Amy Smart

Amy Lysle Smart (born March 26, 1976) is an American actress and former fashion model.

Early life

Smart was born in Topanga, California, the daughter of Judy, a museum worker, and John Smart, a salesman.Inspired by her friend Vinessa Shaw, Smart studied ballet for ten years and enrolled in acting classes when she was sixteen, but began her career as a fashion model, working in Italy, France, Mexico, and Tahiti (Awards-winning spots for Club Med directed by Bruno Aveillan).

Career

Smart's first film role was in director Martin Kunert's film Campfire Tales, followed by a small role as Queenie in the 1996 rendition of John Updike's short story, "A&P". She had a minor role in the 1997 film Starship Troopers as the co-pilot for (and friend of) Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards). She had a starring role in the mini-series titled The 70s, playing a young woman from Ohio. In 1999, Smart played the girlfriend of a popular football player (played by James Van Der Beek) in the film Varsity Blues. Also, Smart appeared in the series Felicity, as a girlfriend of Scott Foley's character. She subsequently appeared in a number of films catering to a teenage audience, many of which were successful, including Road Trip (2000) and The Butterfly Effect (2004). In 2002, she was ranked #27 in Stuff magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" and in 2004, she was nominated for "Best Kiss" at the MTV Movie Awards for her role in Starsky & Hutch. She's been paired twice as a couple with Breckin Meyer in films Road Trip and Rat Race.

In 2005, Smart co-starred with Ryan Reynolds in the romantic comedy film Just Friends, which had a total domestic box office gross of $32,619,761 and a total worldwide box office of $50,817,598. Smart also had a small role in the American sitcom Scrubs, playing Jamie Moyer, one of main character J.D.'s love interests. On September 1, 2006, Crank was released, in which she plays the girlfriend of the lead character, Chev (played by Jason Statham). The sequel to Crank, Crank 2: High Voltage is awaiting release and Amy Smart again stars as Jason Stathams girfriend, who is a pole dancer. Smart has confirmed there will be more sex scenes and violence within the R rating.

Smart was a regular cast member in the short-lived 2006 CBS television series Smith. She also has voiced some of the characters in the animated series Robot Chicken, created by Seth Green. Smart appeared as Joy in the 2006 movie Peaceful Warrior, starring Scott Mechlowicz and Nick Nolte. She is currently filming a pilot for a TV show tentatively titled See Cate Run in which she plays a young prosecutor destined to become the nations first female president.

Personal life

Smart was a speaker for the Heal the Bay organization; she has also worked with the Humane Society and the "Environmental Media Association", and was named one of Organic Style magazine's "Women with Organic Style" of 2004.

Smart is dating actor Branden Williams, with whom she has been with for more than 13 years. Her former roommate and best friend Ali Larter appeared alongside Smart in the film Varsity Blues and modeled with her in Milan. Smart is also friends with author and animal communicator Amelia Kinkade, and was acknowledged in Kinkade's second book, The Language of Miracles. She is a former vegetarian.