My Babes List (#29)

#29 Rachael Leigh Cook

Rachael Leigh Cook (born on October 4, 1979) is an American actress.

Early life

Cook was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Thomas H. Cook (a social worker and former stand-up comic) and JoAnne (an Italian American cooking instructor and weaver). She began working as a print model at the age of 10, most notably in nationwide advertisements for Target and appearing on the boxes of Milk-Bone dog biscuits for medium sized dogs.

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Career

At 14, Cook began auditioning for acting work. Her modeling agency sent her to read for a short film, 26 Summer Street (1996). She first gained national attention when she was featured in a memorable This is Your Brain on Drugs public-service television advertisement. Consequently, Cook began her feature film career, debuting in The Baby-Sitters Club (1995).

Cook's two highest-profile lead roles to date have been in the films She's All That (1999) and Josie and the Pussycats (2001). Cook has also appeared in a number of independent films and in the 2005 television miniseries Into the West. In 2002, she was ranked #26 in Stuff Magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World".

She owns her own production company, called Ben's Sister Productions (in reference to her younger brother, an aspiring filmmaker).

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Personal life

Cook has dated actors Vincent Kartheiser, Ryan Reynolds, Shane West and Rider Strong. She married Canadian actor Daniel Gillies in August 2004, after their engagement in December 2003.

Cook, a vegeterian, lives mostly in Los Angeles, but frequently goes back to visit her family in Minnesota.

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Selected filmography

Year	Title	Role	Other notes
2004	Stateside	Dori Lawrence
2001	Texas Rangers	Caroline Dukes
2001	Josie and the Pussycats	Josie McCoy
2001	Blow Dry	Christina Robertson
2001	AntiTrust	Lisa Calighan
1999	She's All That	Laney Boggs
1998	Strike!	Abigail 'Abby' Sawyer
1996	Carpool	Kayla
1995	The Baby-Sitters Club	Mary Anne Spier

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External links

• Cook interview, 2005, JAM Movies
• Cook interview, 2000, Mr. Showbiz
• Collection of Cook interviews
• Rachael Leigh Cook at the Internet Movie Database