Amanda Peet (born January 11, 1972) is an American actress. Biography Early life Peet was born in New York City to Charles Peet (a lawyer) and Larie (a social worker). Her father was a Quaker and her mother was Jewish. Amanda attended Friends Seminary with Liev Schreiber, then studied history at Columbia University, where she auditioned for acting teacher Uta Hagen. During her four-year period of study with Hagen, Peet appeared in the off-Broadway revival of Clifford Odets's Awake and Sing. Career Peet's first screen performance was a television commercial for Skittles.