Amanda Peterson, born Phyllis Amanda Peterson on July 8, 1971, in Greeley, Colorado, was an American actress best known for her roles as Cindy Mancini in the 1987 film "Can't Buy Me Love" and Sunny Sisk on the NBC drama series "A Year in the Life" (1987-1988).

She was the youngest of three children born to James Peterson, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, and his wife, Sylvia. She began her acting career at a young age, making her stage debut as Gretl von Trapp in a University of Northern Colorado production of "The Sound of Music" at age seven.

She later appeared in the musical film "Annie" (1982) as a dancing extra and went on to land guest spots on television shows such as "Father Murphy" and "Silver Spoons."

Her career took off when she won her first major film role as Lori Swenson in the sci-fi fantasy "Explorers" (1985). She then co-starred as Sunny Sisk in the Emmy Award-winning miniseries "A Year in the Life," which was later adapted into a full series.

Her breakout role came in 1987 when she was cast as Cindy Mancini in "Can't Buy Me Love," a romantic comedy that became a sleeper hit and earned her teen idol status. She continued to work in film and television throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, appearing in movies such as "The Lawless Land" (1988) and "Listen to Me" (1989), and on TV shows like "Fatal Charm" (1990).

Amanda Peterson faced personal struggles, including drug addiction, which led to several arrests. She retired from acting in 1994 after starring in the contemporary drama "Windrunner." Her life was marked by her battle with addiction, and she passed away on July 3, 2015, at the age of 43 from an accidental drug overdose.