These days, Frankie Muniz is balancing his racecar driving career with the Malcolm in the Middle revival on the 2026 TV schedule. Back in the early 2000s, he also had a lot to balance, and he couldn't say yes to everything. Case in point, he was asked to host Saturday Night Live in 2000; however, he ended up saying no for an (adorable) Amanda Bynes-related reason.

Frankie Muniz told People about getting the exciting opportunity to co-host Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards in 2000. As a child actor, who wouldn’t want the chance to get slimed and share the podium with his co-host, Amanda Bynes? However, the Agent Cody Banks star recalled another thrilling opportunity he was offered that I'd assume most wouldn't turn down:

What an honor! Leading the cast of Malcolm in the Middle gave the entertainment world a chance to see Frankie Muniz’s comedy chops, and getting asked to host SNL clearly means NBC has faith that the child star could carry an episode of the beloved live show. And to be among the biggest stars of the sketch series and performing live from New York is iconic.

However, as much of a career milestone SNL would have been for the Racing Stripes actor, there was one roadblock that got in the way of that:

Aww, that’s a real suckerpunch. While I can appreciate Frankie Muniz being “a man of principle,” it's hard for me to comprehend someone turning down SNL. However, he had more than one reason for saying no. Other than committing to Nickelodeon, the professional racecar driver explained his true intentions for putting the sketch comedy show on the back burner:

That’s the cutest thing! While Frankie Muniz has previously spoken about having the “biggest crush” on Amanda Bynes back then, I’m loving all of the new details I’m hearing about being stuck between two hosting gigs. Meeting the All That star ended up being a good thing, as the two later starred in the funny family movie Big Fat Liar and became good AOL chat buddies. While Muniz said they lost touch after the movie’s premiere, it’s nice that he still has fond memories of his former co-host.

However, talk about being between a rock and a hard place (or in this case, two hosting gigs). Although Frankie Muniz’s reasoning is very understandable. I get that he wanted to co-host a fun kids’ show and the chance to share the podium with his crush. While I’ll always wonder what Muniz would have been like as an SNL host, NBC couldn't get him because of green slime and Amanda Bynes.

Who knows, though, maybe someday he'll get the chance to perform in Studio 8H. However, for now, you can catch the Emmy nominee in Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair with a Hulu subscription or a Disney+ subscription.

Former child star Frankie Muniz may have transitioned to a full-time NASCAR driver, but the acting bug has bitten him for a TV comeback. He's leading the Malcolm in the Middle revival miniseries with the majority of the original cast alongside him. Muniz has already been promoting the show and, while doing so, he's been reflecting on his formative years. He recently recalled former co-star Amanda Bynes, whom his younger self apparently had the “biggest crush” on.

During Frankie Muniz's younger years, he got to work with talented leading ladies like Hilary Duff and Amanda Bynes. Muniz and Bynes co-starred in one of the funniest family flicks, Big Fat Liar (which is streamable with a Prime Video subscription). While the two played friends in the 2002 movie, Muniz revealed to Us Weekly that he apparently felt something more for The Amanda Show actress:

Declare me totally shocked. I mean, the two do have great chemistry in Big Fat Liar, but I never would have guessed that Frankie Muniz had a crush on Amanda Bynes. I do think it’s really cute that the Racing Stripes actor turned down the chance to host SNL all to meet the beloved Nickelodeon actress at the Kids’ Choice Awards.

I’m glad to know the BFL co-stars became good friends during their child star years. I personally would have loved to see more of the two acting together. As Muniz revealed the pair had lost touch since their youth, he got real about his feelings on how Bynes' life has turned out:

For most of her adult life, Bynes has made headlines for various reasons, with not all of them being positive. She's also essentially retired from acting at this point. Her final role as an actress was in Easy A and, after that, she stepped away from the craft to study fashion.

It was in 2012, though, that Amanda Bynes was charged with DUI, and the years that followed saw her embroiled in other legal situations. Bynes has also dealt with mental health challenges, and the She’s the Man star's parents eventually earned conservatorship rights in 2013. That conservatorship ultimately ended nine years later.

The latest news on Amanda Bynes comes by way of her Instagram story from September 5th, which revealed she’s writing a screenplay with a friend about a young woman who decides to become a clown. Whether this creative endeavor indicates that Bynes is truly eyeing an entertainment industry comeback is unclear.

While Frankie Muniz never could have predicted Amanda Bynes’ struggles, it's sweet that he still wishes her the best and has fond memories of their time as kids. The experience of being a child star seems to be unique, and it's something that links people like Bynes and Muniz together.

Be sure to see Frankie Muniz’s TV comeback when the four-episode Malcolm in the Middle revival premieres in December. Fans will need a Disney+ subscription if they want to tune in.

There are a lot of great movies out there with horribly photoshopped family images. You know what I’m talking about. You may see a photo panned to on a shelf and it’s supposed to be of one big, happy, photoshopped family, but instead it's some cut and paste job that's awkward (and not for comedic effect.) Many family-based movies have a moment like this where multiple actors have been frankenstein-ed together to make it seem like they’ve spent time together outside of the context of the movie. But as I was watching Easy A recently and saw one of these very apparent moments thanks to a photo involving Amanda Bynes, I had to ask myself: Why does this happen so frequently?

It turns out, there are several reasons weird Photoshop moments have become a sign of the times.

But first, I think it’s worth pointing out the Amanda Bynes version is so egregious, as they took a literal (and obvious) event photo of her and splashed it into a poorly edited picture with her family (Fred Armisen, also in a tux without context, and Stacey Travis) in the movie. I'm not the first person to notice this either...

“Sometimes It’s Just Kind Of A Nightmare

One frequent set designer, Seth Rutledge, actually spoke to The Guardian about what happens on movie and TV sets leading to such sloppy photos a while back. (Thank goodness I’m not the only person obsessed with this issue.) Rutledge told the outlet it can be a nightmare to figure out what to do about a family photo when a scene calls for one at the last minute.

The obvious answer can often be to get the relevant “family” or “friends” cast members to show up on set and do a quick photoshoot. If everyone is on set at once and the photo required is one that is set in the present day, this can often be a wonderful solution for a movie or TV show. It’s also why some movies have better family photos than others.

But taking a new photo is not always an option. Sometimes a script will call for photos featuring kids who are much younger doing some sort of specific activity, perhaps hugging their parents. Or they might want a photo of friends when they were much younger at some sort of event, like camp, together –the list can go on and on. In those cases, actual monetary resources have to be used in order to create good, solid photos. Otherwise it’s just some random person on set throwing a little lasso action together using Photoshop.

Which brings us to another reason some of these photos look horribly photoshopped in movies: What was the original intent?

Sometimes The Photos Are Just Supposed To Be A Part Of The Background

When a photo is specifically edited to be a really germane part of the plot -- as happened in one Criminal Minds episode -- the results can be spectacular, or at least not noticeably cringe-worthy. But that's simply not the case a lot of times when these photos are being put together, particularly when movies are made on a relatively limited budget, like Easy A, which was made with only $8 million. (And went on to make $75 million.)

Most of the time, these sorts of family photos are simply never supposed to be highlighted onscreen. They are meant to be props on set that sit on a shelf somewhere in the background, perhaps in the viewers’ sightline but never meant to be dissected by people watching. To be fair, that’s the situation with Easy A.

Olive starts getting friendly with mean girl Marianne Bryant by second period one day, until Marianne's boyfriend contracts chlamydia and says it came from Olive. We cut to a shot of Marianne's mother getting ready in a robe while talking on the phone about the chlamydia situation. She's surrounded by these really phony family photos. But the pictures are big enough now on our TV's it's really, really noticeable.

Rutledge says when these images are usually designed, it's because they were meant to be a simple supplement to a scene. Fans were never meant to see them, but sometimes these things are more noticeable in the era of HD TVs.

Other times, a photo gets highlighted more than it was originally intended to when a scene may get shifted around to another part of a room on set or whatever. It might start out in the background and then a director or actor may pick up one of these photos while speaking, suddenly highlighting it, or a photo may shift much closer to where the camera has been placed.

No matter what is actually going on with some of these more egregious photos, it's "gradually becoming more of a problem," as people like myself notice it on the Internet more. But he says everyone is doing the "best they can" even when edited images are not up to snuff. So, if you see a horribly Photoshopped photo, maybe give the people responsible a little grace.

And hey, even projects that don’t deal with the curse of family photos still have their own on-camera problems. The world will never forget the Game of Thrones coffee cup. Or Henry Cavill's mustachegate.

One might assume that a long filmography will ensure an actor has a long and enduring legacy but that is not always the case. Some of Hollywood's greatest icons and other performers you would likely recognize are noted for having relatively short careers, particularly on the silver screen. See for yourself as we look back on some of our favorite actors who were only in a handful of movies.

John Belushi

As one of the most iconic members of the original Saturday Night Live cast, it is no surprise that John Belushi went on to have a noteworthy film career, though a short one, with just seven film credits. Before he passed in 1982, he was the standout of National Lampoon's Animal House, shared the screen with his friend Dan Aykroyd in 1941, The Blues Brothers (one of the best movies based on an SNL character), and Neighbors, starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Goin' South, and was in a forgotten '80s rom-com called Continental Divide.

Mara Wilson

While she has returned to acting on the small screen a number of times in more recent years, Mara Wilson's last movie (before cameoing in 2015's Billie Bob Joe) was 2000's Thomas and the Magic Railroad, which she has claimed is the gig that made her one of the most notable child stars who stepped away from Hollywood. She had previously starred in just four other films including her debut in Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street, Matilda in the title role, and 1997's A Simple Wish.

Jake Lloyd

Former child actor Jake Lloyd might have been in more than just six movies — including the Arnold Schwarzenegger-led underrated holiday comedy, Jingle All the Way — if he had a better experience playing Anakin Skywalker (a young Darth Vader) in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. He would later openly discuss his struggles with criticism he faced from Star Wars movie fans about his performance which, ultimately, led him to abandon acting.

Amanda Bynes

Amanda Bynes' rise to fame on Nickelodeon as part of the All That cast and the lead of her own sketch comedy series, The Amanda Show, led to starring roles in nine films, including Big Fat Liar, She's the Man, Sydney White, and Easy A. Said 2010 high school movie would be her final acting effort after announcing via Twitter that she was retiring from acting, which was followed by reports that she was seeking treatment for her mental health.

Chadwick Boseman

Even if we count all of his Marvel movie appearances as T'Challa (including his smash-hit, 2018 solo film, Black Panther), Chadwick Boseman's cinematic filmography amounts to just 13 tiles before his untimely death in 2020 after a battle with Stage 3 Colon Cancer. Yet, he gave a stunning performance every time, from playing Jackie Robinson in 42 to James Brown in Get On Up, and his Academy Award-nominated role in Netflix's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Chris Farley

Throughout his career, Chris Farley delivered countless hilarious quotes on SNL and in a total of 10 movies — such as Tommy Boy and Beverly Hills Ninja — before his passing in 1997. A part of us still wishes we could have seen him voice the title role of Shrek, which ended up going to his Wayne's World co-star, Mike Myers.

River Phoenix

One of Hollywood's most infamous tragedies is the 1993 passing of 23-year-old River Phoenix, who starred in 13 films released between 1985 and 1994. In that short time, the Academy Award nominee (for his supporting role in 1988's Running on Empty) amassed a remarkable resume that includes Explorers, Stand By Me, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as Young Indy, and My Own Private Idaho, most notably.

Shannen Doherty

If we leave out her many cameos and just count starring roles, Shannen Doherty's film career amounts to only 13 titles, including The Secret of NIMH, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, and Heathers. Sadly, we will never get to see her reprise her role as Rene in Kevin Smith's long-awaited Mallrats sequel following her passing in 2024.

John Cazale

Before his untimely death at the age of 42 due to lung cancer, John Kazale only appeared in five films — namely The Godfather (Parts I and II), The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Deer Hunter. However, each of these titles received a Best Picture Oscar nomination, with The Godfather movies and The Deer Hunter taking home the gold.

James Dean

Sometimes we wonder if James Dean would still be one of the most enduring icons of Hollywood's Silver Age had he not succumbed to a tragic car accident in 1955 at just 24 years old. Also the definitive poster boy for "cool," the two-time Oscar nominee's talents are immortalized in just three big screen classics, namely East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

Most famous for playing Randy in the Home Improvement cast and voicing Simba in 1994's The Lion King, Jonathan Taylor Thomas was one of the most beloved teen idols of the '90s, but stepped away from Hollywood almost as soon as he hit adulthood. His last real movie, also his 17th total, was an obscure animated film from 2006 called Thru the Moebius Strip and, before that, he was in 1999's Walking Across Egypt, with not much since except for a few appearances on Last Man Standing.

Willow Smith

After making her debut in one of the best Will Smith movies, 2007's I Am Legend, as her real-life father's onscreen daughter, Willow Smith went on to star in 2008's Kit Kitteridge: An American Girl and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, alongside her mother, Jada Pinkett Smith. That trio amounts to her entire film career as her primary focus ever since has been her music.

Jeff Cohen

Despite being one of the funniest standouts of the Goonies cast, the 1985, family-friend adventure classic remains Jeff Cohen's only film. He revealed to The Daily Mail that, after growing up and losing weight, his career in front of the camera began to slow down, leading him to become an entertainment lawyer who even represents his Goonies co-star, Academy Award nominee Ke Huy Quan.

Taylor Momsen

At seven years old, Taylor Momsen made quite an impression with her breakout role as Cindy Lou Who in 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas — the second of nine movies she stars in, including We Were Soldiers, and Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams. However, during her stint in the Gossip Girl cast, she formed a rock band called The Pretty Reckless, which has been her primary career ever since.

Peter Ostrum

Peter Ostrum will forever be remembered as Charlie Bucket from 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which remains his sole acting effort. Today, he makes a living as a veterinarian for large animals like cows which, we suppose, means he does continue to make some contribution to the chocolate industry after all.

Jennette McCurdy

Jennette McCurdy is known mostly from TV, particularly as Sam Puckett on Nickelodeon's iCarly, but would appear in 12 feature films, including Hollywood Homicide with Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett in 2003 and 2016's Pet. After writing and directing a short film called Kenny in 2018, she officially retired from acting for reasons she would detail in her best-selling memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died.

Angus T. Jones

The peak of Angus T. Jones' acting career was playing Jake Harper — the "half man" on Two and a Half Men, which he would leave due to its raunchy material before retiring from acting altogether. However, he does have six movies on his resume, including See Spot Run from 2001, 2002's The Rookie, and, in 2003, Bringing Down the House and a straight-to-video sequel to George of the Jungle as the titular jungle dweller's son.

Ross Malinger

In the 1990s, Ross Malinger led a very promising career as a child actor with 10 major film roles that included playing one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's students in Kindergarten Cop, Tom Hanks’ son in Sleepless in Seattle, and Jean-Claude Van Damme's son in 1995's Sudden Impact. However, despite many other TV credits, such as voicing T.J. on Recess, he did not star in very many other films and, according to THR, grew up to manage a car dealership.

Barret Oliver

One of the top child actors of the 1980s was Barret Oliver, who had memorable starring roles like Bastion in The NeverEnding Story, the eponymous android from D.A.R.Y.L., David in the Cocoon movies, and Vincent from Tim Burton's original Frankenweenie short. After acquiring a total of 10 major motion picture releases on his resume, he stopped acting in 1989 and now works as a a photographer who specializes in 19th-century printing processes.

Alisan Porter

Modern audiences might recognize Alisan Porter best for winning Season 10 of The Voice. Before then, she starred in seven well-known films, such as Ron Howard's Parenthood and John Hughes' Curly Sue in the title role.

Danny Lloyd

Danny Lloyd has only been in three movies: Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror movie classic The Shining, a made-for-TV film called Will: The Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy from 1982, and 2019's Doctor Sleep. However, Mike Flanagan's sequel to The Shining only featured him in a small cameo instead of seeing him reprise his role as psychic Danny Torrance, who was then played by Ewan McGregor.

Lisa Jakub

Amid numerous TV appearances, the most notable of Lisa Jakub's nine film credits include Matinee from director Joe Dante, Mrs. Doubtfire with Robin Williams, and the alien invasion movie classic, Independence Day. In 2000, she decided to walk away from acting and now makes a living as a motivational speaker.

Ben Savage

Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Fred Savage, Ben Savage got his own TV show, leading the Boy Meets World cast for seven years. However, his notable acting credits outside of playing young Cory Matthew are slim, including a film career made of just 10 titles that are not very well-known, save 1989's Little Monsters and 1994's Clifford.

Ariana Richards

As a child actor in the 1990s, Ariana Richards acquired a unique claim to fame by taking on man-eating beasts in classic monster movies Jurassic Park and Tremors. After starring in 10 features, she would go on to make a living as a painter since 2000.

Jeremy Suarez

While best known for playing Jordan Thomkins on The Bernie Mac Show, Jeremy Suarez put out 10 cinematic acting efforts, including Jerry Maguire, voicing Koda in Disney's Brother Bear, and Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie. His career slowed down the older he got and led him to pursue more normal jobs.

Carrie Henn

Carrie Henn made an impressive acting debut in one of the most iconic roles from the Alien movies, "Newt," who is discovered by Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) after becoming the sole survivor of a devastating Xenomorph attack. However, after the success of 1986's Aliens, the world never saw Henn grace the silver screen again as she would instead follow her true dream of being a teacher.

Jamie Waylett

Fans of the Harry Potter movies would surely be able to recognize Jamie Waylett as Vincent Crabbe, but they would not be able to recognize him (or spot him) from anything else. The first six installments of the coming-of-age fantasy movie franchise based on the popular book series are the only projects he has ever acted in.

Danielle Fishel

Aside from hosting Style Network's The Dish from 2008 to 2010 and co-hosting Pod Meets World with Rider Strong and Will Friedle since 2022, Danielle Fishel is best known as Topanga on Boys Meets World and, to be frank, not that much else. Her film resume is also pretty obscure and only consists of seven titles, including National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze and its sequel and 2015's Boiling Pot.

Ansel Elgort

Following his debut in the 2013 adaptation of Carrie, Ansel Elgort would go on to star in 12 other films, including The Fault in Our Stars, two Divergent movies, Baby Driver, and Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. His TV appearances are even scarcer, with his lead role on HBO's Tokyo Vice being the only small screen credit.

Luise Rainier

German actor Luise Rainier actually a relatively busy career throughout the 1930s, and even won an Academy Award for 1936's The Great Ziegfeld, but slowed down significantly beyond that decade. Between 1939 and 2003, she only appeared in three films: 1943's Hostages, 1997's The Gambler, and 2003's Poem: I Set My Foot Upon the Air and It Carried Me, bringing her grand total to 14.

Charlie Korsmo

Before becoming a lawyer, Charlie Korsmo had a short but impressive run in movies like Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy, Steven Spielberg's Hook, and the party movie favorite, Can't Hardly Wait. He would return to acting a few times to appear in 2018's Chained for Life and his ninth movie, A24's A Different Man in 2024.

Gina Carano

Gina Carano starred in 13 films, including Haywire, Deadpool, and Fast and Furious 6, but her biggest acting role would be Cara Dune from The Mandalorian. However, the former MMA star's career would slow down after she exited the Star Wars spin-off series following controversial social media posts.

In the aftermath of Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, there’s been reignited public interest in Nickelodeon’s workplace atmosphere during the mid-’90s through the 2000s. It was during this time that ex-producer Dan Schneider oversaw many of the network’s biggest shows. During and since the docuseries debuted, a number of former child stars have been opening up, with some sharing their personal experiences with Schneider. All That alum Lori Beth Denberg is now recalling how she raised concerns over Schneider’s treatment of Amanda Bynes – and how she received backlash for it. 

The actress shared her account of events while participating in a candid interview with Business Insider, and she made several claims against Dan Schneider. Among them are that he fondled her and put his mouth on her breasts while they were at his home and that he showed her pornography on multiple occasions. After the end of her tenure on All That in 1998, the Good Burger alum allegedly sought to move past the “weird, abusive friendship” she’d developed with the Kenan & Kel EP. However, she ultimately found herself near his orbit again around 1999 when Amanda Bynes invited her to the set of her eponymous series, The Amanda Show, which was also created by Schneider. 

As Lori Beth Denberg explained, her choice to visit the set stemmed from her reasoning that she “loved [Amanda] more than [she] hated Dan.” She states that what she found was that the then-13-year-old Bynes, who apparently looked “gaunt” at the time, was being mistreated. The Steve Harvey Show alum explained to the outlet that she’d long had concerns about how the iCarly EP had treated Bynes and that when she got to the set, he’d rattled her after changing her script at the last minute. Denberg reportedly spoke up on her former All That co-star’s behalf, (non-directly) telling the producer he couldn’t switch up “the little girl's lines on the spot.” Denberg claims he gave the following response: 

Amanda Bynes passed on Quiet on Set as, according to insiders, her experiences as a Nickelodeon star differed from those of her peers. It was also said that she was grateful for the experiences she’d had. As far as the public knows, Bynes (whose nearly nine-year conservatorship ended in 2022) has yet to see the docuseries. Since it dropped, Dan Schneider issued an apology, during which he mentioned Bynes. He specifically recalled an instance in which he allegedly assisted her when she was having a problem at home with her parents. 

Lori Beth Denberg recalled being very worried about her former co-star’s well being back in the early aughts, and that grew after her set visit. After being told by a friend that Bynes was not doing well at the time, Denberg spoke to Brian Robbins, who was the head of Tollin/Robbins Productions and co-created All That. Allegedly, Denberg made an emotional appeal to Robbins over her concerns for Bynes. In response, the exec supposedly didn’t follow up with any questions and argued that Dan Schneider, with whom he worked with on several productions, hadn’t had the easiest road either. Denberg later spoke with Albie Hecht, then president of Nickelodeon Entertainment, who later told her that Bynes’ filming schedules had been changed. However, Denberg later learned that she’d been banned from the Amanda Show set. 

The actress, who was filled with “disgust and defeat and sadness” after the ordeal, is just one of Amanda Bynes’ former co-stars who’s spoken about her as of late. Fellow Amanda Show alum Drake Bell also sang Bynes' praises during an interview. Bell, whose sexual abuse at the hands of ex-dialogue coach Brian Peck was revealed on QoS, called Bynes’ work “awe-inspiring.” In recent years, other All That alums like Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell have sent sweet messages to her as well.

As of this writing, the What a Girl Wants alum has yet to speak out about Dan Schneider following the docuseries’ premiere or comment on the accounts from Lori Beth Denberg and the others. Only time will tell whether she chooses to share her experiences. In the meantime, know that Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is available to stream with a Max subscription.

As anyone with a Paramount+ subscription can see, the dark and dour docuseries Quiet on Set has remained a Top 10 performer for the streaming service ever since its debut in mid-March, with a lot of the press surrounding the series (both positive and negative) helping fuel its popularity. The project’s pair of creators and directors, Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz, weren’t on-screen subjects themselves, but have spent much of that post-release window talking about why they went all-in on the exposé, with a particular Amanda Show character serving as a catalyst.

For years, videos spread around the internet that compiled potentially problematic visual gags from various Nickelodeon hits, from iCarly to Zoey 101, and those videos were part of the inspiration for Robertson and Schwartz bringing their investigative skills to the situation. Another key factor had nothing to do with teen actresses being splashed with goo, but rather a bit of naughty nomenclature involving Amanda Show character Penelope Taynt. Here’s what Schwartz told Deadline for the outlet’s Contenders TV: Documentary + Unscripted panel, when addressing the idea that jokes were added into shows that kids weren’t necessarily supposed to understand, even if they were still laughing.

The Amanda Show fans will no doubt recall titular star Amanda Bynes playing a character rocking a brunette wig, glasses, and a buttoned-up vest, complete with an affinity for technology and saying the word “please” a lot. The unpredictable teen was also known for popping up and surprisingly ruining other characters’ sketches, in a way not completely dissimilar from her surname popping up and making parents uncomfortable when having to explain to their kids what it is. (Probably not as big a hassle in these Internet-ready days, but still.)

Anyone who doesn’t know what a “taint” is…well, t’aint gonna be me that unlocks that particular drawer in Pandora’s Box for anyone.

In and of itself, naming a character after one’s naughty bits isn’t a full-on damning offense, and doesn’t automatically indicate that larger issues are happening behind the scenes. But in the case of Dan Schneider’s world of children’s television, that was par for the course, and it was Bynes’ co-star Drake Bell who came out and revealed himself to be the unidentified sexual assault victim whose testimony got frequent Schneider cohort Brian Peck convicted as a sex offender.

But while Bell did take part in interviews for Quiet on Set, Amanda Bynes chose not to appear. (The former did share praise for Bynes after the fact.) She’d been in the middle of her own worrisome spiral that culminated in her being hospitalized after she was spotted nude while walking the streets of downtown Los Angeles in March 2023. Fans have theorized that her years at Nickelodeon were partially to blame for issues in later years, but she has yet to address it all directly.

While there may not be a way to retcon everyone’s memories so that Amanda Bynes’ brainy klutz is just called Penelope, without the PG-13 insinuation attached, we can just pretend that she never had a last name, Madonna-style. And we can also try to pretend that The Amanda Show’s jacuzzi moments didn’t exist.

Investigation Discovery’s next pop culture-infused project will put its focus on pop music standouts Nick and Aaron Carter, their respective personal issues, and their troubled relationship in the years prior to the younger sibling’s death at 34. Until then, Quiet on Set can be streamed in full on Paramount+, along with the bulk of Nickelodeon’s live-action fare.

The docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV shed light on the inner workings of Nickelodeon during the ‘90s and ‘00s, amid producer Dan Schneider’s tenure at the network. In doing so, the producers spoke to a number of former child actors who worked at the company during that span of time. The now-adult stars provided accounts detailing negative experiences, with actors like Alexa Nikolas and Drake Bell among those sharing their stories. Not every high-profile actor of that era took part in the production, though, including Amanda Bynes and Ariana Grande. Now, new claims have arisen in regard to why they allegedly said no to interviews. 

Amanda Bynes, Jamie Lynn Spears and Ariana Grande were among some of the most popular Nick stars during the early aughts. Each also worked on TV series that were produced by Dan Schneider, who was cut by the network in 2018. As of this writing, the trio of actresses haven’t formally spoken about why they didn’t take part in the five-part docuseries. A source for OK Magazine, however, claims that they weren’t prepared to talk about their experiences. Said individual also made mention of the stars’ purported feelings on the allegations made against Schneider and more: 

Right now, these comments should be taken with a massive grain of salt. It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t the first time that rumors have swirled in regard to Amanda Bynes’ reason for passing on the doc. An insider previously alleged that she opted not to speak out, because she didn’t have the same experiences as those who appeared on the doc. Bynes rose to fame as a cast member on All That and later earned her own program, The Amanda Show. Both were produced by Schneider, who issued an apology after watching the docuseries and simultaneously spoke to his relationship with Bynes. At the time, he explained that he and the star were close and that he even once helped her through a domestic situation involving her parents. 

Jamie Lynn Spears also achieved leading lady status in the early 2000s, having played the eponymous role on Nickelodeon’s teen comedy Zoey 101, which ran for four seasons. Eventual Grammy winner Ariana Grande, meanwhile, was a cast member on four-season series Victorious. Her character, Cat Valentine, proved to be so popular that she co-led the spinoff series, Sam & Cat. 

Those who were interviewed for the series include All That veterans Giovonnie Samuels, Katrina Johnson and Bryan Hearne. While discussing his Nick experience, Hearne opened up about Black child actors being put into stereotypical and demeaning situations. Amanda Show veteran Raquel Lee also spoke out about her tenure with the network. Zoey 101 alum Alexa Nikolas, who has long discussed her time as a child star, didn’t mince words while appearing on the doc as well. And, after Dan Schneider addressed Quiet on Set, Nikolas blasted his apology. 

During the show, Drake Bell revealed he was sexually abused by Brian Peck, who worked as a dialogue coach on multiple Nick productions. It was revealed that Bell was the child actor at the center of Peck’s sexual assault trial in 2004, which saw him charged with 11 counts of lewd conduct with a minor. He was eventually sentenced to 16 months in prison. Since appearing on the show, Bell has provided more candid thoughts about what occurred, including reading the “unbelievable” character letters that were written on Peck’s behalf at the time. Some of those individuals have since made amends with Bell or expressed regret over their support of Peck.

Whether Amanda Bynes, Ariana Grande and Jamie Lynn Spears opt to open up about their own experiences remains to be seen. But, of course, they – and any others who haven’t spoken out – have the right to choose either way.

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is now available to stream in its entirety with a Max subscription.

Following Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV’s premiere, much attention has swirled around the accounts shared by the former Nickelodeon stars who appeared on it. The ex-child actors opened up their experiences working for the network amid the tenure of former producer Dan Schneider and leveled claims of a toxic workplace and abuse against him and others. Also, Nick vet Drake Bell revealed he was sexually abused by dialogue coach Brian Peck years ago. The actor and singer has continued to be candid amid the ongoing show’s run and, now, he’s sharing some praise for former co-star Amanda Bynes. 

37-year-old Drake Bell worked alongside the former child actress on her eponymous variety series, The Amanda Show, which aired for three seasons from 1999 to 2002. As a cast member, Bell was able to get a first-hand look at the work that the show’s star put in. Bynes came up while Bell participated in a recent interview, during which he was asked for his take on the personal struggles the actress has had. The Drake & Josh alum couldn’t speak to any of that, though he did commend her for the work she put in years ago: 

Amanda Bynes, who was 13 at the time the series premiered, further cemented herself as a star through her performances. The actress played a number of characters on the sketch comedy show, from the Amanda-obsessed Penelope Taynt to mob girlfriend Candy Tulips. Critics and fans alike lauded Bynes for her work, and Drake Bell, while on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, doubled down on how amazing she was. He also recalled being a fan of hers before becoming her colleague: 

The actor went on to say that he hasn’t spoken to the What I Like About You star lately. In recent years, she’s moved away from acting and over to other ventures. Amanda Bynes has also sadly experienced challenges related to her mental health. Additionally, starting in 2013, Bynes was under a conservatorship, which ended in 2022. Per reports, Bynes passed on Quiet on Set, though her show was covered in detail during the docuseries. And, after the first four episodes aired, her former co-star, Raquel Lee, also discussed the challenges she allegedly faced while working on the production. 

As for Drake Bell, he recalled his experiences with Brian Peck, who apparently abused the actor between production on the final season of The Amanda Show and the first season of Drake & Josh. Peck was arrested in 2003 on 11 counts of lewd conduct with a minor and was eventually tried in court. At the time, the public was unaware that Bell was the youth at the center of the case. Peck, who received character letters from stars like James Marsden and Will Friedle, was ultimately found guilty on two counts and sentenced to 16 months in prison. Since sharing his experiences, Bell has received support from Josh Peck, his former co-star (who isn’t related to Brian) and others. 

Another person at the center of this situation is Dan Schneider himself, who has since reacted to the docuseries. While expressing “regret” after hearing the anecdotes shared by the former child stars, he also discussed stories of Drake Bell and Amanda Bynes. The ex-producer recalled being in contact with Bell during Brian Peck’s trial feeling “devastated” over the situation, and he claimed that he tried to offer Bell and his family support. In terms of Bynes, Schneider recalled an alleged instance in which he tried to provide her assistance when she was “in distress” following a conflict with her parents at home. 

Amid the uneasy paths both Amanda Show stars have traveled down, it’s honestly sweet that the Ultimate Spider-Man alum still has so much respect for Bynes. I’m also sure many who watched Bynes’ comedic antics on the small screen years ago would likely agree with her co-star’s assessment. 

You can check out the first four episodes of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV using a Max subscription. Also, tune in for the fifth episode, which airs on ID on Sunday, April 7 at 8 p.m. ET as part of the 2024 TV schedule.

Since the release of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, much has been said about the stories shared by former Nickelodeon child actors. Many of them made claims about their time working on productions created by Dan Schneider, who is no longer with Nick. He’s been accused of fostering a toxic workplace environment that reportedly put young actors in inappropriate situations. While a number of alums have spoken out, some haven’t, including Amanda Bynes, though her eponymous series, The Amanda Show was tackled in detail. Now, one of her former co-stars is speaking out, and we have alleged details on why Bynes opted not to. 

Why Did Amanda Bynes Reportedly Choose Not To Participate In The Docuseries?

According to reports, Amanda Bynes as well as her parents, Lynn and Rick, were all offered the chance to discuss their experiences with Nick on Discovery Investigation’s docuseries. They ultimately turned down the chance and, according to TMZ, this is allegedly due to Amanda not having the same experience with the network as her contemporaries who appeared on the show. Sources went on to tell the news outlet that the former actress is grateful when it comes to her professional beginnings on the children’s channel. It’s also noted that, as of this writing, she has not watched the doc (which can be streamed with a Max subscription). 

Amanda Bynes – who was under a conservatorship through 2022 – was arguably one of Nickelodeon’s biggest stars during the mid ‘90s and early ‘00s. Before headlining her own show, she was also a key cast member on the variety sketch series All That. Dan Schneider was a driving creative force behind both programs and, when apologizing for the claims presented in the bombshell production, he shared a story about Bynes. He claimed that at one point in her teens, Bynes was having trouble with her parents and that during one particular instance, she called him late at night and was in “distress.” Schneider alleged that he called the police who escorted Bynes to safety. The What a Girl Wants star has yet to officially respond to her former collaborator’s anecdote. 

Meanwhile, a video clip from The Amanda Show, which features the lead actress and Dan Schneider in a hot tub, is making the rounds on TikTok. Schneider has addressed such scenes saying that those moments only feel like racy content due to “adult minds” that view them with that context. Whether Bynes ever chooses to speak out on this controversy remains to be seen. However, her former co-star didn’t mince words when opening up about her experiences. 

What Nickelodeon Vet Raquel Lee Had To Say About Her Time Working At The Company

Former child star Raquel Lee was one of the original cast members of The Amanda Show and appeared in a number of sketches during its three-season run. She was also one of several actors to open up about her experiences on the four-part documentary. Lee subsequently took to Instagram to share a lengthy and emotional message. After candidly discussing her desire to be an actor as a child, she discussed the challenges of being accepted while playing the “token ‘black friend’”. She also said the following:

Per the Proud Family alum’s sentiments, following her various experiences, she felt that now was the time for her to say her piece. Raquel Lee is just one of a few African American former Nick stars who’ve shared grievances, like All That’s Giovonnie Samuels and Leon Frierson. Fellow AT alum Bryan Hearne also got candid about the young Black actors being put in stereotypical roles and demeaning situations while performing.

Another star who discussed their experiences on the doc is fellow Amanda Show alum Drake Bell, who eventually went on to co-headline the hit show Drake & Josh. While opening up, Bell said that he was sexually abused by dialogue coach Brian Peck, who was ultimately convicted in 2004 on two counts of lewd acts with a minor. Some of Bell’s former co-stars have reacted via statements, including Josh Peck. Raquel Lee also responded in a TikTok video that you can see below:

At this point, it would seem that Quiet on Set is having a ripple effect and sparking a viral conversation about safety for child actors. After the Amanda Show stars, it’s unclear as to whether other Nickelodeon alums might come forward with claims or choose not to.

Over the past few days, Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV has generated a considerable amount of attention. The bombshell production takes a deep dive into the rise of former Nickelodeon super producer Dan Schneider, who produced a number of the network’s most popular Nick shows of the ‘90s and beyond. In the doc, a number of crew members and notable actors from his productions came forward with various allegations. Now, Schneider himself is addressing the various claims leveled against him. In doing so, he also shared some stories about former child stars Amanda Bynes and Drake Bell, the latter of whom is in the doc.

This isn’t the first time that Dan Schneider, who was cut from Nick in 2018 amid misconduct allegations, has spoken out on the series. His reps released a statement on Monday, saying that “everything that happened on the shows Dan ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults, and approved by the network.” Schneider, like a number of others, tuned in for the program, as he revealed in a video shared with THR. The veteran writer and producer, while speaking with iCarly alum BooG!E, that it was “very difficult” to watch the show. Not only did he express regret for his past actions, but Schneider also admitted that he “definitely owe[s] some people a pretty strong apology.” The 58-year-old went on to say:

A number of former Nickelodeon stars appear on the show, including All That cast members Giovanni Samuels and Jack DeSena and Zoey 101’s Alex Nikolas. AT alum Bryan Hearne also spoke about young Black actors being put in demeaning situations. As a whole, the actors recalled negative experiences while working on the Dan Schneider-produced shows. As mentioned, among them was Drake Bell, who spoke out about being sexually abused by dialogue coach Brian Peck. In this video, Schneider claims he didn’t hire Peck himself and recalled learning of what happened from Bell, who was a John Doe victim in Peck’s 2004 sexual assault trial: 

The Drake & Josh creator also made note of a purported instance in which Bell’s mother got in contact with him to ask if he’d write a speech that would be read in court. The producer also recalled Bell having to be present for a hearing, where supporters of Brian Peck were present. Others have since shown support for Bell since he made this revelation. However, he was upset when the Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide cast joked about the docuseries.

During the 20-minute interview, Dan Schneider also recalled his interactions with Amanda Bynes, who starred on All That and headlined her own variety series, The Amanda Show. Schneider alleged that he helped Bynes, who was under a conservatorship that ended in 2022, when she was 16 or 17 and having problems with her parents. He specifically reflected on a supposed phone call they had:

He went on to say that he “felt better” after police arrived to escort the young actress to safety. As of this writing, neither Amanda Bynes nor Drake Bell have verified the anecdotes shared in the video. Time will tell whether they choose to do so and whether Quiet on Set might elicit responses from other actors who once worked alongside Dan Schneider.

All four episodes of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which is a major title on the 2024 TV schedule, is now available to stream with a Max subscription.

Considered both one of Emma Stone’s best movies and one of the best rom-coms of all time, Easy A is a 2010s classic! These days, we adore Stone for her “hilarious and “raunchy” performance in Poor Things and her Oscar-winning role in La La Land. However, before all that, she proved herself as a wonderfully unique leading lady in Will Gluck’s wildly creative 2010 coming-of-age flick.

So, in honor of this hilarious and heartfelt film about a high school student named Olive to tried to take advantage of the rumors swirling around about her, let’s chat about ten moments from Easy A that are still perfect.  

Olive’s Opening Monologue 

Easy A opens with Olive explaining her journey on a livestream that we later find out is happening after all the events of the film. This opening scene, where she holds up a piece of paper that titles this stories’ first of five chapters shows how intelligent and funny she is and it sets the tone for the entire movie, which is made up of the following chapters: 

1. “The Shudder-Inducing-and-Clichéd, However-Totally-False Account Of How I Lost My Virginity To A Guy At A Community College.” 
2. “The Accelerated Velocity of Terminological Inexactitude.” 
3. “A Lady's Choice and a Gentleman's Agreement.”  
4. “How I, Olive Penderghast, Went From Assumed Trollop To an Actual HomeWrecker.” 
5. “Not With a Whimper But With a Bang.”  

Overall, her voice-over is wonderful, and it makes her voice and personality shine. Plus it really helps us understand what she’s going through in a sincere yet hilarious way. This along with the moments within these chapters is why Easy A got such good reviews and why it still holds up.

The Pocket Full Of Sunshine Card Montage 

There are so many songs that make me think of a specific movie scene, but one of the most iconic is the “Pocket Full of Sunshine” scene in Easy A. Seeing Stone jam out to the tune via a birthday card is seriously hilarious, and her evolution from hating it to loving it is the best, you can’t help but smile through the whole moment: 

Honestly, I totally get why this “Pocket Full of Sunshine” scene went viral so many years later, it’s flawless. 

Olive’s Parents Try To Guess Why She Got In Trouble

Can we all agree that Olive’s parents are the best? Played by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson, Dill and Rosemary are legit cool parents who, for the most part, are very supportive of their daughter. 

Even when she gets in trouble at school for calling a classmate a mean name, her parents aren’t really mad. In fact, they just want to know what she said. When Olive says it starts with a “T” they proceed to guess, but can’t get it, and tell her to spell it with her peas. Then, they hilariously threaten her saying she can’t have supper, even though she literally just ate.

Overall, Dill and Rosemary are icons, and parents of the year in my mind. 

Olive’s First Deal With Brandon

When Olive’s fake “gentleman caller” Brandon shows up at her house to propose this deal, her parents are hilariously baffled, going back and forth saying “A boy?” “A boy.” three times. Then, the process of planning this deception gets going. Brandon, who is gay, asked Olive to have fake sex with him, so people at school would get off his back. 

This leads to them going to a party together, where they have the loudest fake sex ever. If you want to see commitment to a bit that’s all about faking a bit, this scene is the best example. It’s over the top, awkward and hilarious. It also helps the ultimate storyline get going as Olive agrees to help more guys by pretending to have sex with them. 

Olive Embraces The A, And She Starts Making Deals

One of the most iconic moments in this film comes when Olive transforms and embraces the rumors and starts rocking the A at school. In the spirit of The Scarlet Letter, Emma Stone’s character decides to reclaim the narrative surrounding her, and she switches up her style and starts making deals with guys.

From Home Depot gift cards to a Bed Bath and Beyond coupon and more, Olive is paid in odd ways, and her reactions to it all are priceless. Truly, this is a magnificent and hilarious montage. 

Marianne Screams About Her Boyfriend Having Chlamydia While A Grease Song Plays In The Background

Olive’s plan goes a little too far when Marianne’s boyfriend blames her for his Chlamydia (which he actually got from sleeping with the guidance counselor). While this moment is what causes the ultimate conflict in the film, the way it’s presented is hilarious and incredibly creative. 

This is because as the news travels that Marianne’s boyfriend has Chlamydia, “We Go Together” from Grease is playing in the background. Then, when Amanda Bynes' character finds out about it she screams “CHLAMYDIA!” into the phone in the high school office, and that’s immediately followed by “Wop ba-ba lu-mop and wop bam boom!” 

Olive Goes From Church To Chruch Trying To Confess 

In what starts as an emotional scene, Olive goes to a church to confess about everything that’s happened. However, it quickly turns hysterical when she realizes the priest isn’t in the confession box, and she proceeds to run to church after church trying to find someone to hear her out. 

The real kicker though was when she finally found someone (who was brilliantly played by Fred Armisen), he also happened to be Marianne’s father. This caused Olive to understandably freak out. 

Todd Gives Olive A Ride Home, And She Tells Him Why They Can’t Kiss

After Todd raps a happy birthday song while wearing a lobster hat (how endearing!), and Olive gets away from her terrible date (how horrific!), he offers to give her a ride home. On the drive, Olive cries her heart out, and she tells Todd what she’s been doing. Like the kind king he is, he doesn’t judge, and he supports her.

However, when he asks if he can kiss her if he promises to not tell anyone, Olive turns it down. Not because she’s not into him, but because she wants their first kiss to be perfect. It’s a vulnerable scene that goes from sad to sweet, and it really lets the heart of this film shine.  

Olive Performs ‘Knock On Wood’ 

In an effort to get people to tune into her confessional livestream (and because she wanted a “musical number for no apparent reason”), Olive put on a performance at the school’s pep rally with the help of Woodchuck Todd and the pep band. She, of course, sang “Knock On Wood,” which was apparently the band’s “sexiest song in their repertoire,” and she was clearly having a blast. 

Olive Gets Her ‘80s Movie Ending

Earlier in the film, right after she starts making all these deals, Olive says she wants John Cusack to hold a boombox up to her window, or to ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey or Judd Nelson throwing his fist in the air for her or Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting for her. Well, she got all of that when Todd showed up at her house with his lawnmower at the end of her livestream. 

Overall, it was a triumphant and sweet ending, that also paid homage to all the classic ‘80s movies Olive loves. It was an excellent way to bring this incredibly creative and witty film to an end, by turning four rom-com romantic gestures into one massive one. 

From beginning to end, Easy A is a wonderfully funny time, and it’s a comedy that’s also full of heart. Emma Stone’s work as Olive is next level, and as her career has progressed, it’s so fun to go back and see one of the films that kicked it all off and reflect on the perfect moments within it.  

Earlier this year, Amanda Bynes was reportedly put on psychiatric hold after flagging down a driver while in the nude and calling the police about coming down from a psychiatric episode. As the former Nickelodeon actress said she’d prioritize her mental health once her psychiatric hold ended, it looks like she’s doing just that. Recent inside sources reported Bynes could be pulling a Britney Spears and writing her own memoir. But if she doesn't go that route, reportedly “acting isn’t out of the question either.”

Byes was placed in a conservatorship back in 2013 after starting a small fire in a stranger’s driveway. However, it’s been almost two years since a judge ruled for the end of her nine-year conservatorship. An inside source told OK! Magazine the 37-year-old appears to be “taking back control of her life” and may be following Britney Spears’ route in terms of writing a memoir like she did. 

Just like Amanda Bynes, Britney Spears was also put in a conservatorship in 2008 after refusing to give up custody of her children to her ex-husband Kevin Federline. After 13 years, the pop singer’s conservatorship ended in November 2021 after months of pressure from the #FreeBritney movement. 

Three months later, Spears signed a $15 million book deal for her memoir The Woman in Me. This “brutally honest” memoir covered her split with Justin Timberlake as well as some tough moments she endured during her career. As Bynes herself went through a lot of troubles after her final movie Easy A was released in 2010, I’d like to believe the former child star will cover what was going on over the past 10 years and what being in the spotlight was like for her. 

Not only may Amanda Bynes be trying her hand at getting her memoir published, but if the report holds true, the same source shared that the What I Like About You actress could also get back to acting.

Personally, I think it would be amazing if Amanda Bynes made a Hollywood comeback. Her comedic performances have always been a standout ever since she was a child actor in All That. Not to mention all of the moments she made fans like me smile and laugh in roles such as Big Fat Liar, What a Girl Wants, and She’s the Man. 

However, the insider alleges that friends and family believe acting again could be the wrong move for Bynes in terms of potentially taking too much on right now. Back in August, the sketch comedy actress had allegedly been doing well and had been receiving inpatient care. From the most recent reports, it sounds like she’s making positive strides toward a new chapter in her life, but we may not be catching her on the 2024 TV schedule just yet.

As a fan, I’m truly hoping for good things to come her way in the near future. In the meantime, I'll be watching some of Bynes' most popular roles, including The Amanda Show, right now with a Paramount+ subscription.

While Saturday Night Live may be the most recognizable and, easily, the longest-lasting sketch comedy series in American history, there have been others, in case you didn’t know. In fact, there are quite a few legendary comedic actors who got their start in sketch comedy and have even been prominently featured in some great SNL sketches as hosts, but have never called Studio 8H home… as regular cast members, at least. The following are some of our favorite well-known masters of mirth who did sketch comedy, but weren't SNL cast members. 

Jordan Peele

Before becoming known as the mastermind behind some of the best horror movies in recent memory, Jordan Peele made a name for himself as a MADtv cast member, and later, as one-half of Key & Peele’s eponymous duo on Comedy Central. The Academy Award winner was actually offered to be on SNL, but was unable to break from his contract with MADtv, which is why he left the Fox series on bad terms after five years.

Carol Burnett 

Carol Burnett has been one of the most essential names in comedy for decades, but you can find much of her most iconic performances — such as a timeless Gone with the Wind parody — on her own long-running variety show, The Carol Burnett Show. Following her dramatic turn on Better Call Saul, a viral campaign was launched for her to host SNL, which, very shockingly, would be the first time.

John Candy

The late John Candy is one of the most beloved comedic talents of all time, known for great movies like Uncle Buck and Planes, Trains & Automobiles. For years, the actor’s claim to fame was Canada’s SCTV, on which he debuted characters like Johnny LaRue, whom he based off of rude people he knew and “wanted to get back at.”

Dave Chappelle

Any time that Dave Chappelle has hosted SNL, it always seems to spark controversy for one reason or another, which should come as no shock to anyone who watched the Emmy-nominated Chappelle’s Show. Running from 2003 to 2006 on Comedy Central, the series reflected the comic’s risqué, but thought-provoking, humor and featured now iconic bits including recreations of true stories about Rick James and Prince and an epic Wayne Brady cameo.

Jamie Foxx

Multi-talented Academy Award winner and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx has proved to be an absolute natural when he shows up at Studio 8H. After all, the Spider-Man movie villain actor — who also had his own sitcom featuring SNL alum Garrett Morris called The Jamie Foxx Show — did get his start on In Living Color from 1991 to 1994.

Eric Idle

There are some really weird SNL sketches that toe the line between terrible and amazing, but none have reached quite the level of distinct surrealism that Monty Python’s Flying Circus is defined by. One of the most famous members of the eponymous British comedy troupe is Eric Idle (i.e. “Wink-wink, nudge-nudge, say no more”), who would headline at Studio 8H four times in the ‘70s.

Catherine O'Hara

In addition to her epic film career — including the Home Alone movies, Beetlejuice, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, to name a few — Catherine O’Hara’s small screen career has earned her two Emmy awards. Her more recent win was for playing Moira Rose in the Schitt’s Creek cast, but there first was as a writer for SCTV, on which she also inspired laughs as a cast member.

Bob Odenkirk 

Future Breaking Bad cast member Bob Odenkirk actually wrote some beloved SNL sketches, such as Chris Farley’s first appearance as Matt Foley. His skills as a sketch comedy performer, however, could be seen in the 1990s on the short-lived The Ben Stiller Show, the more successful HBO series, Mr. Show with Bob & David, and its Netflix original revival, W/ Bob & David, in 2015.

Michael Richards

Years before starring in the Seinfeld cast as one of the funniest sitcom characters ever, Cosmo Kramer, Michael Richards portrayed various characters on Fridays. The short-lived sketch comedy — essentially ABC’s answer to Saturday Night Live — is also where the three-time Emmy winner met Seinfeld creator Larry David.

Jim Carrey

There are few living comedic legends as widely celebrated as Jim Carrey, who has hosted SNL a number of times and even signed on as the show’s resident Joe Biden for a brief period. What first led the Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber actor on the path to stardom was his four-year stint on In Living Color, on which he debuted characters like Fire Marshall Bill, which came out of a failed sketch idea, apparently.

Aziz Ansari

Along with The League star Paul Scheer and Children’s Hospital actor Rob Huebel, Aziz Ansari formed a comedy troupe called Human Giant, who led their own titular sketch series that lasted for 20 episodes on MTV. The comic — who has also hosted SNL before — saw his star power rise when he joined the Parks and Recreation cast and went on to play one of best South Asian TV characters in recent memory on Netflix’s Master of None, which he also co-created. 

Rowan Atkinson

While most people associate him best with Mr. Bean these days, there are many great Rowan Atkinson movies and TV shows that pre-date his debut as the famous man-child. For instance, one of the the British comedian’s earliest claims to fame was a sketch comedy series called Not the Nine O'Clock News, which ran from 1979 to 1982 on the BBC.

Eric Wareheim

A series that best defines the surreal humor that Adult Swim is known for is Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, in which Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim portray various characters in strange situations in sketches the drip of a low-budget. Wareheim has done many notable things on his own — such as his starring role on Master of None and recurring character on Bob’s Burger — but the duo still works together on shows like Tim & Eric’s Bedtime Stories or the sitcom parody Beef House from 2020.

Goldie Hawn

A show that largely inspired SNL was Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In — which, also like SNL, served as a jumping off point for many stellar careers, such as Lily Tomlin and Richard Dawson. Perhaps its most icon and successful alum, however, is one-time Hollywood It Girl Goldie Hawn, who won an Oscar for Cactus Flower very shortly after leaving the show and before going on to lead classics like Private Benjamin and Overboard.

Eugene Levy

Before starring in the American Pie cast, before Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries, and before many other great Eugene Levy movies and TV shows, the Canadian actor gained notoriety as party of Second City. His stint on the eponymous, Emmy-winning sketch series, SCTV, also saw the beginning of professional and personal relationship with the likes of John Candy, his Schitt’s Creek co-star Catherine O’Hara, and plenty more.

Flip Wilson

In the early 1970s, before SNL’s premiere, Flip Wilson hosted his own variety show, which was one of the most popular series on television during its four-year run on NBC. The most famous character the comedian portrayed on The Flip Wilson Show was a boisterous woman named Geraldine, whom he resurrected when he hosted SNL in 1983.

John Cleese

John Cleese — also known for writing and starring in the classic con artist movie, A Fish Called Wanda, and voicing the King in the Shrek movies — has never hosted SNL, but did appear on an episode with fellow Monty Python member, Michael Palin, in 1997. In addition to a cold open poking fun at the recently instituted TV ratings system, Cleese and Palin performed a special recreation of one of the most famous Monty Python’s Flying Circus sketches, “Dead Parrot.”

Bobby Lee

Known for characters like counter-productive translator Bae Sung, wannabe tough guy Tank, or Bruce Lee’s cousin, Bobby Lee is one of MADtv’s most notable success stories. The Korean-American became a staple of the Harold and Kumar movies, landed recurring roles on show like Magnum P.I. and Reservation Dogs, has moonlighted as the host of podcasts TigerBelly and Bad Friends, and plenty more to boast.

David Cross

From playing Tobias Funke — a character who could totally ruin Thanksgiving — on Arrested Development to appearing in the Alvin and the Chipmunks movies, David Cross has a pretty stacked and reputable resume. What set the path for the comedian’s success was co-headlining (along with Bob Odenkirk) HBO’s Mr. Show, on which he debuted a character who got his own movie in 2002 called Run Ronnie Run.

David Alan Grier

Arguably David Alan Grier’s most famous character from his In Living Color tenure was Antoine Meriwether — one half of a duo also consisting of Damon Wayans’ Blaine Edwards. The They Cloned Tyrone cast member — who hosted SNL a couple of times in the ‘90s — reprised the flamboyant film critic on an SNL episode hosted by Wayans.

Rick Moranis

The beloved Rick Moranis has starred in many funny movies, such as Ghostbusters from 1984 and 1983’s Strange Brew. The latter was the film debut of Bob McKenzie — a stereotypical hoser he originated on SCTV alongside Dave Thomas as his brother, Doug.

Tracey Ullman

Tracey Ullman was cast on a few different sketch comedy shows — such as BBC’s A Kick Up the Eighties — before becoming the star of her own in 1987, which also saw the debut appearances of the Simpsons. Fox’s The Tracey Ullman Show was actually just one of many sketch series that the British comedian would headline, such as HBO’s Tracey Takes On… and Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union.

Keegan-Michael Key

In 2021, Keegan-Michael Key became the first MADtv alum to host SNL, which saw him reunite with this fellow Schmigadoon cast member, Cecily Strong. The episode — in which Key broke into laughter during a sketch featuring the Muppets —  was certainly a Season 46 highlight, but could have been even better if he brought back characters from some of the best Key & Peele sketches, like Luther.

Jennifer Saunders

Arguably, the most iconic duo Jennifer Saunders is a part of comes from Absolutely Fabulous, in which she plays Edina opposite Joanna Lumley’s Patsy. However, a sketch comedy that both predates and surpasses that long-running Britcom is French and Saunders, in which Saunders and her fellow Death on the Nile cast member, Dawn French, cleverly send-up everyday life in the U.K. and American cinema.

Larry David

In a story shared to Vanity Fair that mirrors one of the best Seinfeld episodes, the sitcom’s co-creator, Larry David, once quit his SNL writing gig in a rage, only to return on Monday acting like it never happened. Years later, he would make semi-regular appearances on the show as Bernie Sanders but, prior to all of this, the Curb Your Enthusiasm star was a performer on Fridays from 1980 to 1982.

Tim Heidecker

Tim Heidecker is best known as one half of the eponymous duo from Adult Swim’s hit sketch comedy series, Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! On his own, the Us actor has made waves in the comedy world with the 2012 dramedy, The Comedy, or for an ongoing, multi-media big following his fictionalized self’s murder trial.

Carrie Brownstein

Carrie Brownstein has been on SNL a few times — including once as herself for an edition of “What Up With That?” that did not go as planned, thanks to Samuel L. Jackson’s F-bomb. The musician and actor has also shared the screen with several Studio 8H all-stars on Portlandia, including her co-star and co-creator of the Portland, Oregon-based sketch show: Fred Armisen.

Stephen Fry

Before earning a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Wilde in 1999, later appearing in Amazon’s adaptation of Red, White and Royal Blue, and other versatile achievements, Stephen Fry was partners in comedy with House’s Hugh Laurie on BBC’s A Bit of Fry & Laurie form 1989 to 1995. Earlier than that, the pair were on another British sketch comedy show with future Harry Potter movies stars Emma Thompson and Robbie Coltrane called Alfresco. 

Michael Ian Black

Michael Ian Black is, perhaps, best known from Wet Hot American Summer and its Netflix original series spin-offs, but many of his collaborators on that cult comedy favorite — including director David Wain and his co-writer Michael Showalter — were on MTV’s The State together. Black later worked with Wain and Showalter on a sketch series called Stella and then headlined a sketch comedy/sitcom hybrid with Showalter for Comedy Central called Michael & Michael Have Issues in 2009.

Amy Schumer

One of the biggest names in stand-up is Amy Schumer, whose notoriety expanded after her Golden Globe-nominated performance opposite SNL’s Bill Hader in 2015’s Trainwreck, which she also wrote. Before then, however, the comedian’s stardom certainly rose after she scored her own Comedy Central show called Inside Amy Schumer, which won three Emmys — including Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.

Tim Conway

It may have been Carol’s show, but one could argue that the funniest cast member from The Carol Burnett Show was Tim Conway, who passed away in 2019. Some of his most memorable moments do not even involve the eponymous host, such as a sketch where he plays a clumsy doctor that had co-star, Harvey Korman, in stitches.

Amanda Bynes

Kenan Thompson — one of the longest-running SNL actors ever — is easily one of the biggest stars to start out on All That (essentially SNL, but with kids), but his co-star, Amanda Bynes, was the first to get her own sketch comedy series: The Amanda Show. Her post-Nickelodeon career includes leading the sitcom What I Like About You and movies like the Shakespeare-inspired rom-com, She’s the Man.

We still have nothing but love for our favorite iconic SNL actors, but also recognize that they do not make up all of our most cherished heroes in sketch comedy.

She’s the Man star Amanda Bynes seems to be making some much needed progress in her mental health journey, after having to make a scary call to authorities when she was found wandering the streets naked near the end of March, which resulted in her being put under a 5150 psychiatric hold. It was about a month ago that the actress checked herself back into an inpatient facility, now she’s actually been spotted out by herself for the first time since returning to inpatient care, and we know how she’s allegedly doing.

According to TMZ, Bynes was seen out and about, and reportedly in good spirits, in Orange County, California over the weekend, with sources telling the outlet that she was at a smoke shop on Friday evening, and spent part of her Saturday afternoon shopping at the grocery store, Ralph’s, where she checked out with a full bag. Bynes is now doing well enough in her treatment to have been upgraded to the facility’s group which only needs a bit of supervision, meaning that she’s now allowed to leave the center on her own at certain times of the day, so she can shop or simply get some fresh air and exercise.

This is certainly good news, as the reports on her health recently have been troubling, to say the least. Bynes had, apparently, been living on the streets for several days prior to the incident in March, which saw the What a Girl Wants talent walking naked in downtown Los Angeles, eventually getting a driver’s attention to tell them she was coming off of a psychotic episode and making her own 911 call to ask for assistance. It appears possible that this episode might be what led her to miss her planned reunion with her All That co-stars at ‘90s Con, prompting Kel Mitchell to send a sweet message her way.

Once she was no longer under that initial 5150, she continued treatment at an outpatient program, but was living in isolation and without family or friends to help her out when needed. In early July, about a week after checking out of the outpatient center, she checked into her current inpatient facility, hoping to have more support around her on a daily basis as she continues to make her mental health a priority.

Luckily, that appears to be what she’s gotten with the center she now resides in. Word is that Bynes is very happy with the facility, because she has a host of other patients, therapists, and doctors around at all times, and has opportunities to socialize, or at least see other people on a regular basis. It was reported back in April that she hasn’t been seeing her parents, and it was just a few days after her 5150 hold began that her ex-fiancé, Paul Michael, confirmed they hadn’t seen each other or lived together since January.

After her conservatorship ended in the spring of 2022, Bynes revealed that she was simply continuing her studies at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, where she was pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree. Hopefully, she’ll continue to get better and be able to return to her life as a free woman, sooner rather than later.

It’s been a little over three months since Amanda Bynes was put under a psychiatric hold, having been seen walking naked in downtown Los Angeles and reportedly flagging down a driver and saying she was coming down from a psychotic episode. The All That actress spent time in an inpatient facility in March, before continuing to work on her mental health through an outpatient program while living in isolation. Now she’s apparently checked herself back into an inpatient center, and sources are explaining her alleged reasoning.

Amanda Bynes reportedly checked herself into an Orange County inpatient mental health treatment center in early July, per TMZ, after checking out of her outpatient facility about a week earlier. According to the news outlet, the actress felt she needed more help than she was getting from the outpatient program, and she wanted a more therapeutic place to say, rather than being alone at her Los Angeles apartment.  

The decision to seek treatment at the new facility was allegedly made by Amanda Bynes herself, seemingly proving that she’s committed to prioritizing her mental health. TMZ’s insiders also say that her previous treatment center recommended the Orange County facility to her, and after living in isolation following her exit from another inpatient facility a couple of months ago, the What a Girl Wants star likes that the new center provides social interaction, in addition to a medical team and therapists.

She’s reportedly taking part in daily therapy sessions and other activities to help her prepare to live without the round-the-clock care of the center’s doctors, and develop skills that she can use to lead a healthy life outside of the facility.

According to sources back in April, outpatient therapy was part of Amanda Bynes’ plan to work on her mental health, after disturbing details came out regarding her initial psychiatric hold — including that she’d apparently been living on the streets for days before contacting authorities, and had possibly hitchhiked to Hollywood after her car had been towed in Long Beach — 25 miles away, and 40 miles from the actress’ home.

However, living by herself may not have been the right thing for her at that time. Despite reports that she was doing a good job of continuing to work on herself through the outpatient program, Amanda Bynes allegedly had feelings of sadness and loneliness living in isolation, with no friends around her and having broken up with her fiancé Paul Michael earlier in the year. 

While the She’s the Man actress may have been living alone, she still had the support of some of her former co-stars. Amanda Bynes was supposed to reunite with her All That castmates back in March at 90s Con, and when she missed the event, Kel Mitchell sent love to her, saying they were praying for her and that she was “doing a lot better.”

We’re glad to hear that Amanda Bynes continues to be committed to her mental health, and we wish her the best in her ongoing journey. If you want to relive some of her most loved projects, some classic seasons of All That are available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription, and What a Girl Wants can be streamed by Max subscription holders. She’s the Man, meanwhile, is available with a Hulu subscription. 

Having broken out into the entertainment industry as part of an ensemble of beloved child actors, Amanda Bynes is at a spot in life where a group of hilarious friends could probably come in handy. The rap song-releasing actress made major headlines in March when she was put into psychiatric care after having walked around Los Angeles in the nude before using a random person’s phone to call 911. It’s been a few weeks since her extended mental hospital stay ended, and while sources are saying she’s technically in a better spot, she is apparently living alone and without friends around to keep her spirits up.

A little over two months have passed since the news first broke about Bynes’ psychiatric hospital stint, with more disturbing details surfacing in the meantime about how she’d been allegedly wandering around the city in a homeless state, many miles away from her actual house. She was released after three weeks or so, with follow-up plans for keeping her mental health intact, and has reportedly done a solid job at following up on those plans in the past five weeks, according to TMZ. But all while leading an almost exclusively solitary social life, as it were.

According to the outlet, the Amanda Show vet is indeed suffering from feelings of sadness and loneliness while now back in her own home. Her ex-fiancé Paul Michael said in March that they hadn’t lived together or seen each other since January 2023, but TMZ says that those closest to Bynes definitely do not want to see her get back together with Michael, whom she’d accused of smoking crack in a bizarre video post from April 2022 that sparked police involvement. He’s also accused of not trying to help her through her mental struggles, saying he was the toxic element to their relationship.  

It appears as if Amanda Bynes’ past interests and hobbies aren’t quite doing the trick to draw her focus during this time of self-isolation. Her talents with fashion design and nail art reportedly aren’t being embraced in her lonely state, though there’s the potential for her to dig back into such artforms down the line when she’s up for it. 

And while she may not be constantly surrounded by a revolving door of friends and acquaintances, Bynes is reportedly on good terms with her family. She’s said to be communicating with her siblings Juliian and Tommy Bynes, as well as her parents, and has apparently visited with her mom and dad a time or two. Her parents famously had the actress tied to a conservatorship that she was freed from in 2022, with previous reports stating there weren’t any plans to reintroduce the conservatorship as a result of Bynes’ latest issues.

Helping that long, presumably, is her willingness to keep going forward with her post-hospitalization process. She’s said to be dependably making it to her outpatient treatments, and has kept up with taking her medications. As well, she’s allegedly been seeing therapists.

While it’s unclear whether Bynes is purposefully staying away from friends for her own mental health, or if her isolation is more of an unintended consequence. She was signed on to reunite with the All That cast for 90s Con in March, the same weekend that she was found roaming the streets. At the time, Kel Mitchell reached out with kind words for his former co-star, saying he was hoping for her to get better.  

Amanda Bynes has sadly been dealing with a tough situation over the past few weeks. In March, the former child actress was seen walking the streets of Los Angeles in the nude before she eventually signaled a driver and personally contacted the authorities. She was subsequently put under a psychiatric hold, which concluded this week. Per recent reports, Bynes is looking to prioritze her health now that she’s been released. In the aftermath of the star’s mental breakdown, her ex-fiancé is also speaking out about the timeline of their split. 

What Paul Michael Had To Say About The Final Stretch Of His Romance With Amanda Bynes

Paul Michael went public with the What A Girl Wants alum back in 2020 and, from there, the two broke up and reconciled multiple times in the years that followed. At the end of March, Michael claimed that he and his ex hadn’t lived together since January 2023. She’d apparently still been living in the apartment they shared though apparently hadn’t been spending much time there in the days leading up to her most recent mental episode. Michael just spoke to TMZ, now providing alleged details on what occurred in the weeks leading up to the actress' breakdown. 

While talking to the outlet, he claimed that Amanda Bynes disappeared for three days (two weeks before she was spotted in Los Angeles). Bynes’ former beau claims that when she finally returned, she brought home another man, which allegedly led to an argument that effectively ended their relationship. Paul Michael said that he then packed up his belongings and leave the apartment. 

As for how he felt about his former fiancé’s alleged behavior during that exchange, the former healthcare worker stated that he was surprised. He noted the seemingly quick turnaround in her attitude and opined that she was like a different person when she brought the other guy home. The Nickelodeon vet’s ex-flame was apparently most shocked because she’d apparently been living a productive life up to that point, which saw her watching over her nail business. Of course, the picture painted within this account is a far cry from what would occur weeks later, but the 37-year-old Hollywood vet may be looking to turn things around now. 

How Amanda Bynes Is Reportedly Seeking To Manage Her Mental Health Following Her Psychiatric Hold

The fan-favorite Easy A actress was released from her psychiatric hold on Tuesday, according to TMZ. From there, she’s entering an outpatient treatment program in the hopes of keeping herself healthy. It was also reported that during the hold, she was working with doctors in order to devise a wellness plan that could serve her moving forward. It would also appear that she’ll continue to have her independence as well. 

Now that she’s out of the facility, Amanda Bynes will reside in her own home. There was speculation early on that Bynes might once again be put under a conservatorship, which she was subject to for nine years up until March 2022. However, sources say that her parents, Rick and Lynn, are not planning to reinstate any kind of legal guardianship. 

If his comments are any indication, Paul Michael probably won’t play a role in Amanda Bynes’ journey moving forward. Nevertheless, she still has plenty of support from others, including All That alums Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson. One can only hope that the beloved actress is able to receive the help she needs.

Former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes remains in a hospital three weeks after a reported psychotic break led to her walking naked in the streets of downtown Los Angeles. The actress had been expected to appear with her All That co-stars at 90s Con, but authorities determined Bynes needed to be placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold. While there’s no scheduled date for her discharge, the What a Girl Wants actress has apparently been working with medical professionals on a plan to prioritize her mental health when that happens.

It was just over a year ago that a judge ended the conservatorship Amanda Bynes had been under since 2013, and with no plans currently in place to reinstate that order, she is free to make her own decisions regarding medical care. TMZ reports that the actress is not being forced to stay at the facility, but that she doesn’t feel ready to leave. When she does, she will reportedly enroll in an outpatient mental health treatment program. 

It’s promising to hear that Amanda Bynes is accepting the help of the medical professionals and was apparently able to admit that she’s not well enough to leave the hospital. Putting a plan in place to ensure she remains supported, with the help of doctors and specialists, seems like a good sign.

While her parents are reportedly not planning to reinstate Amanda Bynes’ conservatorship, TMZ also reports that they have not been by her side at the hospital, despite some reports to the contrary. It’s not clear who the What I Like About You star does have in her corner right now. Her former All That co-star Kel Mitchell said he’d been praying for her, but Bynes’ her ex-fiancé Paul Michael said he hadn’t seen her since January.

The couple got engaged in February 2020, with several break-ups and makeups following in the next couple of years. It’s unclear when, exactly, the couple split following a bizarre domestic dispute in the weeks after Amanda Bynes was released from her conservatorship, but Paul Michael said he had moved out of the apartment they’d shared in January of this year.

The actress was thought to still be residing at the apartment, however, evidence suggested Amanda Bynes had been living on the streets for multiple days prior to getting help, and apparently didn’t have a cell phone with her. Her car was discovered in Long Beach, out of gas, on March 15, around 40 miles from her house. On March 19, she reportedly flagged down a driver and said she was coming down from a psychotic episode, before she called 911 herself and was admitted to the hospital.

Hopefully Amanda Bynes continues to get the help that she needs, and it’s a promising sign that she seems to be working with doctors to ensure she’s got support in place when she leaves the treatment facility.

While it appeared as if life was going smoothly enough for former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes in the aftermath of her conservatorship being terminated just over a year ago, things recently took a sudden downward turn. The actress, who was scheduled to reunite with former All That co-stars at ‘90s Con in Connecticut, has been on psychiatric hold for a week now, following what she called a psychotic break that left her walking the streets of Los Angeles in the nude. Now, more details have surfaced surrounding this unfortunate turn of events, including a statement from her ex-fiancé Paul Michael. 

Updates On Amanda Bynes’ Psychiatric Hold

Bynes was initially only set to stay hospitalized for a few days as the 5150 psychiatric hold was made official, but she still remains inside the L.A. facility, and at this time, TMZ reports that her stay has been officially extended for another week. But it might not even end there, and her situation is reportedly being handled on a day-to-day basis. If things don’t improve noticeably in the immediate future, the hospital stay could be stretched to a full 30 days or more.

It’s claimed that Amanda Bynes is putting in a serious effort by way of trying to get better during this psychiatric hold, but just how well she’s improving will be the deciding factor for when she may be allowed to leave the hospital. It hasn’t even been confirmed just yet whether or not the Easy A star even remembers the hours or days ahead of her 911 call, and whether she’ll be able to talk out those details to confirm where she was and what she was doing.

After she was hospitalized, evidence pointed to Bynes having been living on the streets and away from her home for multiple days prior to getting help, and apparently didn’t have a cell phone on her person. Her car was discovered in Long Beach on March 15, around 40 miles from her house, and it was reported that the vehicle was out of gas. 

Making matters all the more difficult, at least from a fact-finding perspective, is that Amanda Bynes reportedly isn’t communicating with anyone around her, close companions or otherwise, and apparently hasn’t spoken much about the incident or what her plans might be once she gets out of the medical facility.

At this time, no plans are being set to put the conservatorship back in place as a legal guardian of sorts for the former child star. But depending on how things go from here, those conversations could indeed start up, considering the first one was set up after her 2013 psychiatric hold related to a fire started in a stranger's driveway.

What Amanda Bynes’ Ex-Fiancé Paul Michael Has Said 

Paul Michael's prior relationship with Amanda Bynes was first made public in February 2020 in the form of an engagement announcement, though they split up (for the first time) a few weeks later, with several more break-ups and rekindlings happening over the next two years or so. The former couple put a few rap songs together in the wake of her conservatorship ending, but things quickly turned sour, with cops getting involved after a domestic disupute. 

It's not entirely clear what went on between the two during the back half of 2022, but according to TMZ, Michael is claiming he and Bynes haven't lived together since January 2023, two months prior to her latest mental health episode. She is reportedly still living in the apartment that they'd previously shared, but hadn't been seen in or around that home since a few days prior to her care being found and towed.

Considering she hasn't been talking to anyone about her current ordeal, it's a safe bet to think she also wouldn't be reaching out to Michael while in the midst of it all. But here's hoping she can and will do whatever is necessary to get back on more stable ground. 

Amanda Bynes unfortunately made headlines earlier this week due to a scary situation that she was involved in this past week. Early Sunday morning, Bynes wandered the streets of Los Angeles naked before flagging down a driver for help and contacting the authorities herself. The Nickelodeon alum was subsequently placed under a psychiatric hold. Now, according to a new report, said hold is likely to be extended. Not only that, but new alleged details have been divulged in regard to the circumstances leading to her 911 call. 

Previous reports didn’t provide context as to how or why Amanda Bynes was naked in downtown LA in the first place. Per TMZ’s sources, the 36-year-old is believed to have been living on the streets for several days before she made contact with the authorities on March 18th. Apparently, days earlier, Bynes’ car had been towed in Long Beach on March 15th. As the news site points out, that city is about 40 miles from the actress’ home and 25 miles from LA. The Easy A alum eventually made her way to Hollywood by the 18th, having purportedly gotten there by either taking public transportation or hitchhiking. 

The star is said to have still been clothed at that point as well as during the time that she allegedly hitched a ride to Beverly Hills before asking to be returned to Los Angeles. With information on the matter still being stitched together, insiders have yet to provide info on when or why she discarded her clothes. 

Sources also allege that once she arrived at the mental health hospital, she began making improvements. A past update made note of the fact that her parents, Lynn and Rick Bynes, were thankful that she was lucid enough to call for her help on her own. Despite that, it would appear that Amanda could possibly spend another week in the facility. Psychiatric holds typically last about 72 hours, according to the news outlet, yet they can be extended if warranted. 

This latest personal setback for Amanda Bynes arrives about a year after the dissolution of her conservatorship. Bynes filed to end it in early 2022, with her parents supporting the decision. At the time, reports specified that Bynes’ legal guardianship situation was not intended to last her entire life but would only remain in effect until she was fit to leave it. When the judge finally ruled in her favor in March 2022, Bynes reached out to the fans, sending her love and gratitude to them. Reports indicate that Bynes’ parents are not considering re-instituting a conservatorship following this most recent incident. 

News of the former child star’s ordeal came on the heels of ‘90s Con, where she was set to reunite with her castmates from All That. However, it was reported on Saturday that she’d been forced to drop out due to illness. In spite of her absence, former co-star Kel Mitchell gave her a shout-out and wished her well. 

In the aftermath of this sad state of affairs, you can only hope that Amanda Bynes will be able to get the help she needs. Bynes seemed to be making strides as a free woman over the last year and, surely, her fans would love to see her continue to make progress.

In 2022, Amanda Bynes was released from the conservatorship that she’d been under since 2013, marking a new chapter in her life. She’s since dropped details on what it's been like to live life as a free woman. Unfortunately, Bynes experienced an unfortunate situation this past weekend, which saw her roaming the streets while naked before making a 911 call. The actress has since been placed on a psychiatric hold. Considering this recent situation, one may wonder if there’s a possibility that she’ll be put in another conservatorship. A source has now provided alleged details on the chances of that happening. 

The now-dissolved conservatorship was overseen by Lynn Bynes, Amanda’s mother, who apparently remains involved in her daughter’s personal affairs. A source tells TMZ that Lynn and Amanda’s father, Rick, are concerned about their daughter following this latest incident. However, said person also alleges that they’re not considering putting the former child actress under legal guardianship again following the sequence of events that occurred this past Sunday.

During the early hours of that morning, the unclothed Amanda Bynes was spotted in downtown Los Angeles, where she waved down a car. She reportedly explained to the driver that she was coming down from a psychotic episode and eventually called 911 herself. After being taken to the authorities, they reasoned that she needed to be put under psychiatric hold. Insiders say that the What I Like About You alum was not harmed amid the ordeal. In most cases, a hospitilization like hers can last up to 72 hours, though there is apparently the possibility that it could be extended. 

Her former conservatorship became a major topic of discussion a year ago, with the attention coming shortly after Britney Spears was released from her own. (Though the pop star’s situation had no direct influence on the actress’.) Unlike the Spears’ legal arrangement, the Nickelodeon alum’s was never meant to be permanent. That’s why the Bynes’ were fine with their daughter filing for it to be abolished. A judge ultimately ruled in Amanda’s favor in March 2022, after which she shared a sweet message with her fans. 

By the time Amanda Bynes’ past legal guardianship was put in place, she’d already experienced a number of legal issues. She’s been handed hit and run charges and was in conflict with the NYPD at one point. In addition to being reprimanded by the authorities, Bynes has notably made unusual comments and accusations. One of those statements involved rapper Drake theoretically causing harm to her genitalia. 

The now-36-year-old star had seemingly been doing a lot better as of late. According to TMZ, she’d been living on her own and taking cosmetology classes. (Said courses are presumably held at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, where she earned an Associate’s Degree.) This past weekend, she was set to reunite with her All That co-stars at ‘90s Con before dropping out. Kel Mitchell sent her a sweet message amid the absence. 

One can only hope that Amanda Bynes will be able to recover from this latest incident and continue moving forward after having her conservatorship ended. Her parents seem to have her back amid this latest development, so one would assume that they’ll be working to help her establish a healthy lifestyle.

Amanda Bynes is unfortunately facing a personal setback in the midst of her post-conservatorship life. The actress is currently in care under a psychiatric hold following a scary situation over the weekend. The news arrived just after reports of The Amanda Show and Easy A actress missing her appearance alongside her All That co-stars at '90s Con 2023. We now have details on what allegedly went down.

It's been reported that Amanda Bynes was spotted walking naked in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday morning. Per TMZ, Bynes flagged down a driver and explained that she was coming down from a psychotic episode. It's also said that the 36-year-old called 911 herself and was taken to a police station, where authorities determined that she needed to be on a 5150 psychiatric hold. Bynes wasn't injured during the ordeal. As it stands, she'll allegedly remain in psychiatric care for several days. Bynes has not been active on her social media accounts for some time, and, as of this writing, she hasn't commented on the situation. 

The actress' incident comes just under a year since she was officially removed from her conservatorship by a judge. Shortly after, the Nickelodeon icon revealed that she was working on her bachelor's degree at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, which she re-enrolled in back in 2020. The star had previously earned an associate's degree in 2019. 

Amanda Bynes has made headlines in the past for exhibiting erratic or strange behavior. Bynes has had several run-ins with cops and has made bizarre public statements (one involving rapper Drake). There was also an incident in which she allegedly started a small fire in the driveway of a stranger. Bynes' mother was granted temporary conservatorship over her, which was ultimately extended after more incidents followed. 

In 2018, she announced that she was celebrating four years of sobriety and apologized to the public for the various comments she'd made over the years. In more recent years, she's spoken candidly about that time in her life and has gradually made efforts to showcase her creative side. One of the ways in which she did this was by dropping two rap songs with her now ex-fiancé Paul Michael.  

Fans were eager to see Amanda Bynes at 90s Con, which took place this past weekend in Connecticut. Bynes was set to reunite with former All That co-stars Kel Mitchell, Lori Beth Denberg, and Danny Tamberelli and Kenan Thompson but was sai to have canceled due to illness. In January, Bynes said she was "really excited" to meet up with her co-stars. Hopefully, if she's up for it in the future, she will be granted an opportunity to make an appearance down the road. No doubt there's no shortage of fans who would love to share their love for her work. 

CinemaBlend would like to extend its best wishes to Amanda Bynes and her family and wish them well during this difficult time. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery for the star and for more healing to occur in the days to come. 

The nostalgia was real in Hartford, Connecticut this past week, as the city welcomed ‘90s Con – a celebration of the pop culture associated with the totally radical decade. A plethora of actors who starred on hit TV shows at the time were present to participate in panels and chop it up with fans. Among those present were several members of the hit Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That. However, one of the series’ stars who wasn’t present for the reunion was Amanda Bynes, who committed to appearing but had to drop out. Despite her absence though, co-star Kel Mitchell sent a kind message her way. 

Amanda Bynes missed the massive convention due to illness, according to her representatives. The news may have come as a disappointment to those who were eager to see the former child star alongside her Nickelodeon cohorts again. But leave it to the actors to not forget about their former co-star. Both Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson spoke with ET during the event and addressed Bynes’ unavailability. It was during the chat that Mitchell sent his well wishes and expressed relief that his colleague is doing well these days: 

For those who don’t know, Amanda Bynes (who’s faced legal issues and dealt with substance abuse in the past) had been under a conservatorship since 2013. (Her legal arrangement arguably received more attention as Britney Spears was removed from her own, though Spears’ situation had no direct influence on the former.) By early 2022, Bynes had filed to end the conservatorship, which was a move that her parents supported. The conservatorship was dissolved in March, with the star sharing a grateful message with her fans after the judge’s decision came down.

90’ Con was meant to be the actress’ first public appearance since becoming a free woman. In a statement released earlier this year, she said that she was “really excited” to be linking up with her fellow Nickelodeon alums. The What a Girl Wants icon joined All That at the top of its second season in 1996 and quickly became a hit with viewers for her performances in various sketches. After her stint on the show ended in 2000, she focused much of her energy on her own spinoff show, The Amanda Show. Given her impact on Nick, it would’ve been more than fitting for her to be at the convention. 

There was still plenty of fun to be had during the panel for the beloved series. In addition to Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson, former cast members Lori Beth Denberg and Danny Tamberelli were also on deck to gush about their time on the series. Fans were surely also pumped to hear Thompson and Mitchell tease the newly announced Good Burger 2, which could have some sweet cameos. This surely won’t be the only reunion between the stars and, hopefully, Amanda Bynes will be part of any future potential meet-ups.

If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can stream classic episodes of All That now using a Netflix subscription.

Amanda Bynes has been living a new chapter in her life since her conservatorship came to an end last year. The former Nickelodeon star has mostly kept a low profile since then, but fans have been waiting to see if Bynes would make a return to the entertainment industry after she released some NSFW rap songs. Well, the public doesn't have to ponder anymore as the former child star is set to reunite with her All That co-stars for the first time in years.

Amanda Bynes and other OG All That alums – Kel Mitchell, Lori Beth Denberg, and Danny Tamberelli  – will celebrate the iconic Nickelodeon sketch show at this year's ‘90s Con, according to People. The nostalgia-infused event will take place from March 17-19th at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. The mini-reunion marks a major professional step for Bynes following the dissolution of her eight-year conservatorship. In a statement shared with the trade, the Amanda Show star expressed her joy about teaming up with her former co-stars again:

It sounds like Amanda Bynes is ready to meet her fans and reminisce with her All That family. Her involvement in the event is more than fitting, considering the kids’ sketch comedy series jumpstarted her TV and film career. Bynes was on the show from 1996 to 2000,  before getting her self-titled variety series that lasted for three seasons. During her time on the first of the two programs, she created memorable sketches, with the most famous arguably being “Ask Ashley.”

The She's the Man wasn’t the only one excited for the anticipated panel, as fellow Nick kid Kel Mitchell couldn’t hold back his enthusiasm for the reunion. The actor, who attended the nostalgic convention in 2022, is looking forward to linking up with his former castmates, especially Bynes:

‘90s Con may be the perfect place for Amanda Bynes to reconnect with her fans in the aftermath of her legal battle. Immediately after it was dissolved, Bynes thanked them for their support during her conservatorship fight. They haven’t heard much out of the actress and her fiancé made headlines after cops were called to their house following a domestic dispute. With all of that in mind, it's just good to know that Bynes will be involved with the convention and be able to chop it up with her admirers in a positive way.

Seeing Amanda Bynes with Kel Mitchell, Lori Beth Denberg, and Danny Tamberelli  will be a real treat for the All That fandom, to say the least. I'm hoping that we get some sweet-behind-the-scenes details from the set of the classic series. We'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out. In the meantime, revisit the Nickelodeon staple using a Paramount+ subscription and keep up with newer shows using the 2023 TV schedule.

Just when it looked like former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes’ life might be heading in entirely positive and non-bizarre directions following the official end of her conservatorship earlier this year, the sorta-former TV actress and sorta-current rapper shared some extremely unexpected accusations on Instagram about her fiancé Paul Michael. The after-midnight drama got so hectic that Michael, who was reportedly tossed out of the home the couple shares, called the cops on Bynes. It doesn’t seem like any charges were filed, however, considering Bynes delivered her own update on the situation with a “correction” video that reneged on her previous claims. It’s quite a roller coaster ride, mostly in the sense that it goes all over the place and essentially ends up right back in the same spot.

Let’s start off at the beginning, since things advanced fairly rapidly once they initially got weird. Following a couple of weeks of shared musical releases, Amanda Bynes and Paul Michael were seemingly at odds early Thursday morning, with Bynes posting her accusation-laden video on Instagram Stories, per TMZ. While the two videos are no longer live, you can read what she had to say below, which includes a truly baffling bit about a salmon. 

The cadence that Amanda Bynes puts forth when saying everything in the video is just as curious as everything she actually says in it. Okay, may not quite as curious as saying her fiancé was watching incest porn, presumably after smashing up his mom’s house and throwing a fish under her bed. 

The LAPD reportedly arrived at the couple’s home around 2:30 a.m., at which point Paul Michael explained that they’d been in the midst of a verbal battle, and claimed Amanda Bynes was taking his Adderall prescription and had lost control. Even though she technically booted him out of the house, he stuck around to give his report to the cops, perhaps also in an attempt to squash the issues without anyone going to jail. He also took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the matter, which was essentially that he didn’t know “what the fuck she’s talking about” regarding her odd accusations.

After seemingly all was said and done, Amanda Bynes issued her follow-up video, which was delivered in a subdued and matter-of-fact manner that did not at all match up with her prior state of rabid sus. Here’s how she explained things:

Had the cops not apparently been involved, it wouldn’t be so hard to believe that this was just a weird social media skit playing out in real time. Her misguided assumption about his porn tastes almost turns her “MILFs” reveal into a punchline. Especially after her second-video follow-up about having something in her teeth. 

In any case, the most important thing to acknowledge here is that seemingly nobody in that relationship is currently smoking crack cocaine, and both Amanda Bynes and Paul Michael are hopefully out of harm’s way. One can only hope this situation doesn’t blossom into anything that impedes on Bynes’ goals of continuing her education and working on a fragrance line. And now the wait begins for their third rap collabs.

I'll admit I didn't do a whole lot of intense speculating about where former Nickelodeon fave and Hollywood star Amanda Bynes' career would go immediately after she was thankfully released from her years-long conservatorship. But even if I'd  dedicated my life to just that in the weeks between then and now, I probably still wouldn't have arrived at "quasi-Soundcloud rapper" as a go-ahead option. (I guess the face tattoo was a hint.) And yet here we are, in Spring 2022, and Bynes has unveiled her SECOND rap song to her Instagram followers and the world at large. So, do as the independent entertainer says and “come fuck with me and my sound.”

Open your mind, your eyes, and probably your overflowing wallet and purses as you dive into Amanda Bynes’ “Fairfax,” featuring a verse from her fiancé Paul Michael. I’ll see you on the other side, dear listeners. 

As astounding as it may be to hear again, “Fairfax” is the second track from Amanda Bynes and Paul Michael, as the pair put out the song “Diamonds” (which you know we are going to talk about below) only a week or so prior. And to be fair, it’s pretty clear that the former actress is having fun tossing bars together while getting her foul-mouthed brag on, as opposed to seeming as if she’s legitimately coming rabidly for the thrones of Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and the like. 

When the former star of The Amanda Show whose name is also Amanda throws a line in a song’s chorus that states “I’m Amanda,” there necessarily has to be self-awareness involved. Because otherwise… I dunno. It’s probably not a dogs-marrying-cats situation, but somewhere in that neighborhood. 

Now, is it just me, or is everyone’s instinct to just call everyone a bitch after hearing that song? It’s like how Friends’ Joey feels after watching Die Hard…bitch. 

Following the reversal of her conservatorship, Amanda Bynes shared a free-life update, saying that she would be continuing to work towards earning her Bachelor’s Degree at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. As well, she talked about spending part of the summer working on a fragrance, with a proposed launch for it around the holiday season. And all the while, she was quietly sitting on the key information that she was about to rip music’s face open with her hubby-to-be. 

Let’s revisit their first effort, “Diamonds,” shall we?

I totally want Netflix or Roku Channel (or whoever has the gumption) to give Amanda Bynes another sketch/variety-type TV show, so that we can get some smooth Adult Swim animations behind such jam-jams as these. If this is where her head is at these days, I’d legit love to see her embrace her creative and performative side again, even if it’s in some other format...bitch.

While waiting to see where Amanda Bynes musical stylings branch off to next, check out everything hitting the small screen in the coming months with our 2022 TV premiere schedule! 

So far as everyone knew toward the end of last year, Amanda Bynes’ conservatorship was supposed to be extended until 2023, with her parents remaining in charge of her health and finances. But suddenly, it was revealed this February that the former Nickelodeon headliner was filing to end the nearly decade-long legal arrangement once and for all. A judge ultimately ruled in Bynes' favor soon thereafter, prompting the former child star to share a message of thanks to her fans. In yet another surprising maneuver, though, Bynes and her fiancé released a new song together post-conservatorship – and someone call her idol Drake because it’s a rap.

The 36-year-old posted a snippet of the collaboration with fiancé Paul Michael on her Instagram. The song, titled “Diamonds,” is led mostly by Michael, but Amanda Bynes is heard repeating a refrain on the track: “Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds, on my neck, on my wrist / Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds, on my fish, yeah, I wet.” It’s no Easy A sequel, but it’s the first posting from Bynes since she shared that anecdote weeks ago regarding a former movie director’s harsh criticism about her appearance. Fans can listen to the brief “Diamonds” clip below:

With the surprise drop, it isn’t clear if she's opting to pursue a more musical path in the future. Previously, the She’s The Man alum indicated that she had other plans as a newly free woman. Plans that included continuing her beauty marketing education at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and developing a fragrance brand. Her attorney, David A. Esquibias, told Entertainment Tonight that the new song has been a long time coming, apparently. He said:

A closer look shows that "Diamonds" was technically released on Amanda Bynes' YouTube back in 2021. However, her lawyer’s comment suggest that social media use and/or pursuing new projects in an official capacity was perhaps restricted during her conservatorship. Nevertheless, with its conclusion, the former actress is clearly making the most of her recent freedom. In addition to the track and forthcoming fragrance launch, Bynes had also decided to switch up her look and take on the process of removing her infamous face tattoo.

Similarly, Britney Spears has likewise been making the most of her own conservatorship’s demise, which became official back in November. Since that time, the pop singer has been opening up more and more about her traumatic history on her social media. Not to mention, she has also gotten engaged and pregnant by her longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari as well.

At one point in time, Britney Spears implied that she might be retiring from performing altogether, given everything she’s been through. Still, it’s not as evident if Amanda Bynes’ future entails a formal retirement from acting. She hasn’t taken on any roles since the 2010 film Easy A, but who knows? Maybe she’ll add a comeback tour to her ambitious to-do list.

Amanda Bynes is entering a brand-new phase in her life. Just a few weeks ago, a judge ruled to end the conservatorship she’d been under since 2013. After the ruling, Bynes shared a message with her fans, in which she thanked them for their “love and well wishes.” The actress is continuing to keep the public updated on her personal status and, in her latest comments, she reveals how she’s living life as a free woman. 

The All That alum actually has a few reasons to celebrate as of late. In addition to regaining control of her life, the star is also celebrating her 36th birthday this week. So as she enters a new year of life and begins living on her own terms again, what does she have planned? Well, the actress told E! News that she’s putting her focus on a couple of things, including her studies:

Amanda Bynes first enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in 2014 and earned her Associate’s of Arts degree in 2019. She later re-entered the school in 2020 in order to pursue the aforementioned Bachelor’s Degree. Bynes’ comments match up with recent reports, which alleged that she was enjoying her coursework at the school. It was also said that the fashionista has been earning almost straight A’s. 

Aside from her professional and academic endeavors, the Easy A alum has also been making some personal changes. Ahead of her conservatorship hearing, the star took to social media to show off a brand-new look. She revealed via social media that she’d traded in her ombre-colored locks for a basic black look. Not only that, but the star was also in the process of getting her heart-shaped face tattoo removed. The changes are coming quickly for the What a Girl Wants star but, in the midst of all of them, she has plenty of support. 

Amanda Bynes’ parents, Lynn and Rick, are completely behind her as she makes this transition. Though they initiated the conservatorship nearly a decade ago, they never intended for it to be permanent and want to see their daughter move on with her life. Bynes also has at least one former Nickelodeon alum in her corner in the form of Josh Peck. When it comes to his former Amanda Show co-star’s new situation, Peck hopes she does “whatever makes her happy.”

And it sounds like she’s doing just that, based on her recent comments. It’s been a long road for Amanda Bynes, so it’s simply lovely to see that she’s at a positive place in her life. Let’s hope she continues to thrive as she moves forward.

Former Nickelodeon mainstay Amanda Bynes was initially placed under a conservatorship, following some erratic behavior and a public arrest, way back in 2013. Nearly nine years later, on the heels of Britney Spears’ conservatorship getting dismantled, Bynes expressed that she wanted to end her own legal arrangement. With the support of her parents seemingly behind her, the semi-retired actress started preparing for a new future and even initiated the removal process for her infamous face tattoo. It wasn’t all for naught either, because a judge has since officially ruled to end the conservatorship in question. With this, fellow Nick alum Josh Peck has weighed in on the news.

Josh Peck Reflects On His History With Amanda Bynes

The two for sure go way, way back. Amanda Bynes, who started her career on Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy show for kids All That, teamed up with Josh Peck after he bagged a series regular spot on Bynes’ namesake, The Amanda Show, which also aired on Nick. And apparently, their rapport has carried over into present day. After Bynes’ conservatorship finally got the can recently, Peck shared to Insider,

Amanda Bynes Future Remains Uncertain

In the wake of the conservatorship’s dissolution, Amanda Bynes sent a message to her fans, expressing appreciation for their love and support amidst the legal situation. She also indicated that her next endeavor as a fully independent person includes a fragrance line. However, with or without her former co-star's support on the matter, it isn’t clear as of yet if Bynes will jump back into the acting pool again so soon. Technically, the 35-year-old has been on a hiatus since 2010, with her last major movie role in Easy A.

If Britney Spears’ journey is any indication, it very well could be that the Nickelodeon icon doesn’t return entirely to the public eye. Following her own conservatorship ending, an arrangement she once likened to sex trafficking, Spears claimed that she was actually retiring from performing. Sad though the same scenario would be for the What a Girl Wants star's loyal fanbase, it’s not likely that anyone would actually blame her for such a decision.

Josh Peck Doesn't Feel Kindredness With All Nick Alums

It’s interesting that Josh Peck continues to have a “real affection” for Amanda Bynes, yet he revealed recently on the BFFs podcast that he and Drake Bell aren’t friends at all. Evidently, after Drake & Josh ended in 2007, they didn’t keep in touch, which culminated in Peck calling his former co-star “delusional” for his anger over a missing invite to his wedding. I guess, it’s not so much about the quantity of shared screen-time as it is the quality of it that makes a genuine off-screen friendship?

We'll have to wait and see what happens with Amanda Bynes’ future endeavors as they materialize. To all the other ‘90s babies out there like myself, let it be known that All That, The Amanda Show, and most other Nickelodeon shows are streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.

Having spent much of her childhood in front of cameras as a star on All That and other Nickelodeon shows, Amanda Bynes is more known these days for being spotted by paprazzi cameras, or her own phone's camera on Instagram. Much of her time outside the spotlight has been tied to her long-term conservatorship, which was temporarily put in place back in 2013, at a time when Bynes' behavior had grown erratic, and was then fully established in 2014. The actress and fragrance-based entrepreneur first filed to bring it to and end in February 2022, even though it wasn't scheduled for review until 2023. But it's only now that the conservatorship has finally been vanquished by a judge, and Bynes is definitely appreciative that things turned out this way.

The likelihood of a terminated conservatorship was made public on March 21, the day before Judge Roger L. Lund was set to make his ruling. And thankfully, nothing changed that outcome in the interim, and the judge congratulated the out-of-court Amanda Bynes and wished her luck going forward. Bynes shared her reaction to the awesome news with People, saying:

Amanda Bynes' lawyer, David A. Esquibias, is the one who shared her statement, and has been by her side during her attempts to remove herself from beneath her conservator, her mother Lynn Bynes. The actress spoke to reversing her downward spiral in recent years, and what she aims to accomplish going forward. In her words:

This huge victory for Amanda Bynes marks the end of another industry-adjacent conservatorship, although unlike how things went for the increasingly open and outspoken Britney Spears and her family, the Easy A star's parents were reportedly fine with things ending. In fact, the general lack of friction regarding the conservatorship coming to an end is part of what fueled the judge's decision. He also gave her credit for being completely trouble-free during the process, saying:

Here's hoping everything goes smoothly for Amanda Bynes now that her conservatorship is a done deal, and that her future endeavors (such as removing her face tattoo) are as successful as her past efforts were in the world of kids TV and film. Maybe this is how we'll finally get to see Big Fat Liar 2, since Shawn Levy is still waiting to make it happen.

For nearly nine years, the health and finances of former child actor Amanda Bynes has been overseen by a conservatorship and, by proxy, her mother Lynn as the conservator. Bynes was held under a psychiatric hold just prior to the legal arrangement in 2013, due to the star exhibiting concerning behavior (which has been attributed to a combination of substance abuse and mental health issues). However, the Easy A actor has lately filed to end the conservatorship for good – and she revealed a significant hair change and face tattoo update ahead of an important hearing in court.

As many fans will remember, the majority of Amanda Bynes’ early career saw her in varying degrees of brown to highlighted hair. It would only be later in the midst of her public struggles, that she would shockingly switch things up – going from platinum white to the more recent ombre style. The actress shared on her newly instated Instagram account that she’s since treated her hair to a basic black coloring, along with confirming that she is in the process of removing her notorious heart face tattoo. See the new hair and slowly fading tat below (be quick, Bynes is known to frequently delete her posts):

The flurry of tweaks to the Nickelodeon icon’s appearance come on the heels of a future hearing concerning her conservatorship. The court date, slated for March 22, will reportedly see a decision made as to whether or not the actress is indeed as fit to handle her own affairs as she believes. Last year, the court actually ruled to extend the arrangement until 2023, with he lawyer, David Esquibias, stating that the timing was “not right at the moment” to end the conservatorship.

Clearly, though, Amanda Bynes and her team believe the timing is now right. Her mother and father apparently fully support her desire to end the conservatorship. She has reportedly been sober since her 2019 relapse, and her parents have indicated that they and her doctors have long been working toward the goal of Bynes’ independence. They also added that the recent filing had nothing to do with Britney Spears’ success ending her own conservatorship for good.

Yet, the publicity surrounding the pop singer’s conservatorship ordeals and later freedom certainly bode in Amanda Bynes’ favor. Britney Spears has been frank about how she felt abandoned by several members of her family amidst the arrangement. Bynes seemingly has had the support of both her parents on that account.

Regardless, it took several documentaries, an outraged fanbase and a few months in and out of court before Britney Spears’ conservatorship was nullified. It isn’t clear if Amanda Bynes will find an immediate solution in court, but what is clear is that she is willing to make a few changes in preparation for it.

Last month marked the 20th anniversary of a classic comedy, Big Fat Liar. The Universal film that starred big young stars of the early '00s, Frankie Muniz and Amanda Bynes, as teens who get back at Paul Giamatti’s Hollywood executive after he steals Muniz's character's creative writing assignment. Big Fat Liar’s director Shawn Levy apparently has “dreams” to make a sequel, and the idea is amazing. 

Shawn Levy has a new family-focused film called The Adam Project hitting Netflix this Friday. While speaking to CinemaBlend, the conversation moved to Big Fat Liar, which Levy admitted he’s been thinking about revisiting for some time: 

As Shawn Levy shared during the interview, he was told about the anniversary via Twitter, but didn’t end up having time to “properly honor the occasion.” Even so, he already has an idea in the bag for a sequel. It sounds like the director wants to make another Big Fat Liar movie centering on Paul Giamatti’s scummy Hollywood producer getting back at those kids for ruining his life (and turning him blue). 

Big Fat Liar was the filmmaker's second-ever movie, and his first studio hit. It led him to make a host of other successful movies, like Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther, the Night at the Museum movies, Date Night and Real Steel. Shawn Levy has been on a roll as of late, recently linking up with Ryan Reynolds for both Free Guy and The Adam Project. As the director shared, he’s already making a Real Steel Disney+ series, so why not Big Fat Liar too? 

One major problem Shawn Levy might run into when making a Big Fat Liar sequel is the fact that the former child stars that made the movie so charming are not really making movies anymore. Amanda Bynes last role was in 2010’s Easy A before dealing with mental health and substance abuse struggles. Bynes is currently filing to end a conservatorship following Britney Spear’s related victory. Frankie Muniz may be more up to it, as he's done roles here and there over the years, but he's also a new dad nowadays. 

While Shawn Levy continues to drum up his Big Fat Liar ideas, his latest movie, The Adam Project, is getting a lot of praise online, including through CinemaBlend’s review. Our own Mike Reyes awarded the film 3.5 out of 5, saying it’s a “thrill ride that occasionally causes one's eyes to well up”. You can check out the movie starring Ryan Reynolds, Zoe Saldaña, Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo with a Netflix subscription on March 11. 

Over the last several months, the public watched as Britney Spears disputed her conservatorship, which was ultimately terminated by a judge last November. Now, Amanda Bynes is looking for the same kind of outcome, as the actress recently filed to end her own conservatorship, which was put in place back in 2013. One key element that marked Spears’ legal battle was the reaction from her parents, particularly father Jamie Spears – her former co-conservator. So many may now be wondering how Bynes’ family is taking the news of her filing. 

Well, it would seem that Amanda Bynes’ parents have no problem with her decision. As a matter of fact, TMZ reports that Lynn (who oversees the conservatorship) and Rick Bynes are in full support of the move. Interestingly enough, it also seems that, contrary to popular belief, Bynes’ decision to file was not influenced by the #FreeBritneyMovement. The news outlet caught up with Bynes’ lawyer, David A. Esquibias, who explained that his client and her parents have been working in tandem for years now in order to get the legal arrangement abolished. Apparently, it was never established with the intention of lasting the actress’ entire life.

The attorney also explained that one of the big reasons the star’s parents are supporting her decision is that she’s apparently been working on herself. In the past, the Easy A alum has battled mental health issues and been admitted to different rehab facilities as a result. At one point, doctors claimed that she exhibited schizophrenic tendencies. By 2017, it was revealed that she’d been sober for several years, though she later went back to rehab for what was called a “stress-related relapse.” 

Nevertheless, it seems the star is indeed making progress. She’s reportedly been attending AA meetings that have been helping build structure. She’s also currently working towards her Bachelor’s degree at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. TMZ reports that when it comes to her coursework, she’s making almost straight A’s. 

Amanda Bynes’ legal situation greatly differs from that of Britney Spears. Per reports, Spears’ was intended to remain in place for the rest of her life. Ahead of Jamie Spears filing to end the arrangement, Britney made serious claims in regard to how he managed her life. At one point, the “Oops!... I Did It Again” singer compared her situation to “sex-trafficking” and alleged that her home had been bugged. 

Even in the aftermath of the legal termination, there has still been drama amongst the pop star and members of her family. Her father has since filed to have his daughter cover his legal fees, a move that drew sharp comments from her lawyers. The performer has also been engaged in a social media feud with sister Jamie Lynn Spears over her allegedly not stepping in to provide support while she was under her conservatorship.

Considering the relationship between Amanda Bynes and her parents, one would assume that her path to independence will be a bit smoother. Of course, we’ll just have to wait and see how things pan out. A court hearing is currently set to take place on March 22.

The ethical conversation around conservatorships – wherein someone's financial and health matters are looked after by another person – arguably picked up steam after the Framing Britney Spears documentary came out. The pop singer has since been very vocal herself about her situation and has even seen some changes in her favor. Chiefly, Spears’ dad, Jamie, has stepped down as a conservator. While “Free Britney” fans celebrate the hard-won victory, Amanda Bynes’ conservatorship woes aren't over yet.

Only a few years after Britney Spears was placed under a conservatorship, so too was actress Amanda Bynes. Following several public instances in 2013 concerning drugs and questions regarding her mental state, her mother was implemented as the conservator over her health and personal matters. Recently, Us Weekly obtained court documents, which reveal that a judge reviewed a status report on Bynes’ healthcare. Her attorney, David Esquibias, said in a statement that the judge was satisfied with the former Nickelodeon star’s progress and that she is still under the conservatorship. Apparently, the next review window “won't be necessary” until January of 2023. Esquibias stated:

Amanda Bynes' lawyer has since clarified to People that just because the next review is in 2023, it doesn't mean she will necessarily be in the conservatorship at that time. In fact, he said, "It is open day by day." The She's The Man star, who hasn't formally acted since Easy A in 2010, was admitted to a treatment center for “stress and anxiety” last year, per Us. She hasn't been active on her social media much since then, but speculation continues to churn that she is contently married to her boyfriend, Paul Michael.

In contrast to Amanda Bynes’ ongoing conservatorship, Britney Spears’ conservatorship appears to be on its final legs. Her father, and former conservator, appealed to the court to end the arrangement entirely, but Spears’ lawyers apparently still intend to investigate him for alleged abuse practices. (Reportedly, too, Spears wants one of her other conservators to stay on in their role.)

With all the major developments in her conservatorship battle, Britney Spears also revealed that she got engaged to longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari. However, the pop icon promptly deleted her Instagram afterward. The sudden move is a surprise to fans who learned more about her perspective on things amidst the conservatorship through her social media. But the singer promised on her still functioning Twitter account that it was just a temporary move as they “celebrate” their engagement.

Technically, conservatorships are in place to safeguard a person from themselves. But in Britney Spears’ case, she alleges the reverse happened. We'll just have to wait and see if Amanda Bynes does indeed actively seek to leave her own situation.

Amanda Bynes was almost on the current season of Dancing with the Stars. That’s right, fans of the ABC dancing competition were this-close to seeing Bynes compete and potentially perform on Disney Night. Had Bynes signed on, it would have marked a return to television for the All That alum after quite a long break from series TV.

The actress previously starred in the Nickelodeon sketch comedy from 1996-2002 and later starred opposite BH90210’s Jennie Garth in The WB sitcom, What I Like About You from 2002-2006. Amanda Bynes has not acted since the 2010 film Easy A. Bynes’ return to television via Dancing with the Stars ended up not coming together for Season 28. So, what happened?

Well, Amanda Bynes was in talks to join the cast of the 2019 spring edition of Dancing with the Stars, according to US Weekly. Discussions between Bynes and the ABC show ended up not working out. Bynes reportedly decided that the reality dance competition was not what she envisioned for her future, according to the site’s unnamed source.

Amanda Bynes' decision to decline a chance to compete for the mirror ball came for a reason. The She’s the Man star is looking for a “steady acting role” to make a potential showbiz comeback, according to ET. But, Dancing with the Stars has been a great way for actors to make a splash again.

However, it is not a scripted series, so it makes sense for Amanda Bynes to pass in favor of an acting gig. The actress had previously acknowledged she was interested in getting back on television. Last year, Bynes made inroads for a career comeback with a magazine profile piece. Time will tell if she ever opts for a run on Dancing with the Stars to increase the chances of that happening.

I think it would be a cool show for her to do. Season 28 has had to go on without Amanda Bynes, though. The series recently welcomed back former competitor Leah Remini as a guest judge. But, it has not all been good news when it comes to Dancing with the Stars and its celebrity contestants.

NFL star Ray Lewis had to leave the show due to injury. Lewis’ was the second injury-related withdrawal of Dancing with the Stars’ current season after supermodel Christie Brinkley was the first to drop out. The tragic trend subsequently opened the door to questions about the rigors of training for the series.

Could Amanda Bynes compete for the much-coveted mirror ball in the future? Stay tuned. Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba is hoping the series makes it to Season 30. If her dream comes true, the dance competition would have more opportunities for Bynes to waltz her way back to television.

New episodes of Dancing with the Stars air Mondays, at 8 p.m. ET, on ABC. Season 28 of the reality dance competition is one of this fall’s premieres.

Channing Tatum is one of the most versatile actors making movies today, jumping from the dance competition franchise Step Up to starring a buddy comedy with Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street to lending his voice in animated films like The LEGO Movie and Smallfoot. All this started with the 2006 rom-com She's the Man opposite Amanda Bynes, who recently said she helped get the actor his breakout role. Here's what she said:

The trust certainly paid off! Since Channing Tatum starred in She's the Man, he's been busy on movie set after movie set. In the teen movie based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Tatum was a 26-year-old next to a 20-year-old Amanda Bynes, but let's face it, most teen roles are given to actors well into their twenties anyway. Considering the star power of Tatum, Bynes wasn't likely the only one eyeing him for a lead role, but who knows, maybe it was his big break?

Due to her time out of the spotlight due to her past struggles with substance abuse and mental health, it's been a while since Amanda Bynes has spoken out about her past acting career. In a recent buzz-worthy interview with Paper Magazine, Bynes talked about her time on She's the Man along with detailing her past struggles. In the 2006 rom-com, her character dresses as a boy to live out her dream to play soccer. Her roommate is Channing Tatum's character, who she falls for after quite the complicated web of identity mix-ups.

In her unfiltered interview, Amanda Bynes opened up about how she went into a depression after starring in She's the Man because she didn't like how she looked like as a boy in the film. The film came at a time when Bynes was a popular up-and-coming actress -- she had just starred in What a Girl Wants and was still famous for her Nickelodeon television series The Amanda Show.

After She's the Man, Amanda Bynes starred in some big hits such as 2007's Hairspray and 2010's Easy A, but her personal struggles and very public downfall in 2013 led her in a different direction. Bynes has picked herself up; she said she's been sober for almost four years and is currently studying fashion in Los Angeles.

So while She's the Man was a breakout moment for Channing Tatum, it was one of Amanda Bynes few acting projects. Tatum will return as the voice of Superman in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and is said to be playing Marvel's Gambit, coming in 2020. Bynes said she hopes to one day return to the business. so maybe her honest interview signals a potential comeback.

Since her retirement from acting in 2010, Amanda Bynes has lead a hectic life. While she has tried to keep herself out of the limelight, there were several incidents (and a weird Twitter thing with Drake) that caused several fans of the former The Amanda Show namesake to raise great concern. But it appears that she is turning a new leaf, and Bynes is apparently looking to make a comeback. She was the feature of a new profile piece. In the cover for the new store, there were many fans who found themselves capturing their first glimpse of the star in ages, and she looks healthy and in control.

The Paper Magazine cover photo is the first time Amanda Bynes has found herself (intentionally) in front of a magazine cover in ages. And it hopefully showcases a new time for the former child actor, one that is hopefully a lot less intense and worrisome than the last few years were for the celebrity.

Amanda Bynes admitted that she was clean and sober last year, and the one-time major TV personality also claimed that she was looking to get back on television somewhere in the near future. Now, in a recent profile piece, Bynes showcases that renewed sense of self in her return to the media spotlight.

Amanda Bynes admitted that she was clean and sober last year, and the one-time major TV personality also claimed that she was looking to get back on television somewhere in the near future. Now, in a recent profile piece, Bynes showcases that renewed sense of self in her return to the media spotlight.

For years, it wasn't clear if Amanda Bynes was planning to make any return to the spotlight -- or if Hollywood would be willing to welcome her back with open arms. Her seemingly fragile mental state was also raising concern. She also did a few stints in rehabs and mental facilities. There were reportedly medical professionals who believed Bynes showcased schizophrenic tendencies along with signs of a severe mental illness.

But Ms. Bynes seems to be regaining control of her life. And the public can hopefully look forward to finally hearing more good news from Amanda Bynes instead of more colorful updates.

In addition to the aforementioned The Amanda Show, Amanda Bynes is well-known for a variety of popular appearances in film and television in the early '00s. On the big screen, Bynes notably appeared in Hairspray, She's the Man, What a Girl Wants and Big Fat Liar, to name a few. On television, Bynes is best known for her roles in All That, What I Like About You and The Drew Carey Show. She also provided her voice to Rugrats and Family Guy. At a young age, Bynes proved to be extremely accomplished in a variety of different mediums, but she wanted to take some time away from the media.

The last movie on Amanda Bynes' resume was the 2010 comedy Easy A, where she played the villainous supporting role opposite future Oscar winner Emma Stone. She claimed at the time that she was going to quit making movies, and Bynes has kept that promise in the eight years since that film was released. But it looks like we might be seeing her again soon, and if that's true, we'll be sure to keep you posted on all the details here at CinemaBlend.

The pressures of being a celebrity are great, and they've been known to sometimes take a negative affect on individuals' mental health. And with these issues made public through social media, any potential breakdowns become pop culture fodder. This is exactly the case with actress Amanda Bynes, who has had a very public struggle with substance abuse and mental health over the last few years. But the former child actress is currently on the upswing, and reports that she's been clean and sober for quite some time. She recently did her first interview in years, where Bynes reveals her intentions to return to acting.

Amanda Bynes recently spoke to Hollyscoop in a new interview. In addition to reflecting on her past tweets to Drake, Bynes spoke about she'd like to flex her acting muscles again. She said,

I do miss acting, and I have something surprising to tell you. I'm going to start acting again... I want to do TV. Maybe a few guest spots on some shows that I'm a fan of. And maybe another TV show where I'm the star of it.

90s kids rejoice, because it looks like Amanda Bynes is going to be returning to acting. Specifically, she's showing an interest in the small screen, which has always been a staple of her career.

Amanda Bynes is one of the more iconic 90s child actors, as she captured the hearts of her core audience in she Nickelodeon sketch shows All That and The Amanda Show. From there, she began acting in slightly more mature roles, including her series lead in the WB's sitcom What I Like About You, opposite Jennie Garth. And while she would also nab a handful of high profile movie roles, Bynes did always feel like a TV star.

Now is probably a great time for Amanda Bynes to return to the small screen. Between network TV, cable, premium channels, and streaming services, it seems like we're in a bit of TV renaissance. Additionally, the trend of nostalgia has proved massively profitable in the past few years, so if Bynes can book a project that focuses on her likability and early roots, I wouldn't be surprised if she could see a revival of her acting career.

Aside from her work in TV, Amanda Bynes is known for a handful of starring roles in film. Her most recent film credit was back in 2010 in Easy A, opposite Emma Stone. Other movies include What a Girl Wants, She's the Man with Channing Tatum, Sydney White, and the movie musical Hairspray.

I'm personally glad to see Amanda Bynes on the mend, and aiming to get back to making us all laugh. Welcome back. Amanda, please.

Former actress Amanda Bynes recently gave her first sit-down interview in years. The 31-year-old celebrity appeared to be somewhat nervous at first. However, Bynes loosened up when the show's host asked about one of the many oddball tweets Bynes sent out years ago while dealing with drug use and legal problems. Host Diana Madison admitted she did not want to make Bynes cry, but then asked about the tweet that arguably received the most attention: the one in which Bynes said she wanted Drake to murder her vagina. Instead of deflecting, Bynes gave a straightforward answer, saying,

Amanda Bynes spoke with a sense of humor about the Drake tweet. In fact, the way Bynes answered the host of The Lowdown, made it sound like she had been asked about the tweet before, and done a bit of reflection about the strange messages she used to post back then. Honestly answering the question was the perfect way for Bynes to own up to her history of drug abuse without being gloomy or solemn.

Reportedly, Amanda Bynes has been clean and sober for at least three years. Now she can look back and laugh at the person she used to be in her twenties. She returns to social media once in a blue moon, but these days, her 3.29 million followers on Twitter see pretty harmless updates compared to the Drake tweet and all of those other disturbing messages Bynes posted back in the day.

During the interview, Amanda Bynes talked about what she is up to these days. Bynes said she had learned a lot at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, and also said she is interested in returning to her acting roots at some point in the future. For example, she expressed interest in doing a guest stint on one of the television shows she enjoys. That could be a great way to kick off a career comeback. After all, Britney Spears followed a similar path to newfound success by guest starring on How I Met Your Mother after her notorious breakdown, which was similar in some ways to Bynes's.

Amanda Bynes also mentioned perhaps developing a new television show with herself as the lead. It could be a while before we hear about Bynes finding success with all of these ventures, but it is heartening to know she is doing well in recovery. But before Bynes wins back favor with fans, she might have to give a few more interviews like this one and offer some more reflection on the weird moments she overcame. Here's hoping some good comes her way.

Look who's back! Former actress Amanda Bynes recently took the time to stop and smell the roses for a picture, which she posted to social media. It marked the first time the former Nickelodeon star had posted a picture of herself since February of 2016. Bynes did post a series of tweets to deny rumors of an alleged engagement and pregnancy and to warn news outlets about an imposter posing as her on Twitter earlier this year. However, Bynes has kept a rather low profile otherwise in the past few years, so it is great to see her out and about with a gal pal. Check out the photo and continue reading below for details:

Amanda Bynes posted the photo to her Twitter account, which is her only official social media account (perhaps for good reasons). In the picture, the 31-year-old celebrity looked happy and healthy as she and her friend stood before a table stacked with beautiful bouquets of flowers. Bynes sported straight platinum-blonde hair that nearly reached her waist, and the star looked comfortable in flats and pegged jogging pants with a black top that bared her shoulders. It was a breath of fresh air to see Bynes enjoying her day this way, a far cry from the worrisome state she appeared to be in not so long ago.

In fact, it has been only a few years since Amanda Bynes made headlines first for her erratic behavior online with embarrassing and outrageous tweets, and then for brushes with the law and an eventual 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold for a mental health evaluation in July 2013. Bynes's mother, Lynn Bynes, became the star's temporary conservator afterward, but then in October 2014, Bynes got put on another psychiatric hold when she alleged her father abused her, retracted the claims, and blamed a microchip in her head for making her lie.

After that dark time, Amanda Bynes's parents announced she had begun making "great strides toward recovery." She enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She broke her silence on social media a handful of times to let followers know she was doing well at school. Things got even better in February of this year when Amanda Bynes' lawyer revealed that the She's the Man star was released from probation for the DUI she received in 2014 for driving after taking Adderall her doctor had prescribed. So, with the new freedom, Bynes may be ready to move forward in wholesome ways.

We would love to see her make a strong comeback one day. Back when Amanda Bynes's bizarre behavior first began, it was surprising and sometimes comical, but the revelation that it stemmed from a matter of mental health made the situation no laughing matter. For that reason, we are happy to see that most of Bynes's followers sent her messages of love and support on this tweet, encouraging her to continue along a path toward healing. Moreover, we love that Bynes's photo shows her stopping to enjoy her day. Hopefully, we can all remember to do the same. It's great to see you, Amanda. We are rooting for you.

Mandy Moore and Amanda Bynes. Two seemingly different actresses, but when you put their movies side-by-side, well it starts to become abundantly clear that they were in pretty deep competition back in the early 2000s. The two had different character traits in many of their roles, Mandy Moore falling heavier on the disgruntled, sappy teen side, while Amanda Bynes’ conquered the comedic, quirky. But they both were in the same game when it came to teen, coming-of-age, romantic-comedies. So naturally we have to wonder, who was better at it?

Both broke into the movie industry around the same time, and though Mandy Moore is still going fairly strong while we lost Amanda Bynes to fashion or something like that, the two actresses prime years ranged from 2000-2010. From The Princess Diaries to Easy A, Mandy Moore and Amanda Bynes still rank high on our guilty pleasure movie list, and we owe it to them to figure out who really had the better career. So here we split the competition into 7 categories, the one with the most wins comes out with the title: Best Overall Career.

Best Breakout

Winner: Mandy Moore, The Princess Diaries

Loser: Amanda Bynes, Big Fat Liar

Both Mandy Moore and Amanda Bynes had substantial careers in their early years. Moore with her music, becoming a pop star at the young age of 15, and Bynes with an early Nickelodeon career on All That and then her own series The Amanda Show. The two child stars headed to the big screen around the same time, and while Bynes had a one-up on Moore with an already professional acting career in TV, Moore comes out on top in the Breakout Role category.

Mandy Moore’s role in 2001’s The Princess Diaries may be minor, but it sure does stick out. One of the highlights of The Princess Diaries has to be the "Stupid Cupid" beach scene where Mandy Moore and her popular girl posse get on stage for a sassy number. Amanda Bynes’ breakout in 2002’s Big Fat Liar is not one to be dismissed though. Her role itself may not be quite as memorable as Mandy Moore’s but, as the best friend to Frankie Muniz, Bynes’ holds her own in a hilarious adventure of trickery and wit.

Best Catty Villain

Winner: Amanda Bynes, Easy A

Loser: Mandy Moore, Saved!

Acting in the teen drama genre, these actresses are no strangers to the catty villain. If we are going by sheer number of catty villain roles, Mandy Moore would take the prize. But even with Princess Diaries to Saved! nothing tops Amanda Bynes super-Christian good girl in Easy A. It’s funny that these two villains are paired against each other, since they are pretty similar characters in their good-girl-personas with evil ways. But what makes Amanda Bynes’ villain that much better is just how catty she is.

In Easy A Amanda Bynes’ Marianne Bryant is borderline insane in how much she hates Emma Stone’s Olive Penderghast for 'sleeping around'. While she doesn’t do anything as outright evil as Mandy Moore’s Hilary Faye in Saved!, her prissiness and catty tendencies are far more annoying. This marks Bynes’ final acting role, right before the actress started making headlines for all the wrong reasons. And maybe that’s why the role was so perfect, she was already well on her way to the crazy starlet we see her as now.

Best Deception

Winner: Amanda Bynes, She’s The Man

Loser: Mandy Moore, Chasing Liberty

Can you even call it a fair competition going up against Amanda Bynes in She’s The Man? It is arguably her best movie to date. Not to discredit the adorable Chasing Liberty, but based on who had a better disguise, pretending not to be the president’s daughter versus pretending to be a dude to kick ass on a soccer team, the latter wins every time.

Amanda Bynes’ character Viola Hastings refuses to let a sexist coach kick her off the boys soccer team after her girls team is cut. So what does she do? Well put on the perfect disguise of course. And alongside Channing Tatum, Amanda Bynes comedy is in full throttle. Everyone remember the tampon in the bloody nose bit, of course. Mandy Moore’s Chasing Liberty had two disguises in it, her’s and her new boyfriend, but even with more tricksters in the movie, it doesn’t come close to She’s The Man.

Best Sappy Teen

Winner: Mandy Moore, How To Deal

Loser: Amanda Bynes, What A Girl Wants

There are too many Mandy Moore films that would win this category, but my definite favorite has to be How to Deal. Not only does the plot set up for some ultimate tearjerker moments, but Moore’s character Halley is just such a disgruntled, sappy teenager. I seem to recall more than one screaming into the pillow sequence. And on top of that Halley is so anti-love it hurts. How would you feel if your radio personality dad played by Peter Gallagher ran off with a young blonde? But alas, the end she finds what love really means, and yay the sappiness was all worth it!

On the other hand we have Amanda Bynes’ Daphne in What A Girl Wants. Now, it’s difficult to place Bynes in this category, as her comedy often shines over any dramatic portrayals, but when a girl just wants to find the father she never met, well cue the sappy. On her journey, Daphne has plenty of sappy teen moments, and this coming-of-age story tends to stay more on the drama side of the spectrum than any other Bynes film to date. It still can't top Moore's signature role though.

Best Modern Princess

Winner: Amanda Bynes, Sydney White

Loser: Mandy Moore, Tangled

I’m sure this category is going to catch some flak, considering the sheer popularity that comes along with a Disney film. But if you haven’t seen Amanda Bynes in Sydney White just yet, go rent it/download it/whatever the kids do these days, right now. It is wonderful. Bynes’ character Sydney is far from your typical Disney princess. She tries, joins her moms preppy sorority, only to find being raised solely by her father means she’s not all that fond of the girliness, which apparently translates to being a way better person.

Mandy Moore’s Rapunzel in Tangled helped start the trend of more badass, empowered princesses, since her character is the one to ultimately save the day, and her the male protagonist’s life. The modern take on the classic Brothers Grimm tale is a breath of fresh air. But Amanda Bynes’ Sydney White still takes the cake, as it promotes a message of acceptance and kindness and some quirky comedy to boot.

Best Ridiculous Rom-Com

Winner: Amanda Bynes, Love Wrecked

Loser: Mandy Moore, License To Wed

Critically, both of these films were major flops. License to Wed has a 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and while Love Wrecked only has a bit higher, it still at least has that Amanda Bynes charm to keep it afloat. License to Wed is just absurd. With a cast alongside Mandy Moore such as John Krasinski and Robin Williams, you would expect great things. But the plot was silly at best. The creepy robot babies are at the center of this ridiculous, but while this was Moore’s biggest commercial success, you have to wonder, is even a rom-com worth it?

There’s a line that is crossed when a rom-com becomes so incredibly implausible and ridiculous, that there’s no going back. And while some of those types of rom-coms could easily win this category, Mandy Moore’s License to Wed was too weird and creepy to even make fun of. At least with Love Wrecked, Amanda Bynes may play the extreme of a lovestruck teen meeting their pop icon for the first time, but we’ve all been there. And at least the ridiculousness of her film, Bynes carries you through laughing.

Best Musical Number

Winner: Mandy Moore, "Only Hope", A Walk To Remember

Loser: Amanda Bynes, "Without Love", Hairspray

Mandy Moore gets this category, but not without competition. Though it may be considered cheating considering she’s a pop star first, when she sings "Only Hope" in A Walk To Remember it is the by far the best moment of the movie, and arguably one of the best moments of her entire acting career. Tears every time. A Walk To Remember was Mandy Moore’s first starring role, and though cliche in many ways, the school play scene when she sings "Only Hope" is unforgettable.

Amanda Bynes’ "Without Love" also had its strength though. The girl got chops. By no means does she have the singing skills of Moore, but complete with the performance, Bynes’ musical number in 2007’s Hairspray was another of the more memorable in her film. And with a more upbeat tempo, Bynes was able to let her comedic facial expressions shine along with the singing.

Best Overall Career:

Winner: Amanda Bynes

To put it nicely, Amanda Bynes is off of our radars now when it comes to acting, but that doesn’t mean we should discount her incredibly hilarious career. Mandy Moore has a far more extensive resume, but when all's said and done, more movies don’t necessarily make you a more memorable actor. She’s The Man, Sydney White, Hairspray, Big Fat Liar, Easy A, What A Girl Wants, and Love Wrecked, Amanda Bynes only had seven feature length films, but each one stands out as uniquely hers. Whether she’s trying out a more dramatic role, or reveling in her quirky weird norm, her personality shines through every time, and always feels like a relatable character.

Basically what it comes down to is we want her back. The nice, funny, just a little bit, but not over-the-edge crazy Amanda Bynes that we all fell in love with back in her The Amanda Show days, and got the opportunity to love her a little bit more with each new film. We want the Amanda Bynes that made us laugh till our stomachs hurt in She’s the Man, the Amanda Bynes who we cheered for when she stood up for her fellow nerds in Sydney White, and even the Amanda Bynes giving us her best mean girl impression in Easy A. Amanda Bynes, please find your sanity again, we miss you.

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After spending months in UCLA Medical Center on a psychiatric hold, Amanda Bynes has finally been released. A few weeks ago, the actress was officially transferred to the Canyon in Malibu, California. The high end rehabilitation facility has played host to numerous stars in the past, and by all accounts, it is luxurious and beautiful. At fifty-five thousand dollars a month, it’s also incredibly expensive, but if her parents are to be believed, it’s the exact place where she needs to be.

Since the actress is under a conservatorship, her mom needs to sign off on all her movements, and not only did she sign off on this one, she apparently agrees with it. Speaking through an attorney, Lynn Bynes released a statement saying Amanda needs to be around people who aren’t in worse conditions than her. Apparently, some of the people in the psych ward scared her to the point where she was uncomfortable leaving her room, but at the Canyon, there’s every reason to hope things will be different.

On the one hand, it’s easy to see where Lynn is coming from. This new facility reportedly has very specialized and sophisticated care, and it’s understandable that she wouldn’t want to see her daughter in a psych ward. On the other hand, however, what happens in the short-term is insignificant compared to what happens in the long-term. So, if UCLA Medical Center sucks but is doing a better job of treating her, it might well be better to suck it up for a few more months.

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By all accounts, Amanda Bynes has made huge strides over the past few months in her battle with mental illness thanks to the hard work of the doctors at UCLA Medical Center. Moving forward, however, Bynes would apparently rather go in a different direction. The actress reportedly checked out of the acclaimed hospital earlier this month and transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Malibu.

No doubt the move will make Amanda a little more comfortable. Even the nicer hospitals aren’t exactly known for being pinnacles of luxury, but it remains to be seen whether the Easy A star will be able to continue generating the kind of forward progress she did at UCLA.

According to TMZ, she’s been at the Canyon for about three weeks and has mostly kept to herself during that time. She’s apparently not wearing her wig anymore and has serious reservations about the paparazzi being able to photograph her on the facility’s grounds.

That, in a snapshot, is a great explanation for why being a celebrity leads to so many meltdowns. If a famous actress says she’s been followed, chances are she’s actually being followed. During the peak of Bynes’ problems, she was basically being stalked everywhere she went. New pictures were emerging every single day, and everytime there was weird one, that only increased the hoopla.

Bynes is currently under a conservatorship. That means her mom needed to sign off on this decision. That might seem like a foolish move from the outside looking in, but I can’t imagine it’s been particularly easy to watch her daughter in the psych unit of a hospital for months. Besides, there are legitimate questions as to whether holding someone for that long is even a good idea. There’s a difference between receiving rigorous treatment and being forced to eat hospital food everyday.

Wherever Bynes winds up, Pop Blend’s sincerest thoughts go out to her during this time of need. Here’s to hoping she’s able to continue making forward progress.

When Amanda Bynes was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold, she left a lot of unresolved messes that needed to be dealt with, most notably outstanding charges related to her numerous vehicular-related problems. Today, her attorney, Rich Hutton, appeared in front of a judge for the actress’ court date related to her driving under the influence arrest from August 2012, and during the proceedings, he told the judge his client doesn’t have the mental capacity to understand the charges facing her.

According to TMZ, the judge transferred the case to a separate mental health court. Down the road, a different judge will hold a hearing to determine whether she’s competent to stand trial. Given all of the recent problems Bynes has had over the past few months and how many times her psych hold has been extended, one would imagine she wouldn’t be found mentally fit, but technically, if she understood what she was doing was wrong, she could still be on the hook for what happened.

Bynes’ issues began to get noticed publically near the beginning of 2012. She was pulled over for driving under the influence and quickly caused a series of driving-related accidents. At first, it was assumed she was having vision problems or trouble paying attention, but after she started developing an obsession with plastic surgery and got kicked out of several apartment buildings, observers started to realize something more serious was wrong.

I’m all for people paying for their mistakes, but Bynes has far more important things to deal with right now. She clearly hasn’t been making wise and capable decisions for years now, and getting ordered to do community service or whatever is the last thing she needs. Hopefully, she can continue to make forward progress while inside and eventually be released into the care of her mother with the goal of ultimately building a nice life for herself, as she once had.

We’ll keep you updated on this case as it winds its way through the court system.

Prior to Amanda Bynes being placed on a psychiatric hold, her parents and those closest to her had grave concerns about how much money she was blowing through. No definite figures have ever been made public, but rumors claim she spent several hundred thousand dollars in just a few short months. Obviously, she couldn’t continue at that rate. She needed to get better in order to start working again as an actress. Unfortunately, getting better in Hollywood isn’t exactly cheap.

According to TMZ, Bynes is currently at UCLA Medical Center. She’s being monitored by a team of doctors, and she’s eating and living inside the lockdown facility. Altogether, those services cost a staggering $3500 a day, and her insurance only covers a small fraction of it. As such, if she winds up staying for a few months, as is currently the plan, she will shell out more than two hundred thousand dollars. If she stays for the entire year, which is technically possible, she would shell out more than one million dollars. Once you throw in the costs of therapy, medication and other long-term recovery needs, she’s really going to need to get a job sooner rather than later.

No one wants to spend that kind of money, especially on something that isn’t a whole lot of fun, but if it gets Amanda back to being a happy and healthy member of society, every single dime will have been worth it. She was not headed for a very good place prior to this stay in treatment, and while it’s impossible to know exactly what would have happened, chances are it wouldn’t have ended well. Now, if she can follow through on her treatment and take all of the advice she’s been given to heart, she has a chance to get back to being the Amanda we all knew and loved for so many years.

We will keep you updated on Bynes’ treatment as news becomes available.

During the final few months before Amanda Bynes was placed on a psych hold, the actress tweeted a slew of strange things, many of which were about hip-hop star Drake. Waffling back and forth between expressing positive and often sexual feelings and expressing angry and mean-spirited emotions, the actress’ obsession with Drake was ever-present and widely discussed. That’s why, when she hit up Twitter earlier this week to say she loved Drake, many weren’t particularly shocked. It turns out, however, that her account was actually hacked, and she had nothing to do with the tweet.

The former All That star’s attorney Tamar Arminak reached out to The Mirror this week to clear up any confusion. Here’s the exact quote…

While it wouldn’t be a shock if doctors allowed her to have limited access to technology given her extended stay, it likely would have been a huge step back if the first way Bynes’ chose to reach out to fans was through yet another obsessive Drake tweet. Here’s the fake communication in question that’s still hanging out on her Twitter account…

No one has any idea who might have hacked Bynes’ account. Clearly, someone was trying to have a laugh at her expense, but considering the severity of her situation right now, there’s really not a whole lot of smiles to be had. The actress is in a battle right now for her future, and mental illness is the toughest opponent she will ever face. Hopefully, she will be able to find a medication or combination of medications that is able to stabilize her and allow for a return to form. She’s a good actress and a loveable personality. She belongs on screen, a place that suits her a lot better than the psych ward.

Pop Blend’s thoughts go out to the entire Bynes family during this time of need.

When Amanda Bynes was first placed on an emergency psychiatric hold after she started a fire on a random women’s driveway, her stay was only scheduled to last for seventy-two hours. Once doctors evaluated her, however, they decided the situation was serious enough that she needed to stay longer. First for eleven days and later for an additional month, the actress’ team of doctors continued to ask a judge for more time, and this week, they made their biggest request yet: an entire year.

According to TMZ, all involved are hoping Amanda won’t spend nearly that long on her psych hold. Apparently, the ideal situation would be for her to spend a further sixty days being treated by the professionals and then go to live with mother. If, for some reason, the wheels were to come off though, the request, which was approved by the judge yesterday, allows doctors and the Bynes family to keep her in for up to a year without getting further approval.

On the one hand, it’s easy to see why the actress’ family would fight to keep her locked down. She was an absolute mess before she started getting help. She was kicked out of multiple apartments, lost her driver’s license and behaved beyond erratically. Something about her life needed to change before she ended up dead or in jail, and by all accounts, the new medication and the programs she’s undergoing at UCLA are really helping.

On the other hand, however, locking someone up for months is a big deal. Not having any control over your day-to-day choices isn’t something most people can just laugh off or get over quickly. Conventional wisdom might say better safe than sorry, but it’s her freedom that’s being sacrificed every single day she’s kept inside. I’m all for giving her extensive counseling and instituting a crazy number of checks and balances, but maybe now is the time to let her out and actually see if she can begin to stand on her own two feet again.

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We might not typically call a flood of sad emotions a particularly good thing, but when compared against no emotion at all, a good cry can be a welcome relief. Anyone who has ever studied serial killers will tell you that, and if the latest rumblings about Amanda Bynes are to be believed, so would the actress’ doctors. She’s apparently been crying up a storm the past few days, and they couldn’t be happier about the latest developments.

According to TMZ, the former All That star did quite a bit of emoting prior to her scheduled court appearance, reportedly telling her nurses and doctors she was really worried about what might happen and thougt she should be allowed to leave. People suffering from Schizophrenia often have a hard time crying, and since early reports indicate Amanda may be suffering from Schizophrenic tendencies, it’s very encouraging to see her get emotional.

Bynes was first taken into custody and placed on a 5150 psych hold following a fire in a residential neighborhood. Why exactly she decided to start it on the random woman’s driveway is unclear, but when doctors examined her, they found enough cause for concern to extend the initial 72 hour hold not once but twice. Recently, a judge granted Bynes’ parents a temporary conservatorship over their daughter, which will allow them to make basic decisions related to where she lives, how she receives medical care and what her monthly stipend might be.

Even given her litany of problems, it’s not surprising Bynes wants to be released from the hospital. She’s made millions of dollars as a popular actress and has looked out for herself and lived on her own for years. It’s only natural she would want to continue that trajectory. Unfortunately, she really needs to focus on getting better right now, and it will be far easier for her to do that with the types of checks and balances her parents will impose. Besides, it doesn’t necessarily need to be viewed as a negative. Britney Spears has been under a conservatorship for years, and she seems as happy as possible. In fact, her entire life turned around almost the second her father started helping her make bigger life decisions.

Over the past year, Bynes has made an incredible number of headlines related to her behavior. If all goes according to plan, however, the headlines she makes in the future will be directly related to new acting roles and positive career developments. She has a talented girl with a lot to offer. I think I speak for everyone when I say it would be nice to have her back and working.

For more than a year, Amanda Bynes slowly spiraled out of control. A few bad decisions were followed by some clearer warning signs which were followed by some straight up bizarre behavior. Now and again, there were some rumbles about family members, friends and neighbors reaching out to offer help, but in general, the actress was left to her own devices. Thankfully, that’s not happening anymore. A judge in Ventura, California officially granted her mother Lynn a full conservatorship this morning.

According to People, Bynes’ doctors recommended she be held for an additional thirty days, extending the initial 5150 psychiatric hold for the second time. Judge Glen M. Reiser quickly made that recommendation official and further granted the request of Bynes’ parents to be given oversight of their daughter’s finances and basic life decisions, such as where she should live. Amanda’s attorney formally objected to the motion, but with her psych hold getting extended, her chances of successfully preventing such a move were slim. Luckily for her, however, the conservatorship will only extend until September 30. If all goes according to plan, there will be enough evidence of Amanda’s long-term health and mental competence by that point to come up with a formal game plan.

In the final months before she was picked up by the police and placed into the psych unit, Bynes reportedly ran through more than $1 million of her savings. She also was kicked out of several apartment buildings and insulted a lot of people. Clearly, her behavior in no way reflected the smart, funny girl who took Hollywood by storm so many years ago. With medication and someone else overseeing her choices, however, there’s no reason to think she won’t be able to get back to being that same person. After all, Britney Spears was a head-shaving mess before she was placed under a conservatorship, and now, those days are nothing more than a hazy, distant memory.

Amanada and her parents haven’t always been the closest. In fact, there are some rumors that they may have gone awhile without speaking. If so, that will make the conservatorship harder to implement, but hopefully, Lynn and Rick will leave all of those hard feelings behind them and simply focus on what is best for their daughter. She definitely needs some help, and even with the strain, they are probably the best people to see her through the weeds right now. Here’s to hoping Amanda is able to quickly recognize that when she gets out and is able to focus on nothing other than getting back to a place of comfort and competence.

We’re all certainly rooting for her.

Over the past year, Amanda Bynes went after a lot of seemingly random people on Twitter. From Barack and Michelle Obama to Rihanna, she cast her net extremely wide, but there was one subject she continued to return to: Drake. Initially, the rapper was very hesitant to offer any comments related to her combination of personal attacks and over the top praises. During a recent interview, however, he changed his mind and opened up a bit.

Here’s what the musician told XXL Magazine when asked about the former All That star’s random obsession with him…

Bynes’ bizarre fascination with the rapper began in March when she caused Twitter to almost explode by randomly saying she wanted Drake to murder her vagina. In the time since, she’s repeatedly waffled back in forth between calling Drake ugly or gorgeous, depending on her mood. Most of the negative comments have since been deleted, but you can check out a random sample below…