Amanda Setton

Although best known for playing a privileged young Manhattanite named Penelope Shafai on "Gossip Girl" (The CW, 2007-2012), Amanda Setton blossomed to become a noteworthy supporting player on various TV shows. In addition to her role on "Gossip Girl," Setton earned legions of fans for playing a duplicitous Las Vegas stripper on the soap opera "One Life to Live" (ABC 1968-2012), while also landing small parts in the hit films "What Happens in Vegas" (2008) and "Sex and the City" (2008). Her career reached a high point in 2013 when she joined the cast of David E. Kelley's sitcom "The Crazy Ones" (CBS 2013-14), which starred Academy Award-winner Robin Williams as a madcap advertising executive. The show received the highest ratings of any premiere when it debuted in the fall of 2013, and was subsequently picked up for a full season, underscoring Setton's already growing status as one of the TV world's hottest young actresses to watch.

Born in the Great Neck region on Long Island, Amanda Setton always knew she wanted to be an actor. That early passion followed her to high school, where she served as the President of her school's theater club, and eventually on to Ithaca College, where she majored in drama. It was while attending college that Setton became actively involved in the local film community, appearing in numerous student films throughout her tenure there. After graduating from Ithaca College in 2007, Setton moved to New York City to pursue her acting in earnest. Never one to sit idle, within a year's time the hungry young actress managed to sign with an agent, land minor speaking roles in two big-budget studio films ("What Happens in Vegas" and "Sex and the City"), all while nabbing a supporting part on the hit CW teen drama "Gossip Girl." The following year was also a big one for Setton. In addition to her role on "Gossip Girl," in 2009 she landed a recurring part as the exotic dancer Kimberly Andrews on the soap "One Life to Live." However, after appearing in over 100 episodes of the long-running soap, Setton stunned audiences, as well as the network, by deciding not to renew her contract. When "Gossip Girl" ended after a successful six-season run in the spring of 2012, Setton quickly rebounded by nabbing a recurring part as sarcastic New Jersey-born receptionist Shawna on the critically-acclaimed comedy "The Mindy Project" (Fox 2012-15; Hulu 2015-). However, her character was abruptly written out of the show after the first 12 episodes. In the fall of 2013 Setton landed the role of a lifetime, working alongside Robin Williams, Sarah Michelle Gellar and James Wolk on the workplace comedy "The Crazy Ones." The show was picked up for a full season in October of 2013, with Setton continuing her role as Williams' shy but whip-smart assistant.