Amanda Peet reveals parents compared acting dreams to being a 'hooker'

Amanda Peet's parents were less than thrilled when she initially mentioned her desire to pursue acting.

"I kind of felt that they viewed acting, at first, similar to thinking 'Oh, so you want to start modeling or maybe become a hooker,'" she shared with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett on the "Smartless" podcast this past Monday.

Her parents were as far from the entertainment industry as one could be, Peet noted, mentioning that her dad worked as a corporate lawyer, while her mom was engaged in social work and psychotherapy.

Peet mentioned that she struggled with severe stage fright when it came to "high-brow" performances.

However, during auditions for more mainstream projects, like a lip balm ad or a soap opera, she magically excelled.

"So, I ended up contradicting what I wanted my parents to understand," she confessed. "I'd come home saying, 'I landed a Skittles commercial,' and they'd just say, 'I rest my case.'"

Nevertheless, her parents eventually softened a bit, she remarked, with her mom assisting her in finding an acting class at the age of 13.

Peet recounted participating in all the school plays during her time at her small high school, where she was reportedly one of the most impressive singers, "which isn't saying a lot."

"Then, once I reached college, I confidently tried out for various roles, yet never landed a part, despite auditioning for about 20 plays. It seemed like they had already picked their favourites."

She referred to herself humorously as a "self-loathing actor."

"Admitting that I wanted to turn this into more than just a pastime was difficult for me," she acknowledged.

When she eventually joined an adult acting class led by actor and teacher Uta Hagen, Peet finally managed to secure an agent.

Excited about getting representation at last, Peet added how the agent ushered her aside to let her know she had a little mustache.

"They said 'Congratulations, we'd love to represent you,' and then started explaining things. Suddenly, it was like, 'And by the way, you have a little bit of, well, a mustache. We were just wondering if... what can be done?' And I had to admit, she was spot on."

Peet shared with the hosts how she went out of her way to remove the hair above her upper lip, trying methods like bleaching, waxing, and using hair removal cream.

"Name it, and I tried it," she confessed.

Her breakout role came in "The Whole Nine Yards" during her late twenties, and she proceeded to shine in films like "Something’s Gotta Give," "Saving Silverman," "Identity," "Identity Thief," and presently stars in the Apple TV+ series "Your Friends & Neighbours."

She expressed how much she enjoys working behind the scenes as well.

The now 54-year-old actress also opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis from last fall, which coincided with the time her parents were in hospice care.

Her father, Charles, passed away late in 2025, followed by her mother, Penny, in January 2026.

"I was very fortunate to be okay. Radiation treatment worked," she disclosed, adding that her recent op-ed in the New Yorker was her first public disclosure regarding her health status since she and her husband initially kept it under wraps from their children as they awaited more information on its severity.