Oh Mandy!

There will always be a soft spot in my heart for Mandy Moore. She started out as just another teenage pop star with her single "Candy" back when Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, and Christina Aguilera's bubblegum pop was all the rage. Back then I wasn't too keen on the blond teenage queen...but then she did something interesting. She went back to her natural hair color and landed herself the starring role in the Adam Shankman directed A Walk to Remember. Now, I hate chick flicks, but this one in particular has an undeniable pull, and there's something about Mandy that just radiated off the screen. She then abandoned her popstar status for a more lucrative film career. While she sticks mostly to the romantic comedy genre, I think her amazing on-screen presence could really lend herself to a strong role someday. Plus, I can honestly say that I think she is the nicest celebrity I ever met. Back when I interned at a boutique PR firm I got stuck with wrangling talent onto the red carpet (some of those guys are pretty sneaky). Mandy was so friendly and sweet, chatting with me casually while waiting for her turn with the press flashes. There are so many likeable qualities about Mandy in general... she never "rebelled" as a young teen actress, she never "sluts it out," she is always the epitome of elegance and class, charity and warmth. And she's always SMILING!! Plus, she had a huge arc on "Entourage" playing the former love of Vincent Chase's life, a fitting part indeed. Anyway, I just wanted to shower her with praise b/c its a crime she hasn't already been mentioned on my site.

On another note entirely (no pun intended), Mandy has turned back to singing and released an album "Wild Hope" earlier this year. She is currently on a national tour with Paula Cole and Rachel Yamagata. She, like so many singers this summer, has just released a cover video of the ever-popular Rihanna Song "Umbrella." Mandy's cover of the instant classic song is just lovely. See below: