Where is Amanda Bynes now? Is she returning to Hollywood?

Amanda Bynes was killing it in the 90s & 00s. She hasn’t done any high-profile work in recent years, but she remains a recognizable name. Ever since her sketch comedy series The Amanda Show, Bynes has been known for her comedic timing & charm. If you don’t remember the 00’s, we can’t emphasize enough just how big a deal she was. In short: The girls just aren’t doing it like her anymore. 

Bynes’s first role was on All That, which ran from 1996 to 2000 (for context, she was 13 years old when the series started). The Amanda Show started in 1999 and ended in 2002. Bynes was everywhere up until 2010, when she announced her retirement from acting. 

In 2002, as her sketch comedy series was ending and Bynes was sixteen, she landed the starring role in the sitcom What I Like About You, which ran from 2002 to 2006. She transitioned into movie roles as she transitioned into adulthood. Bynes’s fans have missed her unique screen presence that has yet to be replicated by anyone else. 

Some highlights from Bynes’s film career are She’s the Man (2006), also starring Channing Tatum, Hairspray (2007), which had a cast full of big names, and Easy A (2010), starring Emma Stone. 

Her retirement in 2010 was partly due to issues related to mental health and substance abuse. She turned thirty-five earlier this year, and has been living a life more out of the spotlight compared to when she was younger. Many fans have been wondering if after all these years she’ll ever want to return to acting. 

Acting career

Bynes began acting professionally when she was seven years old. She started with appearances in commercials and stage plays. She was discovered by a Nickelodeon producer while at an acting camp. The producer cast her in All That, giving her her first big break. She was so popular on All That that she was given her own show, The Amanda Show.

Next up came a slightly more adult role in the sitcom What I Like About You, where Bynes starred as the younger sister of Jenny Garth’s character. She also had a voiceover role in Robots (2005). 

Amanda had her breakthrough film role as the lead in the romantic comedy She’s the Man (2006). The following year she was in the star-studded film adaptation of the musical Hairspray, in which she played Penny Pingleton. She was a scene-stealer in the movie that gave Emma Stone her big break as a leading lady, Easy A (2010). It was the same year that she dropped out of a few other projects and announced her retirement.

Retirement

After retiring in 2010, Bynes was charged with a DUI in 2012 and possession of marijuana in 2013. After these charges and some more erratic behavior, she was hospitalized for mental health issues. 

In 2014, Bynes enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Later that same year, she publicly accused her father of abusing her, and her mother was granted conservatorship over her. 

In 2018, after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Bynes opened up about her struggles with substance abuse and stated that she was four years sober. She apologized for the things she’d tweeted while under the influence and opened up about her bipolar disorder diagnosis. She also stated she was considering returning to acting. 

Bynes reportedly relapsed in 2019 but went back to rehab and is reportedly sober once again. She is also reported to have been in a relationship for at least a year, and the two are rumored to be engaged. 

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Would you like to see Amanda Bynes return to acting? Do you think she’s better off out of the spotlight? What’s your favorite Amanda Bynes movie or show? Let us know in the comments!