Where are They Now? Part 2

During my childhood rarely could I turn on the television without seeing the face of this next actress. She was a Nickelodeon product through and through and may still be suffering the effects of that today.
23 year old Amanda Bynes has had her own TV show and clothing line, starred in movies, and has even lent her voice to a track or two on a top-selling soundtrack (Hairspray). But since the mega-musical hit came to theaters last summer Bynes has been a relative no-show in the industry.
In the early 2000s the star pigeonholed herself with a myriad of teen-centered films. What a Girl Wants, She's the Man, and Sydney White weren't exactly block-busters but they did keep Bynes a household name (especially because her co-stars included the likes of Channing Tatum!).
The real question...what is Bynes doing now? The answer: She's currently filming a TV pilot for ABC. That's right Bynes has progressed from Nickelodeon to the WB to finally landing a gig on one of the big four. Canned is supposedly about a group of friends who find themselves unemployed during these rough economic times and must discover what they truly want to do with their lives. According the internet reports the show hasn't officially been picked up yet, just ordered so it remains to be seen whether or not we'll actually SEE Bynes in that role.

More proof good parenting key to starlets success?

According to Amanda Bynes, in an Access Hollywood interview, good parenting is one of the key reasons she has yet to follow in the footsteps of the Lindsay Lohans of the world...and doesn't intend to.
Bynes said that her parents were strict growing up...and that helped keep her out of trouble. She said she'd love to see what would happen if Lindsay tried living under her roof for a while.
I admit I haven't always been a huge Amanda fan (can you blame me? Her big gig growing up was the Amada show!). But, in recent roles, I've had to admit she has talent...and she has her head on straight...an admirable quality. Bynes skills transcend to fashion where she has a new line featured at Steve and Barrys---and all her goods are under 20 bucks (a college kids dream right?).
With the recent success of Hairspray I hope Bynes can find a solid niche in the acting world and get some of the more mature Hollywood roles out there. By the looks of it her next role will be similar to those of her past (She's the Man, What a Girl Wants, etc.) It's called Sydney White...and it's supposed to be Snow White meets the Greek system. Why do I have a feeling it won't be winning any awards? Then again...neither did Hilary Duff's A Cinderella Story and that racked it in at the box office. We'll just have to see.
Speaking of Ms. Duff...she is on the cover of Seventeen this month...and the article is worth a read. Duff has had a tougher year than most (even I felt bad for her---the cynic that I am) and much of it has flown under the radar in the midst of the Lindsay-Paris-Nicole hooplah. This girl deserves some props for not falling off the deepend. I won't spoil it with the details.
Now for my quick rant of the day...why is Hayden Panettierre getting all sorts of attention lately? Granted Heroes was awesome...but it is on vacation right now and in the mean time I haven't heard hyde nor hair of another Hayden project worthy of note. It seems like every gossip source still has her picture plastered on its site though. OMG! on Yahoo! had pictures of Hayden walking down the beach, then at a restaurant with boyfriend Stephen Colletti. I couldn't figure out what the big deal was. When she does a successful film (sorry but her role in Remember the Titans wasn't big enough to count) then I'll be cool with all the publicity. So far I like Hayden...I just hope all the publicity doesn't go to her head and turn her into a Lindsay (the two were reportedly friends for a while).
Well there you have it folks. Let me know what you think. Shoot those emails my way via wolv.ebuzz@umich.edu.