Amanda Bynes Has Totally Transformed Since Her Child Star Days

Amanda Bynes was once the epitome of a hugely successful child star. The youngster became a household name at age 10 after getting her big break on the '90s Nickelodeon sketch show "All That," alongside the likes of Nick Cannon and Kenan Thompson. "It was a dream come true. It was unbelievable for me," Bynes later told Paper of the gig. That opportunity would eventually evolve into her very own sketch show on the kids' network, "The Amanda Show," which debuted in 1999.

"The Amanda Show" catapulted Bynes to superstar status for Millennial kids and teens. That said, the fresh-faced actor knew the weight she had on her shoulders with so many young fans looking up to her. "I still can't believe it. It feels like it's unreal," she told Orlando Sentinel in 2000 of her huge fame, which was on a trajectory to make her one of the biggest stars in the world. "I love doing what I'm doing. And for kids to watch me and come up to me and say they want to be like me, it's a really big honor," she said.

But when her eponymous show came to an end in 2002, a 16-year-old Bynes was poised to continue taking the world by storm as a young adult. And a total transformation ensued. She became almost unrecognizable from the wide-eyed child cracking jokes on Nickelodeon we were introduced to, and, over the years, she's been very open about some incredibly dark periods in her life, including her public mental health issues and struggle with addiction.

Amanda Bynes' focus was on the big screen after "The Amanda Show" ended. She starred alongside "Malcolm In The Middle" star Frankie Muniz in "Big Fat Liar" in 2002, and in the Lance Bass-produced rom-com "Lovewrecked" alongside Chris Carmack, Jonathan Bennett, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. In 2003, she expanded her résumé with the teen movie "What A Girl Wants," which she told BBC she signed on the dotted line for because it resonated with her and her fans coming of age. "I've grown up with kids watching me on TV and as they're growing up, I'm growing up, and hopefully they can get a good message from it," she said.

But Bynes didn't totally turn her back on TV. She also appeared alongside Jennie Garth in the sitcom "What I Like About You," which ran from 2002 until 2006. The star told The New York Times when the series debuted that she appreciated how it was aimed at an older audience. "It has appeal to people twice my age, even older," the then-16-year-old said.

During an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" shortly after turning 18, Bynes confirmed she still lived with her parents and had no plans to move out on her own — nor was she interested in joining her fellow young Hollywood peers on the party scene. "When I'm working all day, I don't really want to go out to a party. That's unfulfilling," she said. However, she'd later admit to Paper she wasn't quite as squeaky clean as she appeared. "I started smoking marijuana when I was 16. Even though everyone thought I was the 'good girl,' I did smoke marijuana from that point on," she said.

Amanda Bynes saw more success in 2006, appearing in the popular comedy movie "She's The Man" alongside Channing Tatum. But while the film was a hit with fans, Bynes later admitted to Paper she struggled after watching it for the first time. "I went into a deep depression for four to six months because I didn't like how I looked when I was a boy," she said (the star dresses as a boy in the movie to land a place on a male-only soccer team). "[It was] a super strange and out-of-body experience. It just really put me into a funk," she added.

Thankfully though, she had a much better experience when she landed a role in the 2007 blockbuster movie adaptation of "Hairspray," which also starred the likes of Zac Efron, John Travolta, and Michelle Pfeiffer. "That movie to this day was the most amazing experience I've ever had on a set," she told Paper in 2018. While promoting the movie, Bynes told Collider she enjoyed playing a less comedic role and expanding her repertoire. "I had to sort of pull back and be kind of quiet and sort of be the observer which was actually kind of fun for me and different," she said.

By 2008, 22-year-old Bynes was also growing up and living out her dreams as a fashion designer. She created her own line called dear by Amanda Bynes in association with Steve and Barry's, and told Cosmopolitan she was becoming more familiar with the club scene, too. "I can have a drink and dance if I want. You have to go out to meet people... and guys. I'm in that phase where I just want to have fun!" she said.

Though Amanda Bynes' career seemed to be on a huge upward trajectory, cracks started appearing around 2010. Bynes left the Farrellys' movie "Hall Pass," which starred Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis, that spring, and claimed on X, formerly known as Twitter, she'd dropped out due to scheduling issues. "It's a huge cast and I was going to do a little part but it didn't work out timing wise!!" she wrote. However, the star later admitted to Paper she quit because of a growing dependency on Adderall and serious body image issues. "I remember chewing on a bunch of [Adderall tablets] and literally being scatterbrained and not being able to focus on my lines or memorize them for that matter," she recalled.

Despite walking away from "Hall Pass," Bynes appeared in another movie in 2010, "Easy A" alongside Emma Stone. But the comedy movie that launched Stone's acting career spelled the end for Bynes'. "I literally couldn't stand my appearance in that movie and I didn't like my performance. I was absolutely convinced I needed to stop acting after seeing it," she said.

In July 2010, the California native confirmed she was walking away from acting. "If I don't love something anymore, I stop doing it. I don't love acting anymore, so I've stopped doing it," she announced on X. "I know 24 is a young age to retire, but you heard it here first," she added.

Amanda Bynes somewhat backtracked on her retirement declaration in 2011. Speaking to People, she clarified her social media remarks, stating, "I really just needed some time off. I've been acting since I was seven, and I'm 25 now. So, it's not retiring so much. It's just taking some time off." However, the star's time away from the set never ended, and she never appeared in another movie.

Amid the confusion over her career, Bynes' also made headlines for her social media activity. She posted several bizarre and often frantic sentiments on X, which she admitted seven years later she deeply regretted. "I'm so sorry to whoever I hurt and whoever I lied about because it truly eats away at me. It makes me feel so horrible and sick to my stomach and sad. Everything I worked my whole life to achieve, I kind of ruined it all through Twitter," she told Paper.

Sadly, the constant tweets alluded to a tragic turn in the star's life. After she stepped back from acting, Bynes' world changed a lot — and not for the better. "[I was] hanging out with a seedier crowd and I isolated a lot... I got really into my drug usage and it became a really dark, sad world for me," she said.

Amanda Bynes made headlines more for her legal troubles in 2012 than her work. That April, Bynes was arrested for DUI and released on $5,000 bail. Two months later, she was charged, but pleaded not guilty. Her driving issues didn't end there, though. That same year, she was charged with two counts of hit-and-run as well as two counts of driving on a suspended license. The former actor was also changing her appearance, as a mug shot showed her with light pink locks.

That September, Bynes missed a Los Angeles hearing related to the suspended license charge after telling People she was moving to the Big Apple. "I am retired as an actor. I am moving to New York to launch my career. I am going to do a fashion line," she said. The star also downplayed her legal issues, stating, "I am not talking about being arrested for DUI because I don't drink, and I don't drink and drive. It is all false."

Bynes was back in California in July 2013 though and publicly experienced a tough time with her mental health. The celeb was snapped wearing a wig that looked insanely cheap and was accused of starting a small fire in a driveway. TMZ reported she was put on a 5150 psychiatric hold following the dangerous incident. Bynes was placed under a conservatorship that summer, with her mom appointed as her conservator. Two months after the incident, Bynes' parents shared in a statement issued to CNN, "[She's] making great strides towards recovery."

In 2014, Amanda Bynes was focused on furthering her education, but still made headlines for some erratic behaviour. The "Sydney White" actor, who had dyed her long hair platinum blond, moved back to Los Angeles and landed a spot at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. There, she worked hard to obtain an Associate's of Art degree in Merchandise Product Development.

But, tragically, she was still publicly struggling with her mental health. That October, she was put under another psychiatric hold and later tweeted, but then deleted, a message about her potential diagnosis. "I was diagnosed bi — polar and manic depressive so I'm on medication and I'm seeing my psychologist and psychiatrist weekly so I'm fine," she wrote (via CNN). However, the troubled star seemingly retracted her message the following day, claiming on X that a friend had used her phone to tweet from her account.

Amanda Bynes' life quietened down as she focused on her education and staying healthy, but she made somewhat of a return to public life in 2018. In an in-depth interview with Paper, she looked back on her life and career and confirmed she'd been sober for four years. The retired actor also gave advice to anyone experience substance abuse issues. "...Be really careful because drugs can really take a hold of your life," she said. Bynes added, "Be really, really careful because you could lose it all and ruin your entire life like I did."

Bynes' life was on the up though when she obtained her Associate's of Art degree in summer 2019. She proudly shared a graduation photo with a friend on X as she posed in her cap and gown. "FIDM graduate 2019," the ex-Nickelodeon star captioned the photo, which showed her with long, blond locks with purple streak. She also told Paper she planned to continue her education by embarking on a Bachelor's degree next.

In addition to transforming her life and returning to learning, Bynes was also evolving her appearance. In late 2019, she debuted a new tattoo — on her face. The star showed off the outline of a heart on her left cheek in an Instagram snap, which she deleted. Though face ink may not be for everyone, the power of tattoos reaches beyond aesthetics and can be a mental health booster, which may explain her decision.

Around 2020, a pink-haired Amanda Bynes had a lot going on. That Valentine's Day, she announced her engagement to Paul Michael. The star didn't confirm his identity at the time, but shared a now-removed photo on Instagram of her hand with an engagement ring. "Engaged to tha love of my life," she wrote (via Us Weekly). That same month, she shared her intention to continue her fashion career and launch another clothing collection. "I'm really looking forward to starting my clothing line, and I'm hoping that in the near future it will be out online," she wrote on Instagram Stories (via People).

Three months later, she posted a now deleted selfie and told fans she was working hard for her Bachelor's degree. "Taking online classes, trying to get a 4.0 GPA," she wrote. The ex-actor also shared she'd been getting treatment for her mental health for two months. "Worked on coping skills to help with my social anxiety that caused me to drop out of school months ago. Back on track and doing well! I'm now living in transitional living and doing therapy during the week," she wrote (via E! News), becoming one of multiple celebs who have spoken about how therapy improved their lives.

That followed Bynes claiming on Instagram that she Michael were expecting their first child together. She posted and deleted an ultrasound photo, though her lawyer David Esquibias denied Bynes was pregnant. "Amanda is not pregnant. And she is sheltering in a safe location," he told E! News as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold, though it's not clear if the couple experienced baby loss.

Nine years into Amanda Bynes' conservatorship, the legal arrangement ended in March 2022. "Now that the conservatorship has ended, she looks forward to completing her bachelor's degree and living her life," David Esquibias told TMZ. Bynes also issued a statement to People, sharing, "In the last several years, I have been working hard to improve my health so that I can live and work independently, and I will continue to prioritize my well-being in this next chapter."

Bynes had another difficult a tough time in 2023 though when she experienced a mental health crisis and admitted herself to treatment. That came hot on the heels of her split from Paul Michael. Speaking to TMZ, Michael accused Bynes of exhibiting odd behaviour and ending their engagement before going MIA for three days. A source purported to Daily Mail that Bynes' parents were happy about the split though, claiming, "They do not want her ex-fiancé around her, and he has been instructed to have no contact with her. He does not seem to have her best interests in mind."

Thankfully, Bynes appeared on a better path toward the end of 2023 and made a brief foray back into spotlight. She launched her own podcast, titled "Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast," with her friend Paul Sieminski, but the debut episode also turned out to be the last. Bynes claimed on Instagram Stories that she'd decided to pursue other ventures instead, writing (via Entertainment Tonight), "After thinking about it, though, I would rather get my manicurist license and have a consistent job. I'm going to follow that path instead."

Amanda Bynes flexed her creative muscles in 2024 when she announced she was collaborating with fashion designer and artist Austin Babbitt, aka Asspizza. The duo sold clothing and artwork online and Bynes wrote on Instagram Stories (via People), "My associate's of art degree majoring in product development at FIDM paid off." She was also taking her dreams of becoming a manicurist seriously. In an via Instagram Stories update in April 2024, she wrote (via Us Weekly), "I started back at school to study manicurist theory and to practice doing acrylics before I take the test again so I'll be good to go when I get a job at a nail salon."

The ex-actor got very candid with fans about her physical transformation and the affect her mental health issues had on her body too, as anxiety and depression can have a physical toll to overcome. "I've gained over 20 lbs. in the past few months from being depressed. I'm doing a lot better now and have learned to do opposite action when I don't feel like working out or eating clean," she wrote on Instagram Stories in March 2024 (via People). 

The summer after Amanda Bynes spoke candidly about her weight gain, she shared her desire to join the ranks of celebs who totally transformed after taking Ozempic (though it's important to remember experts warn the rise of Ozempic could have lasting consequences). "I'm going on Ozempic. So excited. I'm 173 [pounds] now so I hope to get down to like 130, which would be awesome so I look better in paparazzi pictures," she shared in a selfie video posted to Instagram Stories (which is still available via her Highlights) of her physical transformation plans. In the clip, the star wore heavy, black eyeliner, and was in the process of dying the ends of her long, light blond hair bright green and hot pink — because pink hair is a total power move.

That came as the star told fans she was launching her own OnlyFans account. Bynes announced the surprising move via Instagram Stories, but denied there would be anything sexual or indecent in her content. "I'm doing onlyfans to chat with my fans through dm's. I won't be posting any sleazy content. Excited to join," she told her followers (via People). But whatever may be next for retired actor, if she's healthy and happy, that's truly all that matters.