Amanda Bynes' career rise and fall over the years - and the one movie that made her 'retire'
Amanda Bynes broke into the entertainment industry when she was just seven years old, and quickly became one of the biggest child actors to date. Her first appearance on the small screen came in 1996 on All That. She made such an impression, she was then given her own Nickelodeon spin-off, The Amanda Show in 1999. She went on to achieve much more success, but problems in her personal life made it all ‘come to an end’ more than a decade later. We take a look at what Amanda Bynes herself has said about her rise and fall in Hollywood.
The Hollywood star has now made her way back into the public eye after she was placed under legal guardianship in 2013. Her parents filed to place her under this following what the movie star described to be a ‘dark period in her life’. She returned with the launch of her podcast with friend, Paul Sieminski but ‘issues’ meant the great comeback, with a whole new look, was canceled, and to this date, only one episode is available for fans to listen to.
1996 – 2010: Amanda Bynes ‘rocked’ the entertainment industry for more than a decade
The Amanda Show, starring Drake Bell and Josh Peck, was such a hit, that Bynes won the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Favorite TV Actress three years in a row.
In 2002, she made her film debut in Big Fat Liar and her career went on the up from there. She then went on to star in the hit sitcom, What I Like About You, starred with Lindsay Lohan on Teen Queens, and then featured in the iconic She’s The Man alongside Channing Tatum in 2006.
However, in 2010 the cracks began to show, just before starring in her final role in a major movie to date, Easy A.
Just before the release in 2010, Bynes, who was 24 at the time took to X, which was then known as Twitter to announce her retirement from acting.
“Being an actress isn’t as fun as it may seem,” she tweeted. “I know 24 is a young age to retire, but you heard it here first: I’ve retired.”
However, weeks later, she announced she had ‘unretired’ posting the trailer to the romcom, which grossed $17 million in its first weekend.
“I literally couldn’t stand my appearance in that movie and I didn’t like my performance. I was absolutely convinced I needed to stop acting after seeing it,” she told Paper Magazine in 2018.
2012: Cracks in the star’s personal life began to show
Two years after the release of her final film, the star was arrested on suspicion of DUI in April 2012, and was charged two months later with two misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run.
A year later, she was arrested yet again for ‘throwing a bong’ out the window of her NYC apartment. Around this time, the star was going through a ‘public meltdown’ and was changing up her appearance with a variety of colorful wigs.
For her June 2013 court appearance, she could be smiling heading into the court, whilst wearing a bright blue wig.
She was then thought to have started a small fire in the drive of a home in California and was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold. During this time, she was placed under legal guardianship, similar to that of Britney Spears.
The now 37-year-old was released from rehab in December 2013.
2018: Amanda’s comeback to the industry takes a turn for the worst
After a quiet few years, Bynes gave her first interview in years in 2017, talking to Hollyscoop’s Diana Madison.
She then opened up with a huge spread on Paper Magazine, candidly speaking about her struggle with substance abuse and expressing her regret for her Twitter rants back in the day.
“I’m really ashamed and embarrassed with the things I said. I can’t turn back time but if I could, I would. And I’m so sorry to whoever I hurt and whoever I lied about because it truly eats away at me,” she said.
However, at the start of 2019, it was reported she had been taken back into rehab after a setback following ‘the pressure of being back in the spotlight’ after the huge ‘comeback interview’.
Five years later, things were looking on the up for the star, as a Judge ended her nine-year conservatorship.
“I would also like to thank my lawyer and my parents for their support over the last nine years,” she said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time.
“In the last several years, I have been working hard to improve my health so that I can live and work independently, and I will continue to prioritize my well-being in this next chapter.”
2024: Amanda makes her showbiz return with a Podcast – but it didn’t last long
In December 2023, Amanda took part in her first ‘on-screen project’ since Easy A – a podcast with her friend, Paul Siminski, titled Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast.
As well as a new venture, she also debuted a new look, blonde hair, and a heart-shaped face tattoo, which she had inked in 2019. The former child actress also admitted to blepharoplasty surgery on the skin folds in the corners of her eyes.
“It was one of the best things I could have done for my self-confidence, and it made me feel a lot better in my skin,” she gushed.
However, after just one week and one episode, she announced she was ending her podcast, despite the first episode doing really well.
In an Instagram story, she explained she would “rather get my manicurist license and have a consistent job.”
She also announced the show was being ‘put on pause’ as she failed to line up high-profile guests such as Drake and Post Malone.
As for now, she continues to update fans with her ongoings via her Instagram story. We’ll be keeping an eye out for the Drake episode in the future!
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