Amanda Peterson Biography, Net Worth, Family, Death

Quick Facts

Amanda Peterson was a high profile actress in the 1900s popularly known for her role as Cindy Mancini in the 1987 comedy film Can’t Buy Me Love. Her love for acting came at a very tender age, with her featuring on several TV commercials and stage plays before shifting focus to the big screen at age 10. She went on to become a teen icon, serving as a major source of inspiration for young people at a time when there were very few influential young people on the entertainment scene.

Amanda Peterson Biography

Phyllis Amanda Peterson was born on July 8, 1971, in the home rule municipality of Greeley, Colorado, the U.S. As a kid, she exhibited great talent at acting with her going on to make her stage debut at the tender age of seven in the University of Northern Colorado’s version of The Sound of Music. The following year, she made her cinematic appearance in the film Annie as a dancing extra. Following the success recorded by Annie, she went on to make several guest appearances on popular American sitcoms like Father Murphy (1981) and Silver Spoon (1982).

In 1985, Peterson bagged her first major role in the science fiction movie, Explorers, in which she played the character of Lori Swenson. Despite the poor performance of the movie in the box office, it brought Amanda a little bit of recognition, which eventually led to her casting as Susan Sisk in the 1986 miniseries A Year In The Life. It won her the prestigious award of Best Young Actress In a Television Drama Series at the Young Artist Award.

The year 1986 was a very significant year in the acting career of Amanda Peterson, as she earned her big break in the Steven Rash directed teen romantic comedy film, Can’t Buy Me Love. Of course, the movie was well received; it racked a total $31.6 million in the box office, earning her the status of a Teen Idol. That year also marked the undoing of Amanda Peterson, as she was reportedly raped in Hollywood by a man 27 years older than her. Although she refused to press charges, it left her traumatized for life.

After taking some time off acting, she returned in 1988 and bagged major roles in movies like Lawless Land and Listen to me, before returning to Greeley where she completed her high school education. Following her graduation, the actress enrolled at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, but dropped out after a year so as to star in the 1994 fantasy movie Wind Runner, before deciding to retire from acting as it was no longer fun for her.

Net Worth

Any information regarding Amanda Peterson’s net worth should be treated with dire scrutiny as it’s most likely a product of assumption than facts. That being said, in 2012, her net worth was pegged at an estimated $50 thousand. While the figure seems to be ridiculous, it might not be far from the truth given that she did quit acting in 1994, a time when actors started getting paid in high figures. After her retirement, several cases with the law claimed a huge chunk of her fortune.

Her Family

Amanda Peterson hailed from a small family of five. She was the youngest of her parent’s three children. Her parents are James Peterson (father) and Sylvia Peterson (mother) and her siblings’ names are Annie Marie and James Jim Jr. Her dad was a leading otolaryngologist and by virtue of that, her and her siblings were raised in the best of conditions in Greeley, Colorado.

Even as it is hard for most people to tell exactly when they became life partners, it is believed that the actress was once married to a man named Joseph Robert Skutvik and that the union collapsed in 1999.

Amanda Peterson’s Death

After quitting acting in 1994, Amanda Peterson was still a regular on the news as a result of her constant involvement in drugs and assault cases. But after seeking rehabilitation, she was able to get her act together and became truly religious which made her go really low key. On the 3rd of July in 2015, she resurfaced on the news once again, this time not for assault or drug involvement but for being dead. At the event of her death, there were several stories and rumors on gossip blogs labeling her death which occurred in the early hours of the aforementioned date to be a result of drug overdose.

In an interview, her mother expressed her disgust on such reports, tagging them as false and shameful. She went on to reveal that although Amanda had stopped dealing and using drugs, she did die of an accidental drug overdose. The woman further revealed that autopsy reports showed large quantities of prescribed drugs which eventually led to outright respiratory failure, thereby leading to her death.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.