Amanda Brugel

(February 27th, 2010 - Toronto ON) Pointe Claire is a sleepy community on that part of the island of Montreal known as the West Island. People unfamiliar with the term often think that it's a separate island somewhere west of Montreal However, in reality the West Island is home to everything from the city of Lachine west. Amanda Brugel's birthplace has been frequently cited, however her short time in the city was not. Brugel was an aspiring young lady within Courtice Ontario, outside Oshawa. Early ambitions were to become a dancer. But, a growing increase caused her to surpass all of the dance partners she had. In an interview with the Toronto Star, she confessed that "In heels I am 6 feet 1 inches." After I outgrew the male partners, I quit. A lot of dancers go from dancing to acting. In the case of Bruce, it was her drama teacher who encouraged her to go in this direction. The teacher encouraged her to try out for roles in her school's production. She auditioned and was cast as Anne of Green Gables. She was awarded an Fine Arts Talent Scholarship to attend York University's Theatre Program and graduated from the program in 2000, earning a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. Brugel's career spans over 20 years and she has performed in more than 60 shows, both on big screens and smaller ones. Her most recognizable role was as Rita (pictured in the below photo) in the television show The Handmaid's Tale. Brugel was the sole Canadian part of the cast during the season 1 of the series and not seen much.