Amanda Bynes is a former American actress who first rose to fame as a child star in the late 90’s and early 2000’s for her part in the sketch comedy, All That. With a natural flair for performing, the blonde beauty began to take children’s comedy classes at the tender age of seven. Later going on to attend a camp at the Laugh Factory, it wasn’t long until she landed her first gig on national televisionーshe had been offered a part in a candy commercial. By the time she was ten, she was cast as a regular performer on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy, All That, which effectively served as her debut on the small screen. Noted for kicking off her show biz career, Bynes ultimately starred on the series for a total of six years, until her departure in 2002. To this date, it remains to be one of her best-known appearances on television.
Steadily rising in prominence, the aspiring performer was eventually given her own comedy series in 1999 called The Amanda Show, which served as a spin-off to All That. Popular amongst fans, it continued for three seasons prior to being cancelled in the early 200’s. Around that same time, the young actress also guest-starred in a handful of television series including Sports Theater with Shaquille O’Neal (1998), Arli$$ (1999), and The Nightmare Roo (2001). Following the end of All That and The Amanda Show in 2002, Bynes began transitioning into film; she starred in a movie for the first time in the action comedy, Big Fat Liar at the age of sixteen. A popular idol, the star has accumulated many awards and recognitions over the year including five Kid’s Choice Awards, a Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Award, a Hollywood Film Festival Award and an Award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, amongst others. In addition, she has also received nominations for a Screen Actors Guild Award, an MTV Movie Award, and a few Young Artist Awards.
On top of her achievements as an actress, Bynes has also lent her voice to a number of animated series such as Charlotte’s Web 2: Wilbur’s Great Adventure (2003), Robots (2005), Rugrats (2002-2006) and Family Guy (2008). A familiar face on television, she was invited as a guest on to countless talk shows over the years including The Nick Cannon Show (2002), The Caroline Rhea Show (2003), The Sharon Osbourne Show (2003), The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (2003), Ellen: The Ellen Degeneres Show (2006), Jimmy Kimmel Live (2007) and many more. Although she officially announced her retirement from the acting scene in 2012, her did go on to make an appearance on Fashion News Live in 2015.
So what has the former actress been up to these days? What has she been doing now that she has retired from the show business? What happened to Amanda Bynes? Where is she now in 2018?
Amanda Bynes’ Upbringing and Early Start in the Show Biz
Originally premiered on the network in April 1994, All That was known for featuring a number of original comedy sketches along with different musical guests every week. Geared towards younger viewers, it starred a large diverse castーmost of which were teen and child actors. The recipient of a Kid’s Choice Award for “Favourite TV Show” for two consecutive years, it continued for a total of eleven years, spanning over 170 episodes. While All That didn’t come to an end until 2005, Bynes was only a regular cast member until 2002; she mostly co-starred with Leon Frierson, Christy Knowings, Danny Tamberelli, Kenan Thompson and Josh Server at the time. Her first major television appearance, the sketch comedy played a crucial part in the launching of her performing career; to this date, it remains to be one of her best-known roles on television. For her splendid performance in All That, Bynes was awarded a Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Award for “Favourite Television Actress” in 2000; she was fourteen years old.
Amanda Bynes on Figure It Out and The Amanda Show
From there, it wasn’t long until she was given her own comedy series called The Amanda Show in the spring of 1999. A spin-off of All That, it also starred Nancy Sullivan and Drake Bell. Released on the Nickelodeon Network in October of that year, it took place in a fictional universeーone in which the sketch comedy is seen as a popular television series. In addition to the main cast, The Amanda Show also featured Josh Peck, Raquel Lee and John Kassir. Popular amongst younger audiences and fans of the original series, it continued for three years and ran for over forty episodes prior to being cancelled towards the end of 2002. Applauded for her performance on the sketch comedy, Bynes received three Kid’s Choice Award for “Favourite Television Actress” as well as two Young Artist Award nominations and a YoungStar Award nomination.
Amanda Bynes’ Acting Career
In 2002, Bynes made her film debut in the teen comedy, Big Fat Liar alongside co-stars Paul Giamatti, and Frankie Muniz. Opened in theatres that February, it depicted the story of Jason Shepherdーa pathological liar, whose assignment for his creative writing class is taken by a movie producer by the name of Marty Wolf, who plans on using it to make a personal film project. Although Big Fat Liar was met with mixed reviews upon hitting the screens, it was a huge box office success, having grossed over $53 million from a $15 million budget. While Muniz played the role of Jason, the blonde portrayed the role of his best friend, Kaylee. For her portrayal in the film, she won a Kid’s Choice Award for “Favourite Movie Actress” and was nominated for a Young Artist Award for the category of “Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Young Actress”.
The following year, she starred in another teen comedy called What a Girl Wants alongside Colin Firth, Oliver James and Kelly Preston. Based on William Douglas-Home’s 1995 play, The Reluctant Debutante, it centred around a teen girl who after finding out that her father is a British politician, feels hesitant to visit him as she’s afraid of causing a scandal, which may cost him the election. Upon its release in April 2003, What a Girl Wants was a hit at the box office; it eventually went on to earn over $50 million worldwide, despite having received numerous mixed reviews from critics. The part ultimately garnered Bynes another Kids’ Choice Award for “Favourite Movie Actress” in 2004.
After starring in a romantic comedy called, Love Wrecked in 2005, Bynes was cast as one of the lead characters in the sports comedy flick, She’s the Man (2006). Directed by Andy Fickman, it centred around a teenaged girl named Viola Hastings, who decides to join her brother’s all-male soccer team in his place, by disguising herself as a boy. Released in March 2006, it opened at number four in North America and grossed over $10 million during its opening weekend. While the film was panned for being too predictable, it was a commercial success, having eventually earned over $57 million from a $20 million budget across the globe. Although She’s the Man didn’t earn the blonde any major awards she did receive a Teen Choice Award nomination that year for her role.
Prior to retiring from acting, Brynes appeared in one last teen comedy film, Easy A in September 2010. Also starring Emma Stone, Thomas Haden Church, Dan Byrd, Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci, it followed the life of Olive Penderghast, a high school student who finds herself relying on the school’s rumor mill in order to move herself up in both social and financial status. Critically praised, Easy A was a major success at the box office, having grossed $75 million from a $8 million budget. The film also earned the actress a MTV Movie Award nomination for “Best Line from a Movie” that year.
What is Amanda Bynes Doing Now in 2018 – News and Updates
Following her retirement from the show business, Brynes has brushed with the law many times; she was arrested for two alleged hit-and-runs in 2012 and for possession of marijuana in 2013. After allegedly starting a fire in front of a stranger’s home, she was brought to a psychiatric hospital where she was later hospitalized. Since then, the former actress appears to have straightened herself out howeverーin fact, she’s currently going to school at Los Angeles’ Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. According to her tweets, she’s loving her classes and has been busy learning about the fashion business industry at the institute.
If you’d like to stay connected with the former television star, you can do so by following her on social mediaーyou can find Amanda Bynes at @amandabynes on Twitter.
