Amanda Righetti | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

Amanda Righetti was an American TV actress who was best known for her recurring roles on "The O.C." (Fox, 2003-07) and "The Mentalist" (CBS, 2008-2015). Born in Utah and raised just outside of Las Vegas, Righetti began her career in show business as a fashion model. She was discovered by a modeling agency at the age of 15, and spent the majority of her teen years walking the runway. In her early 20s, however, after seeing just how short the lifespan of a professional model could be, Righetti decided to make the transition into acting. After landing guest spots on shows like "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS, 2000-15), Righetti joined the cast of the hit teen drama, "The O.C." as Hailey Nichol. She appeared as Nichol for two seasons on the series, and then nabbed recurring parts on "North Shore" (Fox, 2004-05) and "Reunion" (Fox, 2005). Both shows, however, were cancelled during their first season. Undeterred, Righetti started nabbing film roles in "Role Models" (2008), the rebooted horror standard "Friday the 13th" (2009), and Marvel universe blockbuster "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011). In 2008 she landed her breakout role as Grace Van Pelt on "The Mentalist." Righetti appeared in 132 episodes of the show, leaving after the sixth season. In 2015 Righetti starred in the independent film "Cats Dancing on Jupiter," which was written and directed by her husband, Jordan Alan.