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The latest season of Tell Me Lies is here and it’s bringing fresh faces along for the ride!
Season 3 of Meaghan Oppenheimer’s acclaimed Hulu series welcomes back several beloved characters while also introducing new ones, such as Alex and Amanda, who promise to shake things up in intriguing ways.
If you’re curious about the new addition to Bree (played by Cat Missal) and Lucy’s (portrayed by Grace Van Patter) circle, Costa D’Angelo is the actor who steps into this role. For those who want to dive deeper into the character of Amanda, a first-year student entangled with Bree and Oliver (played by Tom Ellis), you’ve come to the right place!
Please note: Spoilers for the Season 3 premiere of Tell Me Lies follow.
Who exactly is Amanda in Tell Me Lies? What is her connection to Bree, and who brings this character to life on screen? Additionally, what should viewers know about Iris Apatow, the breakout star of Season 3? Continue reading to uncover insights about Apatow and her role, including exclusive comments from series creator Meaghan Oppenheimer.
Who Is Amanda On Tell Me Lies?
As noted, Amanda on Tell Me Lies Season 3 is a freshman who has complex ties to Bree and Oliver. She’s first introduced in Episode 1, when Bree curiously spots her walking out of Oliver’s office and suspects that he’s a little too comfortable touching her arm. It’s not until Episode 2 that we see Bree and Amanda interact, though.
After Bree spots Amanda at a karaoke bar, she stages an intro in the bathroom and invites her to have a drink with her and her friends. As the two sip cocktails at the bar, Amanda reveals that the guy she’s seeing doesn’t like the weight she’s gained since starting Baird and says their relationship is “complicated.” Worried that she’s involved with Oliver, Bree presses Amanda for more info and is relieved to hear that Amanda’s boyfriend is a student at NYU, so their complications stem from long-distance. Bree tells Amanda she’s beautiful, doesn’t need to lose weight, and encourages her boyfriend to “go fuck himself” if he thinks otherwise. She even takes a photo with Amanda to commemorate her fun freshman hang! But later in the episode, things take a turn…
While Bree was relieved to hear that Amanda was dating someone her own age, when the two grab coffee later in Episode 2, Amanda reveals that her and her NYU man broke up, and she hooked up with a married, way older professor who she met at — wait for it — THE CHRISTMAS PARTY HE HOSTED WITH HIS WIFE, aka the same Christmas party where Oliver hooked up with Bree in the laundry room! NOO!!!! Naturally, Bree was heartbroken and deeply concerned to hear that Oliver was still hooking up with college students after their affair ended so terribly, and she was devastated to see another young girl following in her footsteps.
In Episode 3, Bree discourages Amanda from seeing Oliver, tells her the relationship is “gross,” and takes matters into her own hands by texting the photo of her and Amanda to the professor. While we wait to see what Season 3 has in store for Bree/Oliver/Amanda’s storyline, let’s learn more about Iris Apatow, shall we?
Who Plays Amanda On Tell Me Lies? Meet Iris Apatow
Amanda on Tell Me Lies is played by Iris Apatow — yes, that Iris Apatow! The Season 3 star is the daughter of Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, sister of Maude Apatow, and partner of Sam Nivola.
When asked about casting the 23-year-old actor, Oppenheimer told Decider, “Iris was just such a joy. Her manager had pitched the idea to me, and I was like, ‘Oh! We do have a role!’ And so we brought her in and she was absolutely wonderful. I think she has such a vulnerable, delicate quality, that you want to protect her. And it just feels so wrong to see Oliver go anywhere near this girl, even though it felt wrong with Bree as well. But I think I really wanted to make it clear that he is a predator. But something about her feels very intelligent, which makes me believe that he would be drawn to her. She’s just a wonderful actress and so sweet.”
Per IMDb, Apatow kickstarted her on-screen career in 2007 as Charlotte in Knocked Up and has starred in a number of other projects over the years, including Funny People, This Is 40, Sausage Party, Love, Unstable, and two Olivia Rodrigo music videos. In addition to Tell Me Lies, she has upcoming credits listed for Ballerina Overdrive and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, so we definitely haven’t seen the last of this rising star.
Want to learn more about Iris Apatow outside of Tell Me Lies? You can follow her on Instagram at @irisapatow, where she had 789,000 followers ahead of Season 3’s premiere.
Stay tuned for more Tell Me Lies Season 3 coverage on Decider.