A star of the hitNetflixseriesCobra Kaihas announced their sudden retirement from acting after more than two decades.Courtney Henggeler, who starred in theKarate Kidspin-off as Amanda LaRusso, the wife of Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso, throughout all six seasons ofCobra Kai, took to Substack to announce that she is “tapping out” of the industry and no longer wants “to be a cog in the wheel of the machine.”
“After 20 plus years of fighting the good fight in the acting business, I hung up my gloves on Friday. I called my agents and told them I was tapping out. I no longer wanted to be a cog in the wheel of the machine. When prompted to know what I did want to do, I simply replied “I want to be the machine”
All I’ve ever known in my professional life was acting. But not even the art or craft of acting. All I’ve truly ever knew was the hustle. The hustle, the grind, sprinkled occassionally with the odd acting job. Perhaps a line or two to TV’s Dr. House - “Sorry” (that’s it. That was my line. Genius) Nailed it. Or a recurring guest-star that never seemed to recur….Whatever the opposite of nailing it is.”
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Frustrated with “the grind” and surviving “off the crumbs” for more than 20 years, Henggeler states that she has become tired of waiting for what she calls “the golden goose.”
“And I’m considered one of the lucky ones. I was on a series. A successful series. I made money. My face was on the billboards I longed for 20 plus years. I was directed by George Clooney for godsakes. This by all definitions is the golden goose. I’m famished.”
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Courtney Henggeler first appeared on-screen in the horror B-movieThe Bog Creaturesback in 2003 and has since gone to star in the likes ofFriends with Benefits, Nobody’s Fool,andThe Boys in the Boat, the latter of which is her most recent credit. On the small screen, Henggeler has had minor roles in the likes ofHouse, Criminal Minds, NCIS, Fuller House,andThe Big Bang Theory,in which she starred as Missy Cooper, Sheldon’s twin sister.
Walking away from acting after all these years, Henggeler continues to highlightissues with the wider industry, saying, “For years I silenced the voice in my head, begging me to walk away. The voice, the constant gnawing. Not because of the acting itself. But because of the gauntlet I had to run to reach the acting. What once felt necessary, something I willingly participated, even celebrated, became stifling.”
Source:Substack
