Amanda Tanen
Amanda Tanen is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Becki Newton. Amanda's character is a combination of Patricia Fernandez and Marcela Valencia, but her appearance is similar to Marcia Villarroel, which coincidentally, are both counterparts to Marcela. Her name is the latin for "deserving love".
Background
Amanda Tanen is the attractive receptionist at MODE magazine and is allied with both Wilhelmina Slater and Wilhelmina's assistant Marc when it comes to taking down the two major thorns in Wilhelmina's side: Betty Suarez and Betty's boss Daniel Meade (whom Amanda is attracted to). Amanda, who was raised in The Hamptons on Long Island, was supposedly the daughter of an investment banker whom she has hinted is an embezzler in an earlier episode, but would later learn that she is actually the daughter of Fey Sommers. Her uncle is the "thin one" out of the three tenors. Amanda aspires to marry royalty, preferably a duke, as "a prince would be too much pressure".
Amanda has a tendency to go on eating binges whenever she feels threatened, as a way to control her fears and insecurities. This issue is expected to be addressed in future episodes, where it is learned that her past involves uncontrollable eating habits and attempts to be the "perfect" woman. Despite her somewhat conceited and ditzy exterior she is quite bright, but has a tendency to butcher the Spanish language, using mangled pronunciations like HO-la and Bare-rio. And like Betty, she too found herself becoming the victim of a prank herself when a rival employee sent her a hobble dress that Amanda thought came from a designer. She even had a romantic fling with a closeted straight designer named Tavares, but would end it after he took advantage of her generosity.
Prior to working at MODE, Amanda was an actress, and appeared as a hostess in a commercial for a Medieval themed restaurant. This is an inside joke, referencing an Medieval Times commercial in which Becki Newton, who plays Amanda, appeared as one of the restaurant chain's cheery hostesses.
In the first season finale, she was trapped in Fey Sommers' secret room ("love dungeon") with Christina McKinney after which they consequently got drunk and began confessing secrets to each other. Though most of Amanda's revelations initially revolved around her sexcapades (to which Christina responds in one scene, "Your secret place was ruined a long time ago"). Another scene hints that she might have bisexual tendencies when she asked Christina if she wanted to kiss (earlier in the season she appeared very pleased when the chance of a threesome with Daniel and a female model arose, though this may have been due to her feelings for Daniel). She later revealed to Christina that the late Sommers was a friend of her family and that her father had appealed to Fey for help in getting Amanda a job at MODE after her career as an actress didn't pan out. As Christina marvelled at this whilst stumbling around drunk, she uncovered a red safe hidden under a scarf and the pair managed to get it open (using Sommers' genuine dress size as the combination). Instead of money inside, a bunch of photos of Amanda as a child are uncovered, as well as a diary and a genuine birth certificate, naming Sommers as Amanda's biological mother.
In the second season it is shown that she has gained weight in an attempt to suppliment her worry and frustration with candy, which was brought on after learning of her parentage. She also became the caretaker of her late mother's pet dog, Halston, as most of Fey's possessions were given away at auction for charity.
Amanda's favourite "fall colour" is Pale Carmine.
Family Life
In the wake of discovering the truth about her mother, Amanda tried to find out more about her connection to the Sommers family as she stands to inherit the late editor's fortune and to find out about the reason her adopted parents kept it a secret from her all these years. The parents, who were introduced in "How Betty Got Her Grieve Back," explained to Amanda that Fey put her up for adoption because Fey felt that Amanda would have a better life and that Fey's reputation would be destroyed if they found out about the late editor having a child.
Amanda worried that Bradford Meade may be her father after Marc notices Amanda and Bradford's movements and mannerisms. This possibility distressed Amanda because it would mean that she committed incest by sleeping with Daniel, who would be her half-brother if Bradford were her father. However, when the results came back, it turned out that she is not related to Bradford, and at the same time decided against renewing her relationship with Daniel. The search for her birth father has now become a new priority for Amanda.
