From Ballet to the Big Screen: The Amanda Schull’s Biography

 

Who is Amanda Schull?

Amanda Schull is an American actress and former professional ballet dancer. She is perhaps still most famous for her role as Jody Sawyer in the film “Center Stage” (2000), in which she showcased her dancing skills. Schull has also appeared in TV shows such as “One Tree Hill” (2009-2010) and “Suits” (2013-2019), in addition to many other notable projects on which she has worked in her career.

Amanda Schull Wiki: Age, Childhood, and Education

Amanda Schill was born on 26 August 1978, in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. She comes from a ballet-oriented family, with her mother being the president of Ballet Hawaii. She attended Punahou School and received ballet training at Hawaii State Ballet under John Landovsky. At the age of 17, Schull earned a ballet scholarship to Indiana University, where she also joined the Delta Delta Delta sorority. During her sophomore year, she attended the San Francisco Ballet School Summer Intensive.

Career Beginnings

Following a year-long scholarship, she became an apprentice and later joined the San Francisco Ballet as a full-time member of the corps de ballet. About this time, she also made her acting debut in the teen drama film “Center Stage”, directed by Nicholas Hytner, which follows a group of ballet students who enter the American Ballet Academy in New York City.

In April 2006, Amanda Schull made the decision to retire from the San Francisco Ballet, marking a significant transition in her career. After years of dedicated training and performing as a professional ballet dancer, Schull chose to step away from the demanding world of ballet. This decision allowed Schull to explore new opportunities and pursue an acting career.

Two years after retiring from ballet, Amanda had the opportunity to showcase her talent in the movie adaptation of Li Cunxin’s “Mao’s Last Dancer”, filmed in Australia. She portrayed Elizabeth “Liz” Mackey, co-starring alongside Chi Cao and Bruce Greenwood, in this inspiring true story of a Chinese ballet dancer who overcomes adversity to achieve greatness.

Continuing her acting career, Schull secured a guest star role on the Fox TV show “Lie to Me” in 2009, sharing the screen with actors Tim Roth and Kelli Williams in an episode that delves into the world of deception and micro-expressions, adding intrigue to the crime-solving narrative.

During the same year, Amanda took part in the Lifetime Movie “Sorority Wars”, starring alongside Lucy Hale and Courtney Thorne-Smith. The film explores the intense rivalry between two sororities on a college campus, with Schull’s character caught in the midst of the conflict.

Rise to Stardom

Amanda continued her acting career rather successfully into the late 2000s and the first half of the next decade. Before the 2000s ended, she guest-starred on The CW’s popular drama series “One Tree Hill”, portraying the characters Sara and Katie Ryan. Schull joined the ensemble cast that included Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty in a captivating storyline revolving around the lives, relationships, and dramas of a group of friends in the fictional town of Tree Hill.

During the same year, Amanda made guest appearances in the supernatural drama series “Ghost Whisperer” and the crime procedural show “Bones”.

From 2010 to 2013, Amanda took on the recurring role of Meredith in seven episodes of the ABC Family series “Pretty Little Liars”. Sharing the screen with Lucy Hale and Troian Bellisario, among others, the show follows a group of friends whose lives are disrupted by the mysterious disappearance of their leader and the secrets and lies that unfold in the aftermath.

During this time, she had a number of guest-starring appearances in such TV series as “Two and a Half Men”, “Castle”, “Grimm” and “The Mentalist”, among others.

Amanda Schull in “The Mentalist”.#AmandaSchull #SimonBaker #TheMentalist pic.twitter.com/ET9lEP6kvm

— Jeanette (@JasmineFrench0) February 22, 2019

Success with ‘Suits’

Amanda Schull portrayed Katrina Bennett in the hit legal drama series “Suits”, making her mark on the show and becoming an integral part of its storyline. Initially introduced as a junior associate at Pearson Hardman, Katrina evolves into a multifaceted character who contributes significantly to the firm’s operations.

Bennett’s journey in “Suits” is characterized by her ambition, intelligence, and determination to succeed in the competitive legal world. She is a highly skilled lawyer; she managed to make a mark on the firm and, over time, get a few of her own storylines. One particular arc involves her collaboration with Louis Litt, brilliantly portrayed by Rick Hoffman. Their partnership becomes pivotal to the firm’s survival during challenging times.

During the eighth season, Amanda Schull’s performance as Katrina Bennett earned her a promotion to a series regular. As the story progressed, she was named the partner in the agency that took the name Litt Wheeler Williams Bennett.

Other Projects and Further Success

Amanda next landed the role of Cassandra Railly in the television series “12 Monkeys”, a sci-fi drama based on the 1995 film of the same name. The show, which premiered in January 2015, follows the journey of time traveler James Cole (played by Aaron Stanford) as he attempts to prevent a deadly virus from wiping out humanity.

In 2016 she portrayed Abbie in the action thriller “I Am Wrath” alongside John Travolta, while in 2017, she featured in the sci-fi thriller film “Devil’s Gate”, portraying FBI Special Agent Daria Francis.

After a few years of appearing in minor guest roles in TV series such as “MacGyver” (2020) and “NCIS”, she joined the cast of the television series “9-1-1: Lone Star” (2023) in a recurring role as Rose Casey. Over the course of five episodes in the fourth season, Schull’s character becomes an important part of the series.

Moreover, Amanda starred in the television film “The Blessing Bracelet”, produced by Hallmark, in which she portrays Dawn Spencer, engaging in a heartwarming story centered around love, family, and the power of a cherished bracelet.

Net Worth

According to authoritative sources, Amanda Schull’s net worth is estimated at $2 million, as of mid-2023.

Personal Life, Marriage, Husband, Children

During the filming of “Mao’s Last Dancer” in Australia, Amanda Schull crossed paths with her future husband, George Wilson. Their connection blossomed on set, and the two married on 28 May 2011. Since then, the couple has welcomed a son they named George Paterson Wilson VI, born in 2020.

Appearance and Body Measurements

Amanda Schull has blonde hair and blue eyes. She stands at a height of 5ft 5ins (1.65m), weighs approximately 130lbs (60kgs), with vital statistics of 35-25-37, and bra size 40B.