Amanda Brugel

Pointe Claire, a quiet neighborhood located in The West Island of Montreal is what you might call a "sleepy" area. People unfamiliar with the term frequently think that there is a separate island to the west of Montreal but in fact this part of West Island is home to everything from Lachine west to the city of Lachine west. The West Island is frequently referred to as the location of birth of Amanda Brugel but while that is the case, her time there was short. Brugel lived in Courtice, just outside of Oshawa. The first goal she had was to dance but an increase in her height resulted in her outgrowing the dancers she was with. According to an article by Toronto Star, she revealed her height in heels as six feet and one inches tall. After I outgrew the male dancers, I decided to quit. Numerous former dancers choose to become actors. In Brugel's case it was because of the advice from her drama teacher in high school who pushed her in the direction she needed. One of her teachers suggested she try out for a school play. She was the teacher who suggested that she take on a part in the school's annual show. It led to her receiving a Fine Arts Talent Scholarship from York University. In 2000, she received her Master of Fine Arts at York University. Her career spans 20 years and she has performed in more than 60 shows including big screen productions and on smaller ones. Her most recognizable role was as Rita (pictured beneath) in the television show The Handmaid's Tale. Brugel was the sole Canadian part of the cast in the season 1 of the series, and only appeared on occasion.