Rachael Leigh Cook

Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
Born (1979-10-04) October 4, 1979
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Other names Rachel Leigh Cook
Education Minneapolis South High School
Occupation Actress , Model
Years active 1995–present
Spouse(s)
Daniel Gillies (m. 2004)
Children 2

Rachael Leigh Cook (born October 4, 1979) is an American actress, model, voice artist, and producer, who is best known for her starring role in films She's All That (1999), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), and the television series Into the West and Perception, as well as being 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.

Early life

Cook was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of JoAnn, a cooking instructor and weaver, and Thomas H. Cook, a social worker and former stand-up comedian.[1] She is of part 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, most notably in 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.

Career

Acting and modeling

Cook began auditioning for acting work at the age of 14.[1] She made her debut as an actress in the 1995 film The Baby-Sitters Club. 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 her breakout role in the sleeper hit film She's All That, a romantic comedy that so far is 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.

In 2000, she was the cover girl for the US issue of FHM, the March/April issue. She also starred in the music video for New Found Glory's 2000 single "Dressed to Kill" and singer Daniel Powter's "Love You Lately". 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 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 in an episode of the USA Network series Psych as Abigail Lytar. 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.[2] She had a role in the Western horror film Vampire, the English-language feature debut of Japanese director Iwai Shunji.[3] 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.[4][5][6][4]

Cook starred in the Hallmark Channel original film Summer Love in 2016[7]. In the same year, she starred in another Hallmark film, Autumn In the Vineyard, followed by its sequel Summer in the Vineyard in 2017.[8]. 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.[9][10]

Cook owns her own production company, Ben's Sister Productions (in reference to her younger brother Ben Cook, an aspiring filmmaker).

Voice roles

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 CG movie 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.

Public service

Cook first gained national attention in 1997, when she was featured in the famous This Is Your Brain on Drugs PSA television advertisement, in which she proceeds to destroy a kitchen with a frying pan as she lists the important things in life that heroin harms.

In 2011, she was selected by the Obama administration as a Champion of Change for Arts Education.[11]

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.[1]

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.[12]

Personal life

Cook married actor Daniel Gillies in August 2004,[13] whom she dated since 2001.[14] They have two children: daughter Charlotte Easton Gillies (born September 2013)[15][16] and son Theodore Vigo Sullivan Gillies (born April 2015).[17]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1995 The Baby-Sitters Club Mary Anne Spier
1995 Tom and Huck Becky Thatcher
1996 26 Summer Street The Girl Short film
1996 Carpool Kayla
1997 The House of Yes Young 'Jackie-O'
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-DVD
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-DVD
2005 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Tifa Lockhart (voice)
2006 My First Wedding Vanessa Direct-to-VOD
2007 Descent Allison Direct-to-VOD
2007 All Hat Chrissie Nugent Direct-to-VOD
2007 Nancy Drew Jane Brighton
2007 Matters of Life and Death Emily Jennings Short film
2007 The Final Season Polly Hudson Direct-to-VOD
2007 Blonde Ambition Haley Direct-to-VOD
2008 Fairy Tale Police Officer Duffy Short film
2009 The Lodger Amanda Manning Direct-to-VOD
2009 Bob Funk Ms. Thorne Direct-to-DVD
2009 Falling Up Caitlin O'Shea Direct-to-DVD
2011 Vampire Laura King Direct-to-VOD
2011 The Family Tree Rachel Levy Direct-to-VOD
2012 Broken Kingdom Marilyn Direct-to-DVD
2012 First Kiss Samantha Short film
2014 Red Sky Karen Brooks Direct-to-DVD
2017 A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia [18][19]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Country Justice Emma Baker Television film
1997 True Women Young Georgia Lawshe Miniseries
1997 The Defenders: Payback Tracey Lane Television film
1998 The Outer Limits Cassie Boussard Episode: "Glyphic"
1999 Dawson's Creek Devon 3 episodes
2000 Batman Beyond Chelsea Cunningham (voice) 2 episodes
2004 Fearless Gaia Moore Pilot
2005 Into the West Clara Wheeler Miniseries
2005 Las Vegas Penny Posin Recurring role
2006–2018 Robot Chicken Various (voices) Recurring role
2008 Ghost Whisperer Grace Adams Episode: "Big Chills"
2008–2010 Psych Abigail Lytar Recurring role
2009 Titan Maximum Lt. Jodi Yanarella (voice) Main role
2010 Nevermind Nirvana Elizabeth Television film
2011 Stealing Paradise Amanda Collier Television film
2012 Left to Die Tammi Chase Television film
2012–2015 Perception Kate Moretti Main role
2013 Team Unicorn Rachael Leigh Cook Episode: "The UniCorps Wants You!"
2014 A Christmas Tail N/A Television film
2016 Summer Love Maya Sulliway Television film
2016 Autumn in the Vineyard Frankie Baldwin Television film
2017 Summer in the Vineyard Television film
2018 Frozen in Love Mary Campbell Television film

Music videos

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

Video games

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

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
1997YoungStar AwardBest Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy FilmTom and HuckNominated
1999YoungStar AwardsShe's All ThatWon
MTV Movie AwardsBest Breakthrough Female PerformanceNominated
Best On-Screen Duo (Shared with: Freddie Prinze Jr.)
Teen Choice AwardsFilm - Sexiest Love Scene (Shared with: Freddie Prinze Jr.)Won
TV - Breakout PerformanceDawson's CreekNominated
2000Santa Monica Film FestivalBest ActressThe Hi-LineWon
Kids' Choice AwardsFavorite Movie Couple (Shared with: Freddie Prinze Jr.)She's All That
Blockbuster Entertainment AwardsFavorite Actress - Newcomer (Internet Only)
New York International Independent Film & Video FestivalBest ActressSally
2001Young Hollywood AwardsSuperstar of Tomorrow - Female
Teen Choice AwardsFilm - Choice ActressJosie and the PussycatsNominated
2006Western Heritage AwardsTelevision Feature Film (Shared with cast)Into the WestWon

References

  1. 1 2 3 Stanton, Barry W. (March 2, 2016). "What Happened To Rachael Leigh Cook". The Gazette Review. News & Updates. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
  2. ↑ "Rachael Leigh Cook Lands Lead in Fox's Nirvana". TVGuide.com.
  3. ↑ "Western Actors to Meet Eastern Filmmaking Sensibilities in Vampire". Dread Central.
  4. 1 2 "First Kiss with Rachael Leigh Cook & Chad Michael Murray". funnyordie.com. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "The longest kiss! Chad Michael Murray and Rachael Leigh Cook get married and have children during marathon smooch session". dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  6. ↑ Funny Or Die (26 September 2012). "First Kiss with Rachael Leigh Cook & Chad Michael Murray". Retrieved 13 August 2017 – via YouTube.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ NBC New York (August 10, 2017). "Rachael Leigh Cook on "Summer in the Vineyard"". "NBC". Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Heart of the Mountain & Frozen in Love from Hallamrk's Winterfest start filming". "What's Filming?". November 21, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  10. ↑ Hill, Ruth (November 6, 2017). "Interview with Rick Garman". "My Devotional Thoughts". Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Champions of Change: Arts Education". WhiteHouse.gov. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
  12. ↑ "Watch Rachael Leigh Cook Remake 'Brain on Drugs' Ad for 4/20".
  13. ↑ "Baby on the Way for Rachael Leigh Cook and Daniel Gillies". People. May 8, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Rachael Leigh Cook: I'm Happy We Waited to Have a Baby". People. June 25, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  15. ↑ Webber, Stephanie (September 29, 2013). "Rachael Leigh Cook, Husband Daniel Gillies Welcome Baby Girl". Us Weekly. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  16. ↑ Chen, Joyce (October 4, 2013). "Rachael Leigh Cook Reveals Baby Name: Charlotte Easton Gillies!". Us Weekly. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  17. ↑ Toomey, Alyssa (April 8, 2015). "Rachael Leigh Cook Gives Birth to Her Second Child With Husband Daniel Gillies: Find Out His Name!". E! News. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  18. ↑ "'Midsummer Night's Dream' Movie Stars Rachael Leigh Cook, Paz De La Huerta". Variety. 23 April 2016.
  19. ↑ "'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Film Review". Hollywood Reporter. 17 June 2017.
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