Becki Newton
Encyclopedia
Rebecca Sara "Becki" Newton (born July 4, 1978) is an American
actress known for her role as Amanda Tanen
on the television series Ugly Betty
.
(present-day Bishkek
, Kyrgyzstan
), while her parents were working for an American company in the Soviet Union; Becki Newton was raised in Guilford, Connecticut
, after her parents relocated from a turbulent Kirghiz SSR soon after her birth. She is of English
descent and began performing musicals and plays at local theaters, and studied at the University of Pennsylvania
, where she graduated with a BA
in European History. At Penn, Newton was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega
sorority. She then moved to New York City
and landed several roles in television commercials for such companies as the Olive Garden
.
series Ugly Betty
from 2006 to 2010. With co-star Michael Urie
, Newton co-hosted the Official Ugly Betty Podcast. She also appeared in ABC.com's Mode After Hours webisode series. Ugly Betty was canceled in 2010 after four successful seasons allowing the show to receive a proper series finale.
In late 2009, Newton performed at a New York City Center
Encores!
presentation of the Gershwin musical Girl Crazy
, which was directed by Jerry Zaks
. She portrayed Molly Gray and performed opposite real-life husband Chris Diamantopoulos
.
Newton starred in the television series Love Bites
. The hour-long romantic comedy was created by executive producer Cindy Chupack
, who worked on Sex and the City
. NBC
announced the pick up of the series in May 2010. However, with Newton announcing her pregnancy, co-star Jordana Spiro
contractually obligated to stay with her other show My Boys (which was later cancelled) and Chupack's desire to leave the show, Love Bites was pushed back to midseason. Love Bites aired on summer 2011 on NBC and it was cancelled after eight episodes.In November 2011, Newton was cast as Quinn on CBS
's How I Met Your Mother
. She will be playing a new love interest for Neil Patrick Harris
's character Barney Stinson
.
, in a subway station in New York. It was announced on July 1, 2010 that Newton and Diamantopolous were expecting their first child. She gave birth to a son in early Nov 2010.
Her older brother, Matt Newton
is also an actor. He guest starred as the boyfriend of Ugly Betty character Marc St. James. Her mother, Jennifer, is an award-winning artist, and her aunt, Stephanie Chase
is a classical violin
ist.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress known for her role as Amanda Tanen
Amanda Tanen
Amanda Tanen Sommers is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Becki Newton. Amanda's character is a combination of Patricia Fernandez and Marcela Valencia, but her appearance is similar to Marcia Villarroel from the Columbian adaptation...
on the television series Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
.
Early life
Born in Frunze, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(present-day Bishkek
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
, Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
), while her parents were working for an American company in the Soviet Union; Becki Newton was raised in Guilford, Connecticut
Guilford, Connecticut
Guilford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, that borders Madison, Branford, North Branford and Durham, and is situated on I-95 and the coast. The population was 21,398 at the 2000 census...
, after her parents relocated from a turbulent Kirghiz SSR soon after her birth. She is of English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
descent and began performing musicals and plays at local theaters, and studied at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, where she graduated with a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in European History. At Penn, Newton was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members...
sorority. She then moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and landed several roles in television commercials for such companies as the Olive Garden
Olive Garden
Olive Garden is an American restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, near Orlando. Olive Garden operates more than 730 locations globally.- History :The...
.
Career
Newton portrayed the character Amanda Tanen in the comedy-dramaComedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
series Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
from 2006 to 2010. With co-star Michael Urie
Michael Urie
Michael Lorenzo Urie is an American actor, television producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Marc St. James on the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty.-Personal life:...
, Newton co-hosted the Official Ugly Betty Podcast. She also appeared in ABC.com's Mode After Hours webisode series. Ugly Betty was canceled in 2010 after four successful seasons allowing the show to receive a proper series finale.
In late 2009, Newton performed at a New York City Center
New York City Center
New York City Center is a 2,750-seat Moorish Revival theater located at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan, New York City. It is one block south of Carnegie Hall...
Encores!
Encores!
Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert is a program that has been presented by New York City Center since 1994. Encores! is dedicated to performing the full score of musicals that rarely are heard in New York City...
presentation of the Gershwin musical Girl Crazy
Girl Crazy
Girl Crazy is a 1930 musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in this musical production....
, which was directed by Jerry Zaks
Jerry Zaks
Jerry Zaks is a German-born American stage and television director, and actor. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play and Drama Desk Award for directing The House of Blue Leaves, Lend Me A Tenor, and Six Degrees of Separation and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical and Drama...
. She portrayed Molly Gray and performed opposite real-life husband Chris Diamantopoulos
Chris Diamantopoulos
-Early Life:Diamantopoulos was born in Toronto, Canada and he attended East York Collegiate Institute. He is of Greek descent.-Career:He portrayed Robin Williams in Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Mork & Mindy', a television movie about the behind-the-scenes drama during the making of...
.
Newton starred in the television series Love Bites
Love Bites (TV series)
-Episodes:-Development:In January 2010, NBC announced Love Bites as one of many pilots on its early development slate. Becki Newton was cast in late February, followed quickly by Jordana Spiro. Marc Buckland was confirmed to be directing the pilot in early March. In May 2010, NBC announced it had...
. The hour-long romantic comedy was created by executive producer Cindy Chupack
Cindy Chupack
Cindy Chupack is a screenwriter and executive producer who worked on Sex and the City. Four episodes she produced were nominated for WGA and Emmy awards....
, who worked on Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
. NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
announced the pick up of the series in May 2010. However, with Newton announcing her pregnancy, co-star Jordana Spiro
Jordana Spiro
Jordana Ariel Spiro is an American film and television actress, known for starring in the TBS comedy series My Boys as P.J. Franklin.-Life and career:...
contractually obligated to stay with her other show My Boys (which was later cancelled) and Chupack's desire to leave the show, Love Bites was pushed back to midseason. Love Bites aired on summer 2011 on NBC and it was cancelled after eight episodes.In November 2011, Newton was cast as Quinn on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
. She will be playing a new love interest for Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
's character Barney Stinson
Barney Stinson
Barnabas "Barney" Stinson is a fictional character created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas for the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris. The character has been extremely well received by critics and has been credited for much of the show's success...
.
Personal life
Newton met her husband, Chris DiamantopoulosChris Diamantopoulos
-Early Life:Diamantopoulos was born in Toronto, Canada and he attended East York Collegiate Institute. He is of Greek descent.-Career:He portrayed Robin Williams in Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Mork & Mindy', a television movie about the behind-the-scenes drama during the making of...
, in a subway station in New York. It was announced on July 1, 2010 that Newton and Diamantopolous were expecting their first child. She gave birth to a son in early Nov 2010.
Her older brother, Matt Newton
Matt Newton
Matthew Collins "Matt" Newton is an American actor.-Early life:Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Matt Newton was raised in Guilford, Connecticut. He is of English descent and began performing musicals and plays at local theaters while in high school...
is also an actor. He guest starred as the boyfriend of Ugly Betty character Marc St. James. Her mother, Jennifer, is an award-winning artist, and her aunt, Stephanie Chase
Stephanie Chase
"One of the most respected classical violinists in the world," Stephanie Chase is an American concert violinist and educator.- Biography :...
is a classical violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | P.S. P.S. p.s. is a 2004 drama film directed by Dylan Kidd. The screenplay by Kidd and Helen Schulman is based on Schulman's 2001 novel P.S. I Love You So Damn Much. The film stars Laura Linney and Topher Grace.-Plot synopsis:... |
Rebecca | |
| 2007 | August Rush August Rush August Rush is a 2007 drama film directed by Kirsten Sheridan and written by Paul Castro, Nick Castle, and James V. Hart, and produced by Richard Barton Lewis.-Plot:... |
Jennifer | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2003 | Cold Case | Young Melanie | Episode: "Look Again" |
| 2003–2004 | Guiding Light Guiding Light Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009... |
Fantasy Daughter | |
| 2004 | The Men's Room | Lily | Episodes: "Twenty-Two, Thirty-Two, Forty-Two", "Sports" |
| The Dave Sheridan Show | Erin | ||
| American Dreams American Dreams American Dreams is an American television comedy-drama program broadcast on the NBC television network, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios... |
Mindy | Episodes: "Question Authority", "Long Shots and Short Skirts", & "Leaders of the Pack" | |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... |
Colleen Heaton | Episode: "Weak Weak (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) "Weak" is an Emmy Award-winning episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. It originally aired on November 30, 2004. B. D. Wong does not appear in this episode.-Episode recap:... " |
|
| Burly TV | Host | TV Series | |
| 2005 | Charmed Charmed Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M... |
"Glamoured Shapeshifting Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games... " Piper Halliwell Piper Halliwell Piper Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Piper is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs throughout the... |
Episode: "Something Wicca This Way Goes" |
| 2006–2010 | Ugly Betty Ugly Betty Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea... |
Amanda Tanen Amanda Tanen Amanda Tanen Sommers is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Becki Newton. Amanda's character is a combination of Patricia Fernandez and Marcela Valencia, but her appearance is similar to Marcia Villarroel from the Columbian adaptation... /Ruthie |
Lead Role: 85 episodes/Guest star |
| 2007 | American Dad! American Dad! American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television... |
Voice, 2 episodes: "When a Stan Loves a Woman" (2.16); "I Can't Stan You" (2.17) | |
| 2011 | Love Bites Love Bites (TV series) -Episodes:-Development:In January 2010, NBC announced Love Bites as one of many pilots on its early development slate. Becki Newton was cast in late February, followed quickly by Jordana Spiro. Marc Buckland was confirmed to be directing the pilot in early March. In May 2010, NBC announced it had... |
Annie | |
| 2011 | Untitled Jeff Filgo Pilot | Eileen | CBS Pilot |