The Drastic Transformation Of Amanda Bynes

This article contains mentions of addiction.

Not many child stars have had as significant an impact on an entire generation as Amanda Bynes. The actor was Nickelodeon royalty in the late '90s and early '00s, providing a special brand of comedy that was entirely for children and winning the hearts of millions along the way. Bynes successfully transitioned into the entertainment industry as an adult, seemingly navigating an acting career better than many of her former Nickelodeon co-stars by starring in hit movies such as "What a Girl Wants" and "She's the Man."

But by the 2010s, tragic details about Amanda Bynes' life started to unfold and fans began to worry. The actor has suffered plenty of tribulations for a variety of reasons, and the past few years have been especially troubling. As any fan will attest, Bynes' change has been dramatic and heartbreaking. Here's a closer look at the drastic transformation of Amanda Bynes.

Like many child actors, Amanda Bynes grew up in the Los Angeles area, and she got her professional start acting in commercials for Mattel and Taco Bell when she was just 7 years old. Bynes also starred in stage productions as a child, such as "Annie" and "The Music Man," experiences that would serve her well into adulthood. But her real breakthrough came when she landed a role on the hit Nickelodeon series "All That," a sketch comedy series that was essentially "Saturday Night Live" for kids. Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Nick Cannon were among the other notable cast members.

Bynes began in 1996 and quickly became a fan favorite among the cast of "All That" thanks to characters like Lucy Ricardo and Ashely from the sketches "I Luv Lucy" and "Ask Ashley." Her co-stars were taken with her, too. "Amanda was the sweetest, happiest girl, and she loved to laugh," Thompson wrote of Bynes in his memoir "When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice From a Professional Clown." "She was an explosion of bright innocence and joy. She was funny whether the cameras were rolling or not. She was an old soul ... I connected with her because she was laser-focused like me," Thompson wrote. "She was adorable and had a ginormous range of talent. She was the best."

Amanda Bynes' talent was evident to everyone, and it didn't take long for her to move on from "All That." In 1999, just a couple of years after joining the network, Nickelodeon created an eponymous sketch comedy series for Bynes called "The Amanda Show." 

"I still can't believe it. It feels like it's unreal. ... I love doing what I'm doing. And for kids to watch me and come up to me and say they want to be like me, it's a really big honor," Bynes told the Orlando Sentinel of the series. "I know that some parents, I'm sure a lot of parents, don't like it. But I don't know, it's letting kids be kids and be the important ones for once. It's fun for them to watch."

"The Amanda Show" stayed on for three seasons and became known for sketches like "Moody's Point," "The Girls' Room," and "Judge Trudy" ("Bring in the dancing lobsters!"). The show also served as the start of Amanda Bynes' relationship with Drake Bell. Eventually, Bynes' sketch comedy chops only grew stronger and found comedy inspiration in one woman in particular: Lucille Ball. Bynes shared that she related to the comedic icon, and even her former "All That" co-star Kenan Thompson wrote in his memoir that Bynes knew a lot about Ball.

Amanda Bynes' career continued on an upward trajectory. At some point, child stars have to transition out of their childhood roles, but that didn't seem to be a problem for Bynes at the time. When "The Amanda Show" ended in 2002, Bynes began working on another project, a Warner Bros. sitcom called "What I Like About You," which she starred alongside "Beverly Hills, 90210" alum Jennie Garth. The series was a success, lasting for four seasons, and to this day it's Bynes' favorite project. "That TV show was super fun. I loved working with Jennie Garth and Leslie Grossman, Wesley Jonathan and Simon Rex. It was such a great experience," Bynes told a fan in a Cameo video, as posted on TikTok.

Bynes' career wasn't reliant on television, though. She also landed roles in hit movies, such as "Big Fat Liar" with Frankie Muniz and Paul Giamatti and "What a Girl Wants" alongside Colin Firth and Kelly Preston. Both films bolstered Amanda Bynes' star power and net worth. She began cementing her status as a young comedic talent beyond sketch comedy, with a particular penchant for physical comedy, and it was clear where she found inspiration for her comedic style. "I like '[The] Princess Bride.' That's one of my favorite movies. I really like Christopher Guest. I think he's really talented and I like Jim Carrey and a lot of his movies. I also liked 'Big' and 'Clueless,' Bynes said in an interview with Blackfilm.

When "What I Like About You" ended, Amanda Bynes was by no means out of a job. The former Nickelodeon star was just getting started with her film career and garnered roles in major movies in the mid-2000s. 

In 2006, Bynes starred in the comedy film "She's the Man" with Channing Tatum. Audiences loved the film in which she pretends to be her brother in order to play soccer on a rival team, but watching it proved detrimental to Bynes' mental health. "When the movie came out and I saw it, I went into a deep depression for 4-6 months because I didn't like how I looked when I was a boy," Bynes said of the film years later in an interview with Paper. 

In 2007, she went on to play Penny Pingleton in the remake of "Hairspray." She joined the all-star cast of John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, Allison Janney, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Zac Efron, among others, further proving she was talented enough to breathe rarified air. "I feel like all of young Hollywood wanted to be in this movie so we were just blessed to be the ones who they felt were right for the role," Bynes said to Collider of her and her co-star Elijah Kelley getting cast in the film. In 2010, the film "Easy A," which Bynes starred in alongside Emma Stone and Penn Badgley, aired, and was the last acting project of Bynes' career.

Social media in the early 2010s was far different than it is now, especially for celebrities. Places like X, formerly Twitter, were places for public figures to air their completely unfiltered thoughts, and Amanda Bynes did just that with a major announcement. "Being an actress isn't as fun as it may seem," Bynes tweeted (via Entertainment Weekly). "If I don't love something anymore, I stop doing it. I don't love acting anymore, so I've stopped doing it. I know 24 is a young age to retire, but you heard it here first," she wrote in another tweet. Bynes' early retirement shocked and saddened fans, and many didn't take it seriously. But the former actor stayed true to her word, and she left the entertainment industry behind.

Bynes didn't stray too far from entertainment, though, as she remained in a creative field. The former Nickelodeon star enrolled in California's Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, otherwise known as FIDM, which she first heard about from watching Lauren Conrad attend the school on "The Hills." "Instructors love her," the assistant dean of admissions Kathi Gilbert said of Bynes to Paper. "She's smart, she participates in class — she's an amazing student." Bynes discovered new talents and interests while at the school, too. "I never really liked math before, but I like this class," Bynes said of her merchandising math studies. "I'm getting a 96 in it."

After Amanda Bynes retired from acting, she began struggling in her personal life, which included some run-ins with the law. In 2012, Bynes was arrested for a misdemeanor DUI in Los Angeles after a minor car accident. The legal process took some time, so the fallout from her DUI didn't end until 2014 when she took a plea deal mandating three years probation, a fine, and alcohol education classes. Thanks to the plea deal, the DUI charges were dropped. Unfortunately, by the time her DUI charges were dropped, Bynes had already gotten into trouble in New York City. The former actor was charged with reckless endangerment and marijuana possession in 2013. In 2014, those charges were also dropped.

During this time, Bynes made headlines for something else: her tweets. The former child star had previously announced her retirement via X, but she continued sharing her thoughts on the social media site well after leaving the entertainment industry. Most infamously, Bynes posted a barrage of bizarre tweets, including a lewd message to rapper Drake, all of which made people question Bynes' health. Bynes later addressed the tweets and blamed them on substance use. "The mixture of marijuana and whatever other drugs and sometimes drinking really messed up my brain. It really made me a completely different person. I actually am a nice person. I would never feel, say or do any of the things that I did and said to the people I hurt on Twitter," she told Paper.

Unfortunately, Amanda Bynes' struggles didn't end with the legal system. In 2013, Bynes was put under a two-week psychiatric hold after allegedly starting a fire in someone's driveway. After this, she was placed under temporary conservatorship of her parents, giving them control over her finances. Bynes then spent six months in rehab, but after she returned, she made a comeback on Twitter, this time accusing her father of sexually abusing her as a child. Bynes' parents vehemently denied the allegations, and Bynes later reversed her claims, adding that a microchip in her brain that her father had ordered be inserted was causing her to say those things. Not long after that, Bynes shared that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Bynes opened up about the struggles in an interview years later, again blaming much of her behavior on substance use. "It definitely isn't fun when people diagnose you with what they think you are. That was always really bothersome to me. If you deny anything and tell them what it actually is, they don't believe you. Truly, for me, [my behavior] was drug-induced, and whenever I got off of [drugs], I was always back to normal," she told Paper.

In 2018, things seemed to be turning around for Amanda Bynes. The star shared in an interview with Paper that she had gotten sober four years prior and was doing well. In the interview, though, she also got real about her substance use. "I started smoking marijuana when I was 16," she revealed. "Later on it progressed to doing molly and ecstasy. [I tried] cocaine three times but I never got high from cocaine ... I definitely abused Adderall." Despite her past struggles, those close to her were praising her efforts in sobriety. "She's tasted the worst of the world and she's come through it beautifully. And I think one of the things she's going to be greatest at now is giving advice," Toni Hohberg, president and chief executive of FIDM, told the outlet.

Positivity in Bynes' personal life continued. In June 2019, she shared that she'd graduated from California's Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, and in 2020, she got engaged to Paul Michael, though the two are no longer together.

In 2022, life for Amanda Bynes again seemed promising as she was well enough to pursue freedom from her conservatorship. "Amanda wishes to terminate her conservatorship. She believes her condition is improved and protection of the court is no longer necessary," Bynes' lawyer told People at the time. 

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she had been under a conservatorship for a total of 9 years. #amandabynes #amandabynesnow #amandabynesedit #fidm #angeloispetty #celebgossiptok #celebgossip #graduate #britneyspears

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Bynes took to Instagram to update her fans, too. "What's up Instagram, Amanda Bynes here. My court date is coming up in two weeks. I want to thank you all for your love and support. Peace out," Bynes said, (via CNN). Bynes' parents were on board with the decision too and ended her conservatorship in March that year. Soon after, plans for Amanda Bynes' life post-conservatorship began to be speculated.

Unfortunately in 2023, things took a sour turn for the former actor. In March, the fashion school graduate was placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold after reportedly walking naked down the streets of Los Angeles. In June, Bynes was again taken to a mental health facility after reportedly contacting authorities out of fear that she could potentially harm herself. Bynes checked out of the facility in July and reportedly had a care plan in place.

In late 2023, Amanda Bynes launched a podcast called "Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast," but ended it after one episode. "After thinking about it, though, I would rather get my manicurist license and have a consistent job. I'm going to follow that path instead," Bynes said in a since-expired Instagram story, as reported by Entertainment Tonight. The star also created a TikTok account and opened up about her change in appearance which had long been a cause for concern among fans. Bynes shared that plastic surgery had altered her looks, and a few months later added that weight gain from depression had affected her physically.

Bynes remained fairly quiet through the rest of 2024, but did share that she was pursuing licensure to become a manicurist. The former child star once had a great attitude about her life, and hopefully, has that same mindset moving forward. As Bynes told Paper in 2018, "I have no fear of the future. I've been through the worst and came out the other end and survived it so I just feel like it's only up from here."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.