Amanda Brugel

Pointe Claire resides in a quiet area of Montreal Island known as West Island. This West Island, to those who have never heard of it, is a vast area that extends from Lachine until the west. Amanda Brugel's birthplace has been frequently mentioned, but her brief visit to the West Island did not last long. Brugel was raised in Courtice outside Oshawa Ontario. Early ambitions were to become a dancer. But, a growing spurt caused her to outgrow her dance partners she had. A Toronto Star article revealed she's 6ft 1in tall in heels. After I surpassed my male counterparts at that point, I gave up. There are many dancers who make the move to acting. In the case of Brugel, it was her drama instructor who pushed her in that direction. The teacher who suggested she go after a role in the annual school production. She was chosen to play the lead role for Anne of Green Gables after she tried out. This led to an Fine Arts Talent Scholarship at York University where she attended the Theatre Program and graduated with the Bachelor in Fine Arts degree in 2000. Over the past 20 years since Brugel has been offered roles in over 60 shows on the big and small screens drawing the most media attention after she was offered the character in the role of Rita on the award-winning series The Handmaid's Tale (pictured below). Brugel, the only Canadian on the Season 1 actors of the series and seen only occasionally, was the sole Canadian.