Bynes was born and grew up in Thousand Oaks, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. She is the youngest of three children born to Lynn (née Organ), a dental assistant and office manager, and Rick Bynes, a dentist. Her father is … See more

Bynes began professionally acting at age seven, appearing in a television advertisements for Buncha Crunch candies, Cut and Style Barbie, and Taco Bell. During her childhood, she also appeared on stage in versions of … See more

In 2007, Bynes described herself as Jewish and said: "As far as religion, I was raised both. I learned about both [Judaism and Catholicism]. My parents said it was up to me to decide when I grew up. I'm sort of a spiritual per… See more