Amanda Brugel

Pointe Claire in Montreal's West Island is a tiny sleepy town. People unfamiliar with the term tend to think it's a separate island somewhere in the west of Montreal however, this part of West Island is home to everything from Lachine west to the City of Lachine west. Amanda Brugel grew up on the West Island, and it is often known as the place where she was born. But she only resided there for a very short time. Brugel was raised in Courtice near Oshawa in Ontario. She was determined to be professional, however due to an explosive growth spurt she outgrew the dance partners she had. In an interview with the Toronto Star, she confessed that "In heels I am 6 feet, 1 inch." When I grew out of my male partners, I quit. Brugel was one of many former dancers who shifted into acting. The teacher she had at high school was what pushed her to take the next step. It was the teacher who recommended she pursue a role for the annual school production. She auditioned and was cast as Anne of Green Gables. When she was awarded the Fine Arts Talent Scholarship, she attended York University and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the year 2000. Since then, she's appeared in over 60 productions both big and small. One of the most memorable was when she landed the role of Rita in The Handmaid's Tale. Brugel was the character Rita in The Handmaid's Tale the series filming over 10 years ago.