Amanda Tanen
Encyclopedia
Amanda Tanen Sommers is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

 in the American dramedy 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...

. She is played by Becki Newton
Becki Newton
Rebecca Sara "Becki" Newton is an American actress known for her role as Amanda Tanen on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...

. Amanda's character is a combination of Patricia Fernandez
Betty la fea
Yo soy Betty, la fea is a popular soap opera filmed in Colombia, written by Fernando Gaitán and produced between 1999 through 2001 by the Colombian network RCN . More than a dozen versions of the telenovela have been made in other countries...

 and Marcela Valencia
Betty la fea
Yo soy Betty, la fea is a popular soap opera filmed in Colombia, written by Fernando Gaitán and produced between 1999 through 2001 by the Colombian network RCN . More than a dozen versions of the telenovela have been made in other countries...

, but her appearance is similar to Marcia Villarroel
La fea más bella
La Fea Más Bella is a Mexican telenovela produced by Televisa. It is the second Mexican version of the popular Colombian telenovela: Betty la fea...

 from the Columbian adaptation. Like Henry Grubstick
Henry Grubstick
Henry Grubstick is a fictional character in the American drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Christopher Gorham.Henry's character is equivalent to Nicolás in Betty la fea. Henry and Nicolás have similar features. They are both tall, have dark brown hair, and wear square glasses...

, Amanda shares a last name with a real-life member of Ugly Betty's production staff — writer Brian Tanen. Her final line in the series is "I love this song!"

Background

Amanda Tanen is the attractive receptionist at MODE magazine, born 14 January 1982, and is allied with both Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Vivian Slater is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Villain award at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and a supporting actress...

 and Wilhelmina's assistant Marc
Marc St. James
Marcus "Marc" St. James is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Michael Urie...

 when it comes to taking down the two major thorns in Wilhelmina's side: Betty Suarez and Betty's boss Daniel Meade (to whom Amanda is attracted). Amanda was raised in the Hamptons on Long Island, although her parents now live in Scarsdale
Scarsdale
Scarsdale could be*Scarsdale, New York, a village and town in Westchester County, New York, United States, for which The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet is named...

. She believed she was the daughter of an investment banker who, she hinted in an earlier episode, is an embezzler, but learned in the second season she is actually the daughter of Fey Sommers. Her uncle is the "thin one
José Carreras
Josep Maria Carreras i Coll , better known as José Carreras , is a Spanish Catalan tenor particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini...

" out of the Three Tenors
The Three Tenors
The Three Tenors is a name given to the Spanish singers Plácido Domingo and José Carreras and the Italian singer Luciano Pavarotti who sang in concert under this banner during the 1990s and early 2000s. The trio began their collaboration with a performance at the ancient Baths of Caracalla, in...

. Amanda aspires to marry royalty, preferably a duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...

, as a prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...

 "would be too much pressure." Curious about her past, Amanda decides to seek out the identity of her father. Amanda presumed her father to be KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...

 bassist and lead singer Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...

.
Amanda has a tendency to go on eating binges whenever she feels threatened, as a way to control her fears and insecurities. This issue is expected to be addressed in future episodes, where it is learned her past involves uncontrollable eating habits and attempts to be the "perfect" woman. Despite her somewhat conceited and ditzy exterior she is quite bright, but has a tendency to butcher the Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

, using mangled pronunciations like "hoe-la" (hōʹlä) for hola
Hola
Hola is an interjection in Spanish, equivalent to English "hello" or "hi" .Hola may also refer to:Places:* Hola, Kenya* Hola, Biała Podlaska County in Lublin Voivodeship...

and "bareo" (bârʹē-ō) for barrio
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...

. And like Betty, she too found herself becoming the victim of a prank herself when a rival employee sent her a hobble dress Amanda thought came from a designer. She even had a romantic fling with a closeted straight designer named Tavares, but would end it after he took advantage of her generosity.

Prior to working at MODE, Amanda was an actress, and appeared as a hostess in a commercial for a Medieval themed restaurant. This is an inside joke, referencing an 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...

 commercial in which Becki Newton, who plays Amanda, appeared as one of the restaurant chain's cheery hostesses before her fame on Ugly Betty.

In the first season finale, she was trapped in Fey Sommers' secret room ("love dungeon") with Christina McKinney
Christina McKinney
Christina McKinney is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. She is played by Ashley Jensen. Christina is based on Bertha Muñoz de González, only she isn't plus-sized, but both have a great ear for gossip....

 after which they consequently got drunk and began confessing secrets to each other. Though most of Amanda's revelations initially revolved around her sexcapades (to which Christina responds in one scene, "Your special place was ruined years ago"). Another scene hints she might have bisexual tendencies when she asked Christina if she wanted to kiss (earlier in the season she appeared very pleased when the chance of a threesome with Daniel and a female model arose, though this may have been due to her feelings for Daniel). She later revealed to Christina the late Sommers was a friend of her family and her father had appealed to Fey for help in getting Amanda a job at MODE after her career as an actress didn't pan out. As Christina marvelled at this whilst stumbling around drunk, she uncovered a red safe hidden under a scarf and the pair managed to get it open (using Sommers' genuine measurements as the combination). Instead of money inside, a bunch of photos of Amanda as a child are uncovered, as well as a diary and a genuine birth certificate, naming Sommers as Amanda's biological mother.

At the start of the second season it is shown she had temporarily gained weight in an attempt to supplement her worry and frustration with candy, which was brought on after learning of her parentage. She also became the caretaker of her late mother's pet dog, Halston, as most of Fey's possessions were given away at auction for charity. In the episode Grin and Bear It
Grin and Bear It
Grin and Bear It is a daily panel created by George Lichtenstein under the penname George Lichty. Initially distributed by United Feature Syndicate, it was syndicated by Field Enterprises beginning in 1940. Field Enterprises was sold in 1986 to King Features Syndicate which continues to distribute...

, Wilhelmina threatens her and describes her as a "blond receptionist on the twenty-eighth floor", to which Amanda admits that she is not a natural blond. Also at the wedding of Wilhelmina and Bradford she sang the song "Milkshake
Milkshake (song)
"Milkshake" is a song by American recording artist Kelis and the lead single from her third studio album, Tasty. The song was released in the United States on August 25, 2003, by Star Trak and Arista Records, and internationally on November 24. It was written and produced by The Neptunes, a duo...

" by Kelis
Kelis
Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...

 and had the whole reception clapping with her. She also became involved with rival employee Nick Pepper, whose "dislike" between each other is a turn-on.

She also discovered the truth about what Fey did to Claire Meade resulting in Fey's murder by Claire. After discovering several diary pages kept hidden in the back of a portrait of Fey in the Love Dungeon, Amanda learned Fey was responsible for poisoning a perfume she gave to Bradford so he can give it to Claire as a gift. When Claire began to use it, the perfume would make Claire go crazy, resulting in her killing Fey instead. Amanda wanted to get back at Claire for having killed her mother by forcing Marc to burn the pages and get rid of the perfume Claire gave to Betty after she spots it on Betty's desk, only to have Marc tell her it was Fey who killed herself. Realizing this, she turns over the evidence to Betty at Claire's trial, resulting in Claire being set free.

In the third season, Amanda's spending lifestyle would catch up with her. After being evicted from her apartment and accumulating debt, she ends up moving in with Betty at her apartment, where Betty would give her a wake-up call over her financial responsibilities, which resulted in Amanda acquiring a second job at a fast-food restaurant. After realising she had been taking advantage of Betty, Amanda began to thaw to Betty, and began treating her better, though still affectionatly mocks her. During the financial struggles at MODE Amanda was made redundant, she was re-instated when Calvin Hartley invests in the company in order to save it from bankruptcy.

As the fourth season began, Amanda would finally bury the hatchet with Claire over Fey, and agreed to help Claire with establishing a relationship with Claire's son Tyler, who she gave up for adoption because he was the product of an affair between Claire and Calvin, who by the way, is also the father of Matt Hartley, whom she began to pursue after he and Betty broke up, only to end it after she realized that Matt still had feelings for Betty. Amanda later sleeps with Daniel; however, they realize that it only occurred out of impulse, later saying that they were "there for each other and that was it".

She is present at Betty's farewell party, last seen dancing with Betty and Marc - her best friends.

Amanda's favourite "fall color" is pale carmine
Carmine
Carmine , also called Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red #4, C.I. 75470, or E120, is a pigment of a bright-red color obtained from the aluminum salt of carminic acid, which is produced by some scale insects, such as the cochineal beetle and the Polish cochineal, and is used as a general term for...

.

Family life

In the wake of discovering the truth about her mother, Amanda tried to find out more about her connection to Fey Sommers as she stands to inherit the late editor's fortune and to find out why her adoptive parents kept the truth from her all these years. The Tanens explained Fey was focused on her career at the time and didn't think she would be able to devote her efforts in raising Amanda.

With the fact Fey had carried a long-term affair with Bradford Meade, Amanda worried Bradford may be her biological father since it would mean she had committed incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...

 by sleeping with Daniel, who would be her half-brother. She expressed this concern to Daniel, right before reading the results of a DNA test showing they were not related.

The search for her biological father has been Amanda's priority throughout season 2. In "Grin and Bear It", She learned from Wilhelmina (who was Fey's assistant and confidant) that she was conceived at Studio 54
Studio 54
Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it...

 during a celebration honoring Fey's first issue as editor of Mode; With leads on her search, which led to her attempts to contact Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...

 frontman Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...

 in "A Thousand Words By Friday"; with Marc's help, she wrote and performed the song "Gene Simmons is My Daddy" in hopes to catch the attention of someone in Simmons' camp - but as luck would have it, Simmons himself showed up to watch Amanda's performance. This led to a reality show called "Daddy's Little Girl" about their life as father and daughter. However, Amanda later learned that Simmons was only pretending to be her father to gain publicity. The identity of Amanda's father was finally revealed in The Past Presents The Future
The Past Presents the Future (Ugly Betty)
"The Past Presents the Future" is the nineteenth and penultimate episode of the fourth season of the American comedy-drama series, Ugly Betty, and the 84th episode overall...

 when Amanda, unknowingly, sets him and Marc together on a date.

Connections

  • Betty Suarez
    Betty Suarez
    Beatriz "Betty" U. Suarez is a central fictional character and heroine of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe and 2007 SAG award for her portrayal of the character, as well as the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy award for the role...

     - Executive Assistant to the Editor in Chief at MODE; Amanda has wanted to get rid of Betty from the beginning, believing that Betty stole a job that should have been hers - assistant to Daniel Meade
    Daniel Meade
    Daniel Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is played by Eric Mabius.-Background:Daniel is the second son of magazine publisher Bradford Meade and Claire Meade in 1974...

    . She schemed to get rid of Betty by any and all means, so she could get her job and win Daniel's affection and admiration. After Betty agreed to take Sofia Reyes' job offer, Amanda replaced her temporarily as Daniel's assistant. In the episode "In or Out
    In or Out
    "In or Out" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty, the thirteenth in the series overall, which aired on January 18, 2007. It was written by Myra Jo Martino and directed by Michael Spiller...

    " she realized the assistant job was better suited to Betty and returned to her receptionist's desk with a pay raise. Despite her frequently taking jabs at Betty, the two seem to like each other and at times look to be friends. Betty is the only person to have seen Amanda crying after she ended her affair with Daniel. Amanda always seems interested in Betty's love life; she was with Betty when she found out Walter wanted Betty to move in with him. She also has fun tormenting Betty about her crush on Henry, calling him her "Nerd Lover." In the episode "Crush'd
    Crush'd
    "Crush'd" is the seventh episode in the third season, the 48th episode overall, of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on November 6, 2008...

    " she becomes Betty's roommate and despite the ups and downs, both begin to bond slowly, Amanda taking the responsibility of paying half of the rent and Betty starting to take her advice seriously. For the fourth season they are shown to be good friends and Betty even invites Amanda to Hilda's bachelorette trip to London
    London
    London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

    .

  • Daniel Meade
    Daniel Meade
    Daniel Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is played by Eric Mabius.-Background:Daniel is the second son of magazine publisher Bradford Meade and Claire Meade in 1974...

     - Editor-In-Chief at MODE; He sees Amanda as another one-night stand—he slept with her but forgot about it the following day—and Amanda has been frustrated by his continual womanizing. After Daniel lost an expensive watch and sent Betty looking for it at the apartments of his past week's conquests, Betty turned up empty handed while Amanda had it with her the entire time. Daniel gave Betty a list of names, addresses and the day of the week he was with that girl. He had forgotten to list one night of the week and it was the night he was with Amanda. She finally admitted she had the watch and asked Betty to not tell Daniel. Since he never figured out which girl it was, Amanda came forward and she finally relinquished the possibility of a serious relationship with him. Her past feelings for Daniel have caused problems for proving her loyalty to Wilhelmina and Marc. Amanda feared Daniel may be her half-brother as she suspected Daniel's father Bradford may be her father, but the results came back negative. In the fourth season, episode 8 "The Bahamas Triangle", Daniel consoles her for the affair of Matt, and they spent the night together. From then they become lovers again and, after Marc, who got a promotion from Wilhelmina (after being Daniel's assistant, and once again getting his old job back) as her new Junior Fashion Editor, Amanda becomes Daniel's assistant, as she said that she is the most perfect assistant for him- she knows him well and they are already lovers (or fun buddies as Amanda says), so he won't be distracted by wondering should he or should he not sleep with his gorgeous assistant, which he would probably have. They become closer and Daniel agrees to spend the night at her house without sexual implications. After she met Tyler, Daniel's half brother, she realizes that she must end her relationship with Daniel. After an initial opposition from Daniel, he ends up accepting Amanda's love for his half brother, though not so easily.

  • Marc St. James
    Marc St. James
    Marcus "Marc" St. James is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Michael Urie...

     - Executive Assistant to Wilhelmina Slater at MODE and Amanda's frequent co-conspirator in plans to humiliate Betty and sabotage her work. They have a co-dependent relationship; she often pretended to be his girlfriend to help him hide from his mother that he was gay, and he has taken risks to protect her job from Wilhelmina. The two shared a rowdy Thanksgiving in the office together, drinking champagne, playing with couture gowns, and placing a prank phone call to the mysterious bandaged woman
    Alexis Meade
    Alexis Meade is a fictional character from the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty. She was initially played by Elizabeth Penn Payne for the first 12 episodes of her appearance and was played by Rebecca Romijn for the rest of the series.-Biography:Alex Meade was a background presence in the...

    , which placed both their jobs in jeopardy. In a scene at Tavares' party, Marc claims Amanda had a huge crush on him when he first started working at MODE, before she realised he was gay, but she insisted she kept staring at him only because he had a discoloured tooth at the time.

  • Christina McKinney
    Christina McKinney
    Christina McKinney is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. She is played by Ashley Jensen. Christina is based on Bertha Muñoz de González, only she isn't plus-sized, but both have a great ear for gossip....

     - Seamstress at MODE; Amanda frequently calls her "Braveheart
    Braveheart
    Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...

    " because of her Scottish heritage. They have an antipathetic relationship; in "Fake Plastic Snow
    Fake Plastic Snow
    "Fake Plastic Snow" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty. It is the eleventh episode overall in the series, but in the United States, Canada, and Australia, it is the tenth episode, which was written by Veronica Becker and Sarah Kucserka and directed by Jim Hayman...

    " Christina told "Santa Claus" she wishes that Amanda had "a brain". She was with Amanda when she discovered Fey Sommers was her mother.

  • Sofia Reyes - Editor in Chief at MYW; In Trust, Lust, and Must
    Trust, Lust, and Must
    "Trust, Lust, and Must" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty. In the United States, Canada and Australia, it aired as the sixth episode, but is actually the seventh overall. Written by Cameron Litvack and directed by James Babbitt, the episode first aired on November 2, 2006...

     she became the catalyst for Amanda's realization a relationship with Daniel was not possible. After discovering that Sofia was actually using Daniel as a stunt promotion for her new magazine ("Sofia's Choice
    Sofia's Choice
    "Sofia's Choice" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on January 11, 2007. It is the twelfth episode in the series, which was written Silvio Horta, produced by Salma Hayek and directed by Jim Hayman.-Plot:...

    "), Amanda took revenge on Sofia by viciously beating her with her purse in the elevator where Sofia and Daniel first met ("Trust").

  • Nick Pepper - Amanda took an instant dislike to Nick, partly because he wouldn't go out with her. She feels she's better suited for his job as Alexis' PA. So using the same tactics she used to unsuccessfully try and take Betty's job, Amanda attempts to strong-arm her way into forcing Nick out of his by convincing Alexis she should pick her over Nick. In the episode Bananas for Betty
    Bananas for Betty
    "Bananas for Betty" is the tenth episode in the second season, and the 33rd episode overall, of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on December 6, 2007...

    , after shooting Nick in a paintball game, Amanda and Nick end up making out.

  • Fey Sommers - In the 1st season finale, while locked in Fey Sommer's "Love Dungeon", Amanda discovers childhood photos of her and a birth certificate declaring Fey as Amanda's mother.

  • Bradford Meade
    Bradford Meade
    Bradford Emerson Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, played by Alan Dale. Bradford's character was equivalent to Roberto Mendoza in the original Betty la fea, Armando's father, with Armando equalling Daniel....

     - CEO of Meade Publications; Because of his affair with Fey Sommers, Amanda suspected he may be her biological father, but it turned out he was not.

  • Henry Grubstick
    Henry Grubstick
    Henry Grubstick is a fictional character in the American drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Christopher Gorham.Henry's character is equivalent to Nicolás in Betty la fea. Henry and Nicolás have similar features. They are both tall, have dark brown hair, and wear square glasses...

     - Accountant at Meade Publications; Along with Marc, Amanda likes to torture him, especially when it involves Betty or when they demand their paychecks...as long as they don't endure his wrath (as they did in "Betty's Wait Problem
    Betty's Wait Problem
    "Betty's Wait Problem" is the 3rd episode of the 2nd season of the dramedy series, Ugly Betty. It originally aired on October 11, 2007 and it is the 26th episode overall, which was written by Tracy Poust and Jon Kinnally and directed by Tricia Brock....

    ").

  • Gene Simmons
    Gene Simmons
    Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...

    - pretended to be Amanda's father to fuel a father-daughter-inspired reality TV show.
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