Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American pop singer and actress. She grew up in Florida and came to fame as a teenager in the early 2000s, after the release of her teen-oriented pop albums "So Real", "I Wanna Be with You", "Mandy Moore", and "Coverage". Moore has branched out into a film career, starring in 2002's "A Walk to Remember" and later appearing in the lead roles of other movies also aimed at teenage audiences. Two of her later films, "American Dreamz" and "Saved!", were satires in which Moore portrayed darker characters than in her previous roles. Moore's private life, including her relationships with tennis player Andy Roddick and actors Wilmer Valderrama and Zach Braff, has been much discussed in the media.
Moore was born in Nashua, New Hampshire to Stacy (a former newspaper reporter) and Don Moore (a pilot for American Airlines). She has Irish and Cherokee heritage on her father's side; her maternal grandfather was Jewish, and her English maternal grandmother was a professional dancer at the theater district in the West End of London, as well as a Wren during World War II; the two met and eloped to the United States after Moore's maternal grandfather, an American soldier, was stationed in London during WWII. Moore has two brothers, Scott and Kyle; she grew up in Altamonte Springs, Florida, outside of Orlando, moving there shortly after her birth because of her father's job. She was raised in the Catholic religion (although she is no longer a practicing Catholic) and attended Bishop Moore High School, a Catholic school in Orlando.
Moore's interest in singing grew after seeing the musical Oklahoma!; she was also encouraged to perform by her maternal grandmother, who was her inspiration. Some of Moore's first public exposure occurred when she sang the national anthem at several Florida sporting events. She subsequently came to the attention of the head of A&R at Epic Records after his friend, a FedEx employee, overheard her as she sang at a recording studio. She was then signed to a record deal with the label. Wikipedia
