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After devoting 20 years of her career to acting, Cobra Kai’s Courtney Henggeler is ready to call it quits. Henggeler first made the announcement via a Substack post in late March, where she stated that she was “was tapping out” and “no longer wanted to be a cog in the wheel of the machine.”
Her heartfelt and transparent message continued:
“For years I silenced the voice in my head, begging me to walk away. The voice, the constant gnawing. Not because of the acting itself. But because of the gauntlet I had to run to reach the acting. What once felt necessary, something I willingly participated [in], even celebrated, became stifling.”
Courtney appeared disheartened by the industry’s inner workings and took her future into her hands, which will hopefully benefit her in the long run.
Courtney Henggeler’s Surprise Retirement
While Henggeler was best recognised for her six-season run as Amanda LaRusso on Cobra Kai, she also had roles on several other decorated TV shows. The list includes The Big Bang Theory, Mom, Fuller House, Jane the Virgin, and Bones, to name a few. The actress opened up about her struggles in the industry as well as what motivated her to move on.
“All I’ve ever known in my professional life was acting. But not even the art or craft of acting. All I’ve truly ever [known] was the hustle. The hustle, the grind, sprinkled occassionally with the odd acting job. Perhaps a line or two to TV’s Dr. House – ‘Sorry‘ (that’s it. That was my line. Genius).”
Henggeler continued to illustrate her frustration with industry ‘guarantees’ that never seemed to fully pan out.
“We survived off the crumbs. We filled our cup with the possibility; our mugs with delusion. Our plates were empty, but a golden goose hung over our heads. Today might be the day. Today might be the day I reach the golden goose."
While Courtney noted that she is still “considered one of the lucky ones” thanks to her time on Netflix’s hit The Karate Kid spinoff, she still could not find the contentment she sought after so pointedly.
“I was on a series. A successful series. I made money. My face was on the billboards I longed for 20 plus years. I was directed by George Clooney for godsakes. This by all definitions is the golden goose.”
The actress ended her statement via Substack by questioning the industry’s approach to nurturing talent:
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“What if we have been handing our power away because we have been told that this is how it is done. We lose perspective on our own machine, because we are convinced we need another.”
The truth is that her story is an unfortunate reality, given her chosen profession, and should serve as a warning for aspiring talents like herself. It’s also important that she felt comfortable enough to share her true thoughts and was able to leave the industry on her own terms.
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