Goonies star who played Chunk is completely unrecognizable today as he made major career change
Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Film and TV, Hollywood, Oscars
Ella Scott
Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros.
Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Film and TV, Hollywood, Oscars
Goonies actor Jeff Cohen retired from acting in the early ‘90s and has gone on to have a wildly successful life and career.
In 1983, Cohen, now 49, made his television debut on the beloved CBS game show, Child’s Play before starring in Little Shots and the horror series Tales from the Darkside.
However, the young star truly gained footing in the entertainment industry when he was cast as the iconic Lawrence ‘Chunk’ Cohen in The Goonies.
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The 1985 adventure comedy film, directed by Richard Donner, saw Cohen joining Sean Astin, Marvel’s John Brolin, Ke Huy Quan and Corey Feldman as a fully-fledged member of the Goonies.
During the movie, Cohen’s character is a habitual fabulist and is well-known for producing his legendary ‘Chunks Confession’ speech.
“OK, I'll talk! In third grade, I cheated on my history exam,” the quote goes.
“In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I played Moses in my Hebrew School play.”
Of course, fans will also remember the 80s character for his signature dance the ‘truffle shuffle’ - a move that still circulates via GIFs all these years later.
Following Cohen’s stint as Chunk, the star appeared as protagonist Max Baxter in Disney’s Ask Max and voiced a Grunt in the animated 1988 film, Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School.
However, after appearing in 1991’s Perfect Harmony, the actor left the world of acting behind and decided to pursue a career in law.
Previously speaking about his decision to quit stardom, the California native said: “There were basically about four fat kids in town, so every time there was a fat kid role you saw the same people at the audition.
“It was survival of the fattest. But when I hit puberty, it was a career-ender for me. I was transforming from Chunk to hunk and I couldn’t get roles any more.”
After his Hollywood exit, it’s said Cohen used introductions from Goonies director Donner to get summer internships and jobs on the business side of movie studios.
He later earned a degree from the UCLA School of Law, co-founded his own law firm, Cohen & Gardner, and now works with various celebrities and big names within the entertainment business.
At the 95th Academy Awards, Cohen was name-dropped thanked on stage by his former Goonies co-star Quan.
The thanks came after he helped to negotiate the deal of his casting in Everything Everywhere All At Once - a role that saw him win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.