From Viral Star in Annie to Facing Life’s Challenges: The Journey of a Young Actress

Amanda Peterson in ‘Boone’ in 1984, Amanda Peterson in ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ in 1987.
Credit:

Lorimar Film Entertainment/Everett Collection; Alamy Stock Photo

Need to Know

• Actress Amanda Peterson was in Annie and the TV series Boone, before rising to fame in 1987’s Can’t Buy Me Love.
• She later struggled with addiction and died at 43 from an accidental morphine overdose.
• Her parents revealed she had been raped at 15 and never fully recovered from the trauma.

Amanda Peterson has recently gained attention for her memorable solo performance in the 1982 film Annie, where she portrayed an orphan who sang about Rover in the song “Sandy.”

Instagram user Ian McConnell shared a clip of the performance, commenting, “It takes real nerve shushing a girl when she’s absolutely EATING during her solo.” The clip has since garnered 2.2 million views.

Peterson, who became widely recognized for her role as Cindy Mancini opposite Patrick Dempsey in the 1989 teen comedy Can’t Buy Me Love, experienced a significant rise to fame. In the film, her character, a popular girl, agrees to help the nerdy Ronald Miller, played by Dempsey, in exchange for a chance to enhance his popularity.

However, after the success of Can’t Buy Me Love, Peterson’s career faltered, and she struggled with drug addiction.

Throughout her life, she faced multiple legal troubles, including several arrests. In March 2010, she was detained in Fort Collins, Colorado, after a reported altercation with another woman. A police report indicated that Peterson “appeared intoxicated” and was slurring her words. Her boyfriend told authorities she had been drinking alcohol despite being on medication for bipolar disorder and ADD.

In 2012, Peterson faced further legal issues, including a DUI charge and possession of narcotic equipment.

On July 5, 2015, she was found dead at the age of 43 in her home in Greeley, Colorado. The Weld County Coroner’s report determined that her death was due to an accidental morphine overdose.

Amanda Peterson.

According to a coroner’s report obtained by TMZ, Peterson had a combination of prescription drugs in her system, including benzodiazepines, opiates, and anti-psychotic medications at the time of her death.

The report indicated that Peterson had been engaging in self-medication to cope with pain and that she had six times the normal level of Gabapentin in her system. The cause of death was attributed to a “morphine effect,” leading to respiratory failure.

Following her death, Sylvia Peterson, Amanda’s mother, spoke with Entertainment Tonight, noting her daughter’s history of substance abuse but emphasizing that Amanda had been clean for a significant period. Sylvia stated, “this was not, in any way, a drug thing.”

In September 2015, Amanda’s family appeared on The Doctors, where they disclosed that she had been raped at age 15, a trauma that her mother suggested affected her significantly throughout her life.

“She just felt so ashamed. She didn’t want people to know,” Sylvia recounted, adding, “I think it affected her forever.”

Dr. James Peterson, Amanda’s father, noted a profound change in her demeanor after the incident. “After that she became so defensive, less trusting. Some of the sparkle was gone,” he remarked, also mentioning that she had “significant bipolar problems.”

Sylvia highlighted that Amanda never pressed charges against her assailant, who was significantly older. “She had said to me one time, ‘Mother, I think I need a therapist.’ And I thought, ‘This is just Hollywood,’” Sylvia admitted, expressing regret for not taking Amanda’s request seriously.

Amanda’s sister, Ann-Marie Peterson, expressed that her sister carried the burden of her trauma alone, stating, “She did not tell me about it. She did not talk about it with anyone. I think for her to carry this secret… must have been overwhelming.”

In the wake of Amanda’s passing, Sylvia shared her memories of their final moments. “She was in bed, and she’d had a wonderful day, and we were planning on a dinner the next day,” she reflected, describing the unexpectedness of her daughter’s death.

Photographer Ryan Hartsock, who worked with Peterson during her last photoshoot in 2012, remembered her as a joyful person. “She had the greatest smile. I know it brightened her day,” he recalled, expressing disbelief over her sudden passing.

“I always thought she was healthy. I’ve never thought otherwise. She was a great gal,” Hartsock said, reiterating the shock of her death.