Amanda Brugel

Pointe Claire, a quiet area in the West Island of Montreal is something you could call a "sleepy" area. It is the West Island, to those not familiar with it, is a large part that stretches from Lachine to the west. Amanda Brugel is said to be born on the West Island. However, it's not the case. Brugel lived in Courtice near Oshawa, Ontario. She was determined to be a professional dancer, but because of a huge increase in her height, she outgrew every dance partner she met. In a recent interview with the Toronto Star, she confessed that "In heels I'm 6 feet, 1 inch." After I outgrew the male counterparts, I gave up. Some former dancers switch to acting, and in Brugel's situation, it was the nudge of a high school drama teacher that led her in the right direction. It was the teacher who recommended she go after a role in the school's annual production. She was the teacher who suggested that she pursue a part the school's annual production. When she was awarded the Fine Arts Talent Scholarship, she enrolled in York University and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 2000. Over the last 20 years, Brugel's work been seen on both the small and big screen. She gained the most attention when she won her character of Rita in the award-winning television series The Handmaid's Tale. Brugel was the sole Canadian actor for the season 1 of the show and was only seen occasionally.