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Rachael Leigh Cook

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Rachael Leigh Cook
Cook in 2019
Born (1979-10-04) October 4, 1979 (age 45)[1]
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active1995–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2004; div. 2021)​
Children2

Rachael Leigh Cook (born October 4, 1979[1]) is an American actress and model. She has starred in the films The Baby-Sitters Club (1995), She's All That (1999), and Josie and the Pussycats (2001), and in the television series Into the West and Perception. She is also the voice behind various characters in Robot Chicken and Tifa Lockhart in the Final Fantasy series, starting with the English version of the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Since 2016, her television appearances have primarily been made-for-TV movies on the Hallmark Channel.

Early life

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Rachael Leigh Cook was born on October 4, 1979,[1] in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Thomas Howard Cook, a social worker and former stand-up comedian, and JoAnn, a cooking instructor and weaver.[2] She is of part English and Italian descent. Cook first appeared in a public service announcement for foster care at seven years of age and began working as a child print model at the age of 10, including nationwide advertisements for Target and appearing on the boxes of Milk-Bone dog biscuits. She attended Clara Barton Open School, Laurel Springs School, and Minneapolis South High School.[citation needed]

Career

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Cook in 2018

Cook began auditioning for acting work at age 14.[2] She made her screen debut as an actress in the 1995 film The Baby-Sitters Club. She also played a role in the adventure film Tom and Huck, released in December 1995. In 1996, her modeling agency sent her to star in a short film, 26 Summer Street. In 1997, Cook appeared in a leading role in the film Country Justice as a 15-year-old rape victim who is impregnated by her rapist.

In 1999, Cook starred in her breakout role in the romantic comedy film She's All That,[3] the most financially successful film of her career. In 2000, she starred opposite Elijah Wood in the well-received The Bumblebee Flies Anyway. She took the lead role in 2001's Josie and the Pussycats, which turned out to be a box office failure, although it has since become a cult classic.[4]

In 2000, she was the cover girl for the U.S. March/April issue of FHM. She also starred in the music video for New Found Glory's 2000 single "Dressed to Kill".[5] In 2002, she was ranked No. 26 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World". In 2003, she starred in the film 11:14 as Cheri. She also appeared as a main cast member in the 2005 television miniseries Into the West produced by Steven Spielberg. In 2006, she appeared in the music video for Daniel Powter's "Love You Lately".

In 2007, Cook was seen in the big screen adaptation of Nancy Drew. She played the female lead in the independent sports drama The Final Season. She has appeared in numerous episodes of the Seth Green comedies Titan Maximum and Robot Chicken. In 2008, she guest-starred as Abigail Lytar in two third-season episodes of the USA Network series Psych. She reprised the role in the following season.

In February 2010, Cook signed on to play the female lead role in Fox TV's comedy pilot Nirvana.[6] She had a role in the Western horror film Vampire, the English-language feature debut of Japanese director Iwai Shunji.[7] In 2012, Cook signed on to play the female lead role in the TNT crime drama series Perception opposite Eric McCormack. She starred in the independent film Broken Kingdom, which was directed by her husband Daniel Gillies. She also appeared in a Funny or Die sketch with Chad Michael Murray.[8][9]

Cook starred in the Hallmark Channel original film Summer Love in 2016.[10] In the same year, she starred in another Hallmark film, Autumn In the Vineyard, followed by its sequel Summer in the Vineyard in 2017.[11] 2017 also saw Cook develop, star and executive produce the Hallmark Channel film Frozen in Love, which was broadcast in January 2018 as part of the channel's 'Winterfest' season of programming.[12][13]

Cook provided the voice for Chelsea Cunningham on the Kids' WB animated series Batman Beyond and in the animated film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Cook voiced Tifa Lockhart in the video games Kingdom Hearts II, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, as well as the film Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. In 2011, she voiced the character of Jaesa Willsaam in the MMO game, Star Wars: The Old Republic. Cook's latest voice-over role is for the video game Yakuza in which she voices the role of Reina. In 2020 Cook appeared in the fifteenth season of Criminal Minds playing the role of Max in the final episodes of the series.[14]

Cook owns her own production company, Ben's Sister Productions (in reference to her younger brother Ben Cook). She produced and starred in the film Love, Guaranteed, which debuted on Netflix on September 3, 2020.[15]

Public service

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Cook first gained national attention in 1997, when she was featured in an updated This Is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement (PSA) television advertisement, in which she proceeds to destroy a kitchen with a frying pan.[16]

In 2011, she was selected by the Obama administration as a Champion of Change for Arts Education.[17]

In June 2012, she began to award a small scholarship to students between ages 14 and 19. The scholarship helps pay for career classes, mentoring programs, and other school fees.[2]

In 2017, Rachael Leigh Cook reprised her "This Is Your Brain on Drugs" role twenty years later for a PSA by the Drug Policy Alliance critiquing the War on Drugs and its contribution to mass incarceration, structural racism and poverty. The ad was posted to YouTube on April 20, 2017, in recognition of 4/20.[16]

Personal life

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Cook married New Zealand-Canadian actor Daniel Gillies on August 8, 2004,[18] “We got engaged after dating for maybe five months and we got married a couple of months after that.”[19] They have two children: a daughter born in September 2013[20] and a son born in April 2015.[21] The couple separated in June 2019 and divorced in 2021.[22][23][24]

Cook is a vegetarian.[25]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1995 The Baby-Sitters Club Mary Anne Spier
1995 Tom and Huck Becky Thatcher
1996 Carpool Kayla
1997 The House of Yes Young 'Jackie-O'
1997 Country Justice Emma Baker
1997 The Eighteenth Angel Lucy Stanton
1998 All I Wanna Do Abigail 'Abby' Sawyer
1998 The Naked Man Dolores
1998 Living Out Loud Teenage Judith Moore
1999 The Hi-Line Vera Johnson
1999 She's All That Laney Boggs
1999 The Bumblebee Flies Anyway Cassie
2000 Sally Beth
2000 Get Carter Doreen Carter
2000 Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Chelsea Cunningham Voice; direct-to-video[26]
2001 Antitrust Lisa Calighan
2001 Blow Dry Christina Robertson
2001 Texas Rangers Caroline Dukes
2001 Josie and the Pussycats Josie McCoy
2001 Tangled Jenny Kelley
2002 29 Palms The Waitress
2003 Bookies Hunter
2003 Scorched Shmally
2003 The Big Empty Ruthie
2003 11:14 Cheri
2003 Tempo Jenny Travile
2004 Stateside Dori Lawrence
2004 American Crime Jesse St. Claire Direct-to-video
2005 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Tifa Lockhart Voice[26]
2006 My First Wedding Vanessa Direct-to-video
2007 Descent Allison Direct-to-video
2007 All Hat Chrissie Nugent Direct-to-video
2007 Nancy Drew Jane Brighton
2007 The Final Season Polly Hudson
2007 Blonde Ambition Haley
2009 The Lodger Amanda Manning Direct-to-video
2009 Bob Funk Ms. Thorne Direct-to-video
2009 Falling Up Caitlin O'Shea Direct-to-video
2011 Vampire Laura King Direct-to-video
2011 The Family Tree Rachel Levy Direct-to-video
2012 Broken Kingdom Marilyn Direct-to-video
2014 Red Sky Karen Brooks Direct-to-video
2017 A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia
2020 Love, Guaranteed Susan Also producer
2021 He's All That Anna Sawyer
2022 Spirit Halloween: The Movie Sue
2023 A Tourist's Guide to Love Amanda Riley Also producer

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 True Women Young Georgia Lawshe Miniseries
1997 The Defenders: Payback Tracey Lane TV movie
1998 The Outer Limits Cassie Boussard Episode: "Glyphic"
1999 Dawson's Creek Devon 3 episodes
2000 Batman Beyond Chelsea Cunningham 2 episodes; voice role
2004 Fearless Gaia Moore Unsold pilot
2005 Into the West Clara Wheeler Miniseries
2005 Las Vegas Penny Posin Recurring role
2005 I Love the '80s 3-D Herself TV documentary; 2 episodes
2006–2019 Robot Chicken various Recurring voice roles
2008 Ghost Whisperer Grace Adams Episode: "Big Chills"
2008–2010 Psych Abigail Lytar Recurring role
2009 Titan Maximum Lt. Jodi Yanarella Main cast; voice role
2010 Nevermind Nirvana Elizabeth Unaired pilot[27][28]
2011 Stealing Paradise Amanda Collier TV movie
2012 Left to Die Tammi Chase TV movie
2012–2015 Perception Kate Moretti Main cast
2014 A Christmas Tail N/A TV movie
2016 Summer Love Maya Sulliway TV movie
2016 Autumn in the Vineyard Frankie Baldwin TV movie
2017 Summer in the Vineyard Frankie Baldwin TV movie
2018 Frozen in Love Mary Campbell TV movie
2019 Valentine in the Vineyard Frankie Baldwin TV movie
2019 A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas Willow Petersen TV movie
2019 Liza on Demand Rachael Leigh Cook Episode: "New Year's Eve: Part 1"

"New Year's Eve: Part 2"

2020 Criminal Minds Maxine 2 episodes
2020 Cross Country Christmas Lina TV movie
2021 Tis the Season to Be Merry Merry Rozelle TV movie
2023 Rescuing Christmas Erin TV movie

Music videos

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Year Title Artist
1999 "Kiss Me" Sixpence None the Richer
2001 "Dressed to Kill" New Found Glory
2006 "Love You Lately" Daniel Powter
2013 "The UniCorps Wants You!" Team Unicorn
2017 "Young Dumb & Broke" Khalid

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2005 Yakuza Reina [26]
2005 Kingdom Hearts II Tifa Lockhart [26]
2006 Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII Tifa Lockhart [26]
2007 Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ Tifa Lockhart
2011 Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Tifa Lockhart [26]
2011 Star Wars: The Old Republic Jaesa Willsaam [26]
2013 Star Wars: The Old Republic - Rise of the Hutt Cartel Jaesa Willsaam
2014 Star Wars: The Old Republic - Shadow of Revan Jaesa Willsaam
2016 Final Fantasy Explorers Tifa Lockhart Archive audio[26]
2016 World of Final Fantasy Tifa Lockhart [26]
2018 Mobius Final Fantasy Tifa Lockhart Archive audio[citation needed]
2019 Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Tifa Lockhart

Awards and nominations

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Year Work Award Category Result Ref.
1997 Tom and Huck YoungStar Award Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film Nominated
1999 She's All That YoungStar Awards Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy Film Won
MTV Movie Awards Best Breakthrough Female Performance Nominated
Best On-Screen Duo (Shared with: Freddie Prinze Jr.) Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Film – Sexiest Love Scene (Shared with: Freddie Prinze Jr.) Won
Dawson's Creek Teen Choice Awards TV – Breakout Performance Nominated
2000 The Hi-Line Santa Monica Film Festival Best Actress Won
She's All That Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Movie Couple (Shared with: Freddie Prinze Jr.) Won
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Favorite Actress – Newcomer (Internet Only) Won [29]
Sally New York International Independent Film & Video Festival Best Actress Won
2001 Herself Young Hollywood Awards Superstar of Tomorrow – Female Won
Josie and the Pussycats Teen Choice Awards Film – Choice Actress Nominated
2006 Into the West Western Heritage Awards Television Feature Film (Shared with cast) Won [30]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Gustafson, Paul (January 1, 1981). "Change of heart gives teacher a new lease on life". The Minneapolis Star. p. 59. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Stanton, Barry W. (March 2, 2016). "What Happened To Rachael Leigh Cook". The Gazette Review. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  3. ^ Harman, Justine (February 1, 2018). "Jaime Pressly, Rachael Leigh Cook, and More '90s Icons Look Back on the Genre They Invented". Glamour. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. it was her breakout role as secretly-hot art student Laney Boggs
  4. ^ Adam White (August 26, 2021). "She's All That's Rachael Leigh Cook: 'I was never at the top of the pretty-girl list'". The Independent.
  5. ^ Mike Rampton (May 14, 2020). "An Exhaustive Look At The Phenomenon Of Celebrity Cameos In Music…". Kerrang!. One of these days I'm going to meet this girl
  6. ^ DiNunno, Gina (February 22, 2010). "Rachael Leigh Cook Lands Lead in Fox's Nirvana". TV Guide. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  7. ^ "Western Actors to Meet Eastern Filmmaking Sensibilities in Vampire". Dread Central. September 17, 2012.
  8. ^ "First Kiss with Rachael Leigh Cook & Chad Michael Murray". Funnyordie.com. September 10, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  9. ^ First Kiss with Rachael Leigh Cook & Chad Michael Murray. Funny Or Die. September 26, 2012. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2017 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Maloni, Joshua (August 11, 2016). "'She's (still) All That': Rachael Leigh Cook stars in new Hallmark Channel movie, 'Summer Love'". Niagara Frontier Publications. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  11. ^ "Rachael Leigh Cook on 'Summer in the Vineyard'". NBCNewYork.com. NBC. August 10, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  12. ^ "Heart of the Mountain & Frozen in Love from Hallamrk's Winterfest start filming". What's Filming?. November 21, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  13. ^ Hill, Ruth (November 6, 2017). "Interview with Rick Garman". My Devotional Thoughts. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  14. ^ Hurley, Laura (February 20, 2019). "Criminal Minds Just Cast Reid's New Love Interest, But What About JJ?". CinemaBlend.com. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  15. ^ Yap, Audrey Cleo (September 1, 2020). "Rachael Leigh Cook on Producing Her Own Netflix Rom-Com, 21 Years After 'She's All That'". Variety. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  16. ^ a b Jon Blistein (April 20, 2017). "Watch Rachael Leigh Cook Remake 'Brain on Drugs' Ad for 4/20". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017.
  17. ^ "Champions of Change: Arts Education". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on January 21, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017 – via National Archives.
  18. ^ "Baby on the Way for Rachael Leigh Cook and Daniel Gillies". People.com. May 8, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  19. ^ "Rachael Leigh Cook: I'm Happy We Waited to Have a Baby". People.com. June 25, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  20. ^ Webber, Stephanie (September 29, 2013). "Rachael Leigh Cook, Husband Daniel Gillies Welcome Baby Girl". Us Weekly. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  21. ^ Toomey, Alyssa (April 8, 2015). "Rachael Leigh Cook Gives Birth to Her Second Child With Husband Daniel Gillies: Find Out His Name!". E!. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  22. ^ "Rachael Leigh Cook and Daniel Gillies Announce Split After Nearly 15 Years of Marriage". People.com. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  23. ^ Stone, Natalie (July 16, 2020). "Rachael Leigh Cook's Husband Daniel Gillies Files for Divorce 1 Year After Separating". People.com.
  24. ^ "Rachael Leigh Cook and Daniel Gillies Finalize Divorce Nearly 2 Years After Split". People.com. March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021. a Los Angeles judge signed off on the actors' divorce on March 10, nearly two years after the couple split in June 2019.
  25. ^ Quinlan, David (2000). Quinlan's Film Stars. Batsford. p. 115. ISBN 978-0713486513.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Rachael Leigh Cook (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved November 30, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  27. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 19, 2010). "Fox, CBS, ABC pick up pilots". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  28. ^ "Pilot Season: First look at Fox's 2010 comedy pilots". Los Angeles Times. February 25, 2010. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  29. ^ Variety Staff (May 9, 2000). "Blockbuster Entertainment Award winners". Variety. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  30. ^ "Into The West - Western Heritage Award Winner - National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum". National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. February 24, 2024. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
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