Is Amanda Bynes Jewish?

Amanda Bynes is Jewish. Born Amanda Laura Bynes on April 3, 1986, Bynes was raised in Thousand Oaks, California (part of the Greater Los Angeles Area), the youngest of three children of Lynn (née Organ), a dental assistant and office manager, and Rick Bynes, a dentist.

Bynes has two older siblings, Tommy (born 1973), a chiropractor, and Jillian (born 1983), who has a B.A. in History from UCLA and has also acted. Bynes' ancestors immigrated from Ireland, Poland, Russia, and Romania, and her maternal grandparents are from Toronto, Ontario. Her father is Catholic and her mother is Jewish. Bynes has described herself as Jewish.

Wiki Commons

In 2007, regarding her religious beliefs, Bynes stated: "As far as religion, I was raised both. I learned about both Judaism and Catholicism. My parents said it was up to me to decide [which faith to adhere to] when I grew up. I'm sort of a spiritual person anyway. I haven't decided yet on a religion. I don't know yet exactly what I believe."

Bynes rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s on the Nickelodeon series All That and The Amanda Show. From 2002 to 2006, she starred on the WB sitcom What I Like About You. Bynes has also starred in several films, including What a Girl Wants (2003), She's the Man (2006), Hairspray (2007), Sydney White (2007) and Easy A (2010).

Following several charges for vehicular crimes in 2012, Bynes was arrested in May 2013 for charges related to marijuana possession and was placed under an involuntary psychiatric hold two months later.

Is Natasha Lyonne Jewish?

Natasha Lyonne is Jewish. Born Natasha Lyonne Braunstein on April 4, 1979, Lyonne is an American stage, film, and television actress, known for her roles in the American Pie series, as well as the films Everyone Says I Love You, Slums of Beverly Hills, But I'm a Cheerleader, and Blade: Trinity. She is a co-star on the Netflix series "Orange is the New Black" by Jenji Kohan of Weeds.

Lyonne was born in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette and Aaron Braunstein, who worked as a boxing promoter and radio host. Her maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors.

Source: Photo by Joe Mabel (wiki commons)

Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household. Her parents moved to Israel, where Natasha spent a few years of her early childhood. After parents divorced and Natasha and her older brother Adam returned to the US with their mother. She attended Ramaz School, a private Jewish school. Her mother then moved to Miami, where Natasha attended and graduated from Miami Country Day School.

Natasha Lyonne had well-publicized battles with hard-drug substance abuse from 2001-2007 and was arrested several times. She almost died from a drug-related illness and in 2012, she underwent heart surgery, from which she quickly recovered.