Rebecca Watson

Shawnee Rebecca Smith is an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Amanda Young in the Saw franchise. Born in Orangeburg, South Carolina in 1970 to Patricia Ann, an oncology nurse, and James H. Smith, a financial planner, she moved to Van Nuys, California at a young age. Her career began with musicals at age 8, with music initially playing a prominent role. She landed her first professional role in the 1982 production of Annie. After graduating from North Hollywood High School in 1987, she transitioned to television, appearing in various series and TV films. She gained early recognition in the remake of The Blob, earning a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Young Actress in a Horror/Mystery Film in 1988 for her role as Meg Penny. This launched her into horror films, although she continued to take on roles in television projects like The Shining and smaller roles in major films such as Leaving Las Vegas and Armageddon. She starred in a remake of the 1968 surreal classic Carnival of Souls. She achieved significant success with a starring role in the long-running TV series Becker, which wasn't aired in our country. Director James Wan cast Shawnee Smith without hesitation in his film Saw, as she was his childhood crush. Saw became a phenomenon, and Shawnee Smith's portrayal of Amanda Young established her as a horror icon. In the first film, she escaped a bizarre device resembling a bear trap on her face and was the first victim released by Jigsaw. She reprised her role in Saw II, suffering torture alongside other victims and becoming a pivotal point in the main plot. Later, she became a more antagonistic character, eventually taking on Jigsaw's role while battling a terminal illness. She also had a small role in the big-budget film The Island. In 2006, she starred in Repo! The Genetic Opera, a short film featuring her as an heiress addicted to cosmetic surgery. This film, which wasn't widely released but garnered attention from producers, had Paris Hilton take over her role in the longer version. Saw III, released in 2006, was another success. In 2007, she was nominated for a Spike TV Scream Award for Best Villain alongside Tobin Bell (the original Jigsaw). She won a Chiller-Eyegore Award, for which she was nominated in 2006, in 2007. Shawnee Smith's success led to her becoming both host and judge for MTV's Scream Queens competition. The winner, Tanedra Howard, starred in the 6th installment of the series. She also starred in and produced 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust in 2008 and the third installment of The Grudge, a direct-to-video release. However, she disliked horror films, stating that she couldn't watch the horror movies she had starred in, and refused to reprise the role of Amanda in Saw VI. From 2012 to 2014, she played Jennifer Goodson in the comedy series Anger Management, which aired for two seasons. She was married to photographer Jason Reposar from 1998 to 2003 and had a daughter. She also had a son from her 2005-2006 marriage to Kai Mattoon.