet (born January 11, 1972) is an American actress. She began her career with small parts on television before making her feature film debut in Animal Room (1995). Her portrayal of Jill St. Claire in The Whole Nine Yards (2000) brought her wider recognition. Since then, she has appeared in Saving Silverman (2001), High Crimes, Changing Lanes, Igby Goes Down (all 2002), Something's Gotta Give, Identity (both 2003), Melinda and Melinda (2004), A Lot like Love, Syriana (both 2005), The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008), 2012 (2009), Gulliver's Travels (2010), Identity Thief, The Way, Way Back (both 2013), and other films.
In addition to film, Peet played Jacqueline Barrett on The WB's Jack & Jill (1999–2001), Jordan McDeere on NBC's short-lived Aaron Sorkin series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–2007), Tina Morris on HBO's Togetherness (2015–2016), Jules on IFC's Brockmire (2016–2020), Betty Broderick on the second season of Bravo's Dirty John (2020), Beth Gallagher in the Paramount+ adaptation of Fatal Attraction (2023), and Mel Cooper in the Apple TV+ series Your Friends & Neighbors. In 2021, she wrote and co-executive produced The Chair for Netflix. Peet is married to screenwriter David Benioff and they have three children.
Early life and education
Peet was born in New York City, the daughter of Penny (née Levy), a social worker, and Charles Peet Jr. (1935–2025), a corporate lawyer. Penny and Charles Peet later divorced. Amanda Peet's mother is Jewish; both were atheists. Her mother passed in 2025 due to Parkinson's disease. Her maternal great-grandfathers were Samuel Levy, a lawyer, businessman, and a public official who served as the president of Manhattan Borough; and Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel, a theatrical impresario and entrepreneur. Peet attended Friends Seminary in Manhattan and graduated from Columbia University, also in Manhattan, with a degree in American history. In college, she auditioned for professor Uta Hagen and became an actress after taking Hagen's class. During a four-year period of study with Hagen, Peet appeared in the off-Broadway revival of Clifford Odets's Awake and Sing! with Stephen Lang. as a waitress whom Jerry Seinfeld dates. In 1999, Peet also starred in Simply Irresistible, a fantasy romantic comedy, opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar. The film was panned by critics and flopped at the box office.
Peet appeared alongside Bette Midler and Nathan Lane in Andrew Bergman's Isn't She Great (2000), a highly fictionalized account of the life and career of author Jacqueline Susann. However, her first role in a widely released feature film came later that year, with the part of Jill St. Claire in the mafia comedy film The Whole Nine Yards. The film, which also starred Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry, received mixed reviews. Roger Ebert gave it one of the more positive reviews, noting in particular that Peet's performance, which he called "perfect", highlighted the story. The Whole Nine Yards was a commercial success, grossing US$106.3 million worldwide. For her performance, she received a Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination for Favorite Supporting Actress: Comedy, and a Teen Choice Award nomination for Choice Film Liar. In 2000, she played a love interest in the independent comedy Whipped, won the Young Hollywood Award for "Best New Style Maker", and was voted one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People.
Peet took on the role of a psychologist and the romantic interest of Jason Biggs in the comedy Saving Silverman (2001), and portrayed a heroin-addicted trophy mistress in the dramedy Igby Goes Down, which garnered acclaim among critics. She also played the wife of a successful, young Wall Street lawyer thriller film Changing Lanes (2002), with Ben Affleck. Also in 2002, she played the sister of Ashley Judd in the suspense thriller High Crimes, in which Judd and co-star Morgan Freeman take on the military's court-martial of Judd's husband for murder. In 2003, Peet appeared with Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves in the romantic comedy Something's Gotta Give, directed by Nancy Meyers, playing an auctioneer, working for Christie's. The film was a critical darling and a major success at the box office, grossing US$125 million in North America. In her other 2003 film release, the psychological horror thriller Identity, Peet starred as a Las Vegas prostitute, alongside John Cusack, Ray Liotta and John Hawkes. Identity received critical acclaim and was a moderate commercial success.
Established career (2005–2010)
Her most significant film role in 2005 was playing a woman becoming a successful photographer, opposite Ashton Kutcher, in the romantic comedy A Lot Like Love. It is about two people whose relationship slowly evolves from lust to friendship to romance over the course of seven years. While overall the response was mixed, the Los Angeles Times found Peet to be "charming and charismatic without being cloying or artificial." In 2005, she also performed in the play This Is How It Goes, filling in for Marisa Tomei at the last minute after six days of rehearsal,
Peet starred as an attorney who stays home to raise a new baby in the romantic comedy The Ex (2007), which went unnoticed by critics and audiences. In 2008, she starred in the mystery drama The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008), as an FBI agent, the dramedy Five Dollars a Day (2008), as the girlfriend of a seemingly successful man, and the crime drama What Doesn't Kill You, as the wife of a Boston criminal. What Doesn't Kill You was her best reviewed film of 2008, with Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly, writing that Peet "is terrific as Brian's worn-down wife, sick of seeing her man disappear before her eyes."
In 2012 (2009), a disaster film directed by Roland Emmerich, Peet reunited with John Cusack, to play his estranged wife. While critical response was mixed, the film made over US$769 million worldwide, becoming Peet's most widely seen film. In her next film, the dramedy Please Give (2010), she starred as a self-centered cosmetologist, with Catherine Keener and Rebecca Hall. It received a limited theatrical release and critical acclaim. Ethan Alter of Film Journal International felt that Peet "does career-best work here." Peet and the other Please Give cast members received a Gotham Award nomination for Best Ensemble Cast. In 2010, Peet also provided for one of the main characters of DVD sci-fi adventure film Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey, and starred as the love interest of the main character in the live-action family adventure film Gulliver's Travels, with Jack Black, Emily Blunt and Jason Segel.
Roles in television (2011–2020)
In 2012, Peet headlined the television series Bent, as a recently divorced lawyer. She was drawn to the writing, stating: "I thought it was a good repartee. I love a good romantic comedy, and I love a repressed woman who needs to get laid." However, Bent was canceled after only six episodes. Peet had a recurring role as Capt. Laura Hellinger in seven episodes of the fourth season of The Good Wife (2012–13). In 2013, she made her playwriting debut with The Commons of Pensacola, starring Blythe Danner and Sarah Jessica Parker, and appeared in the film Identity Thief, as the wife of a man whose identity is stolen by a woman, the little-seen comedy Trust Me, as the neighbor of a former child star, and the well received dramedy The Way, Way Back, as one half of a married couple.
From 2015 to 2016, Peet played Tina Morris on the HBO series Togetherness, which focused on the lives of two couples living under the same roof. The show—which was created, written and directed by the Duplass brothers—ran for two seasons, and was praised for its intimate storytelling and the performances of its cast. IndieWire called it "the upbeat comedy HBO needs right now", and noted that while Melanie Lynskey is "the true standout", Peet "won't be short of fans". From 2016 to 2020, Peet appeared in Brockmire, as the owner of a Minor League Baseball team.
Writing and producing (2021–present)
In 2021, Netflix released The Chair, a six-episode comedic dramatic series written by Peet and produced by her, alongside David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. In 2025, Peet starred in and produced Fantasy Life directed by Matthew Shear. The jury at South by Southwest awarded Peet the Narrative Feature Competition Special Jury Award for Performance for her role. Since 2025, she has co-starred in the Apple TV+ drama series Your Friends and Neighbors alongside Jon Hamm and Olivia Munn.
Other endeavors
thumb|right|upright|Peet at a benefit for pediatrics in [[Washington Heights, Manhattan, October 2009]]
Activism
In 2008, Peet volunteered to be a spokeswoman for Every Child By Two (ECBT), a non-profit organization that advocates childhood vaccination. Peet began working with the group after becoming concerned by the "amount of misinformation floating around [about vaccines], particularly in Hollywood." In an interview with Cookie, Peet stated: "Frankly, I feel that parents who don't vaccinate their children are parasites," referring to the benefit unvaccinated children derive from herd immunity and the concern that dropping vaccination rates may put all children at increased risk of preventable disease.
The 3rd Annual Independent Investigative Group IIG Awards recognizing the promotion of science in popular media was held on May 18, 2009. The IIG presented an award to Peet for her work campaigning for vaccines.
Writing
Peet has co-written a children's book Dear Santa, Love, Rachel Rosenstein about a Jewish girl during the Christmas season. The book was launched in 2015. She wrote a play Our Very Own Carlin McCullough, which ran for two months in 2018 at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles to positive reviews.
Personal life
Peet and screenwriter David Benioff, son of former Goldman Sachs CEO and chairman Stephen Friedman, married on September 30, 2006, at Friends Seminary. They have three children. The family lives in Manhattan and Beverly Hills, California. Peet has a sister who is a doctor. She said that she has more of a "cultural affiliation" with Judaism than religious and she appreciates the rituals. She marks Shabbat.
Peet is a friend of actor Peter Dinklage, who starred in her husband's series Game of Thrones and whom she had met years earlier through friends at Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont. In 2008, she revealed that she has struggled with postpartum depression.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1995
|Animal Room
|Debbie
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |1996
|Winterlude
| rowspan="2" |Unknown
| rowspan="2" |Short film
|-
|Virginity
|-
|She's the One
|Molly
|
|-
|One Fine Day
|Celia
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |1997
|Grind
|Patty
|
|-
|Touch Me
|Bridgette
|
|-
|Sax and Violins
|Unknown
|
|-
|1999
|Nicole
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1998
|Origin of the Species
|Julia
|
|-
|Southie
|Marianne Silva
|
|-
|Playing by Heart
|Amber
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |1999
|Simply Irresistible
|Chris
|
|-
|Jump
|Lisa
|
|-
|Two Ninas
|Nina Harris
|
|-
|Body Shots
|Jane Bannister
|
|-
| rowspan="5" |2000
|Zoe Loses It
|Zoe
|Short film
|-
|Isn't She Great
|Debbie Klausman
|
|-
|Track Down
|Karen
|
|-
|'
|Jill St. Claire
|
|-
|Whipped
|Mia
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2001
|Date Squad
|Belkis Felcher
|Short film
|-
|Saving Silverman
|Judith Fessbegler
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2002
|High Crimes
|Jackie Grimaldi
|
|-
|Changing Lanes
|Cynthia Delano Banek
|
|-
|Igby Goes Down
|Rachel
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2003
|Whatever We Do
|Patty
|Short film
|-
|Identity
|Paris
|
|-
|Something's Gotta Give
|Marin Klein
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2004
|'
|Jill St. Claire Tudeski
|
|-
|Melinda and Melinda
|Susan
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2005
|'
|Emily Friehl
|
|-
|Syriana
|Julie Woodman
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2006
|Griffin & Phoenix
|Phoenix
|
|-
|'
|Sofia Kowalski
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2007
|Battle for Terra
|Maria Montez
|Voice
|-
|Martian Child
|Harlee
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2008
|'
|ASAC Dakota Whitney
|
|-
|$5 a Day
|Maggie
|
|-
|What Doesn't Kill You
|Stacy Reilly
|
|-
|2009
|2012
|Kate Curtis
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2010
|Please Give
|Mary
|
|-
|Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
|Ranger
|Voice
|-
|Gulliver's Travels
|Darcy Silverman
|
|-
|2012
|To the Wonder
|
|Scenes cut
|-
| rowspan="3" |2013
|The Way, Way Back
|Joan
|
|-
|Identity Thief
|Trish Patterson
|
|-
|Trust Me
|Marcy
|
|-
|2015
|Sleeping with Other People
|Paula
|
|-
| 2025
| Fantasy Life
| Dianne
| Also producer
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1995
|Law & Order
|Leslie Harlan
|Episode: "Hot Pursuit"
|-
| rowspan="2" |1996
|'
|Kathy
|Episode: "Wedding"
|-
|C.P.W.
|Robyn Gainer
|6 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" |1997
|Spin City
|Shelly McCory
|Episode: "Snowbound"
|-
|Seinfeld
|Lanette
|Episode: "The Summer of George"
|-
|Ellen Foster
|Julia Hobbs
|TV movie
|-
|1999
|Partners
|Beth Harmon
|Episode: "Pilot"
|-
|1999–2001
|Jack & Jill
|Jacqueline Barrett
|32 episodes
|-
|2005
|Entourage
|Herself
|Episode: "Boys Are Back in Town"
|-
|2006–2007
|Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
|Jordan McDeere
|22 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |2009
|Important Things with Demetri Martin
|Actress
|Episode: "Timing"
|-
|Wainy Days
|Jill
|Episode: "Jill"
|-
|2010
|How I Met Your Mother
|Jenkins
|Episode: "Jenkins"
|-
|2011
|Bent
|Alex Meyers
|6 episodes
|-
|2012–2013
|The Good Wife
|Laura Hellinger
|7 episodes
|-
|2015–2016
|Togetherness
|Tina Morris
|Main role; 16 episodes
|-
|2017–2020
|Brockmire
|Jules James
|Main role; 17 episodes
|-
|2018
|The Romanoffs
|Olivia Wells
|Episode: "Expectation"
|-
|2020
|Dirty John
|Betty Broderick
|Main role (season 2)
|-
|2023
|Fatal Attraction
|Beth Gallagher
|Main role
|-
|2025–present
|Your Friends & Neighbors
|Mel Cooper
|Main role
|}
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Work
! Award
! Category
! class="unsortable" | Result
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2001
|rowspan="2"|The Whole Nine Yards
| Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
| Favorite Supporting Actress – Comedy or Romance
|
|-
|Teen Choice Award
| Choice Movie Liar
|
|-
| 2005
| A Lot Like Love
| Teen Choice Award
| Choice Movie Actress – Comedy
|
|-
| 2007
| Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
| Satellite Award
| Best Actress in a Series – Drama
|
|-
|2009
|2012
| Teen Choice Award
| Choice Movie Actress – Sci-Fi
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2010
|rowspan="2"| Please Give
| Independent Spirit Award
| Robert Altman Award
|
|-
| Gotham Award
| Best Ensemble Cast
|
|}
References
External links
- Amanda Peet NPR Fresh Air interview [https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/g-s1-117533/fresh-air-for-april-15-2026-actor-amanda-peet?showDate=2026-04-15]