Amanda Brugel

Pointe Claire resides in a uninhabited area of Montreal Island called West Island. The West Island can be confusing to those unfamiliar to its significance. It is often believed that it's an island located to the west of Montreal however the West Island encompasses everything between the two cities that are Lachine as well as West. It is often cited as the location of birth of Amanda Brugel but while that may be true, her time in the city was brief. Brugel lived in Courtice close to Oshawa in Ontario. She had a dream to become a dancer, but an increase in her height resulted in her outgrowing her dance partners. In an interview with the Toronto Star, she confessed that "In heels I am 6 feet and 1 inch." When I reached the height of all my male partners, I stopped. Many former dancers turn to acting, and in the case of Brugel, it was the nudge of a high school drama teacher that encouraged her to go in that direction. She was recommended by a teacher to find a role in the school's annual show. She auditioned and ended up playing the lead for the role in Anne of Green Gables. Following her award of the Fine Arts Talent Scholarship, she enrolled in York University and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 2000. Since then, Brugel's been in over 60 productions both big and small. Most notable was the time she was cast as Rita on The Handmaid's Tale. Brugel made an appearance on only a handful of moments in the very first season of the show The Handmaid's Tale. She was the only Canadian participant.