Amanda Laura Bynes was born on April 3, 1986 in Thousand Oaks, California. One could perhaps attribute her flair for comedy to her father, Rick, a dentist and comedy enthusiast who encouraged Amanda and her siblings to perform. As a young thespian, Bynes starred in community productions of plays like To Kill a Mockingbird, The Music Man and The Secret Garden, and became initiated into the art of getting laughs during classes at comedy "camps" like The Comedy Store and the Laugh Factory, both in Los Angeles. At the age of 10, she performed at a Laugh Factory kids' comedy showcase and was immediately approached by an executive from the Nickelodeon television network. And the laughs haven't stopped since. Nickelodeon cast Bynes in a sketch-comedy series called All That, where she frequently stole the show from her fellow cast members. She became well known for her spirited role in "Ask Ashley," a sketch about an advice columnist. Audiences began to remark -- as they still do today -- that she has a knack for comic timing, in the vein of female comedic greats like Lucille Ball and Tracey Ullman. After four great years on the program -- during which time she won no less than four Kids' Choice awards -- she was awarded her own show, appropriately titled The Amanda Show. Essentially, it was All That, with all Amanda. For three seasons it was the highest-rated live-action show on Nickelodeon. As with many young stars, Bynes' career has benefited from the influence of a mentor. Dan Schneider was the creator of both of her hit Nickelodeon shows, so it follows that he was the impetus and screenwriter behind Big Fat Liar, her 2002 film debut. Although Frankie Munizfrom TV's Malcolm in the Middle was the movie's star attraction, audiences agree that Amanda's character was the funnier one, thanks to her physical comedy and hilarious impersonations. Meanwhile, she was moving into the spotlight on her own. In 2002, the WB network began airing the sitcom What I Like About You, which had been in the works for some time as a vehicle for Amanda. She stars as a teenage girl who moves in with her older sister in New York City and naturally, turns her sister's world upside down. In 2003, Amanda could be seen in her first leading role (in only her second film), in What a Girl Wants, about an American teen in search of her father in London, England.