Amanda Brugel

Pointe Claire in Montreal's West Island is a small, sleepy town. It is a part of the island that has been called "the West Island." West Island has a lot of communities. People who have never been aware of it frequently mistake it for a separate, west-facing island. Many times, it is credited as the location of birth of Amanda Brugel but while that is the case, her time in the city was brief. Brugel developed on Courtice just outside Oshawa located in Ontario. In her early years she hoped to become professional performer, however an unexpected increase in her height made it difficult. In an article in The Toronto Star she admitted In heels I'm 6 feet 1 inch. When I outgrew my male partners I stopped. A lot of former dancers go on to act. In Brugel's case it was the guidance from her drama teacher at her high school which pushed her in the direction she wanted. The teacher who suggested she take on a part in the school's annual production. She auditioned and was cast as Anne of Green Gables. This led to her being awarded the Fine Arts Talent Scholarship from York University. In 2000 she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts at York University. Since then, Brugel's been performing in over 60 plays, large and small. One of the most memorable was when she landed the role of Rita in The Handmaid's Tale. Brugel was the sole Canadian actor for the season 1 of the series and only seen occasionally.