She began working as a print model at the age of 10, most notably in nationwide advertisements for Target. At the age of fourteen, Cook began auditioning for acting work. Her modeling agency sent her to read for a short film, 26 Summer Street (1996). She first gained national attention when she was featured in This is Your Brain on Drugs public-service television advertisement. Consequently, Cook began her feature film career, debuting in The Baby-Sitters Club (1995).

Cook's two highest-profile lead roles have been in the films She's All That (1999) and Josie and the Pussycats (2001).

Cook has also appeared in a number of independent films and in the 2005 television miniseries Into the West. In 2002, she was ranked #26 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World".

Cook has dated actors Vincent Kartheiser, Ryan Reynolds, Shane West and Rider Strong. She married actor Daniel Gillies in August 2004, after their engagement in December 2003.

Public Name: Rachael Leigh Cook
Date of Birth: October 4, 1979
Place of Birth: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Filmography

• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (2006)
• Blonde Ambition (2007)
• All Hat (2007)
• The Final Season (2007)
• Descent (2006)
• Nancy Drew (2007)
• Matters of Life and Death (2006)
• "Robot Chicken" (2 episodes, 2006)
• Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (2006)
• Kingdom Hearts II (2005)
• Ryû ga gotoku (2005)
• "Las Vegas" (5 episodes, 2005)
• Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005)
• "Into the West" (2005)
• "One Tree Hill" (3 episodes, 2004)
• American Crime (2004)
• Stateside (2004)
• Fearless (2004)
• My First Wedding (2004)
• Tempo (2003)
• The Big Empty (2003)
• 11:14 (2003)
• Bookies (2003)
• Scorched (2003)
• 29 Palms (2002)
• Tangled (2001)
• Texas Rangers (2001)
• Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
• Blow Dry (2001)
• Antitrust (2001)
• Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
• The 2000 Radio Music Awards (2000)
• Get Carter (2000)
• Sally (2000)
• "Batman Beyond" (1 episode, 2000-2001)
• The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (1999)
• "Dawson's Creek" (3 episodes, 1999)
• She's All That (1999)
• The Hi-Line (1999)
• Living Out Loud (1998)
• The Naked Man (1998)
• Strike! (1998)
• "The Outer Limits" (1 episode, 1998)
• The Eighteenth Angel (1998)
• The Defenders: Payback (1997)
• True Women (1997)
• Country Justice (1997)
• The House of Yes (1997)
• Carpool (1996)
• 26 Summer Street (1996)
• Tom and Huck (1995)
• The Baby-Sitters Club (1995)
• "WOAK Live" (1 episode)

Awards

• YoungStar Award Young Actress in a Comedy Feature "She's All That" 1999