PREACH IT! It's goodbye, Amanda Bynes. Or is it hello? [poll]
"Being an actress isn't as fun as it may seem," said Bynes, 24. "If I don't love something anymore, I stop doing it. I don't love acting anymore, so I've stopped doing it."
So does that mean we’ll never see Bynes again? Maybe. Or, seriously, maybe not.
Even in show business, where people issue press releases for everything from weddings to death denials -- people rarely confirm retirements. That is, they rarely confirm real retirements.
Joaquin Phoenix announced his flight from film in October 2008, only to signal several times that the joke was on us. He filmed a "documentary" -- which turned out to be a mockumentary -- about a supposed foray into rap. And the whole time, he managed to stay in the occasional spotlight through a gig in Vegas here, an appearance on Letterman there. Point is, he didn’t retire, not really.
Neither did Jay-Z, who also went into retirement. Until he came out of it.
(Yes, for the record, we know Leonard Nimoy recently announced his farewell to film too. But he’s 79, so something tells us that one is real.)
So: Back to Amanda Bynes. Which kind of retirement is this: the Jay-Z or the Nimoy?
Given the business she’s in, don’t be shocked if she’s merely testing her remaining audience, seeing if it still wants to see her on the cover of a magazine -- or, maybe, in a brand-new mockumentary.
-- Leslie Gornstein
Photo: What does a girl really want? According to Amanda Bynes, shown in an ad for her 2003 film "What a Girl Wants," it's not acting. And via Twitter, she wants us all to know that. Credit: Warner Bros. / Reuters
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How about "none of the above"? A middle-of-the-night twitter posting isn't an "announcement", it's a comment about how she was feeling at that particular moment.
Posted by: Jim | Jun 21, 2010 at 04:16 PM
I think this is just another bizarre publicity stunt along the lines of the Heidi Montag/Spencer Pratt "split" and the Miley Cyrus/"Perez Hilton" photo flap. Hollywood is full of this claptrap.
Posted by: K | Jun 21, 2010 at 04:59 PM
ok this isn't a big deal because she hasn't really been doing as much acting lately anyway. I still think she's funny and will return,maybe snl? reuniting with kenan? anyway best of luck to her and whatever she does as long as it makes her happy.
Posted by: javier | Jun 21, 2010 at 05:58 PM
Big fan of hers...hope it's just an extended break as I think she has tons left to offer.
Posted by: Jonathan | Jun 21, 2010 at 07:11 PM
When, exactly, did she START acting?
Posted by: Murray | Jun 21, 2010 at 07:29 PM
I for one won't miss Amanda Bynes. She never was much of an actress and couldn't hold her own against some of her acting peers. I once met her and found her to be less than cordial and borderline rude. So I won't miss her and I doubt many others will either.
Posted by: Douglas Leftwich | Jun 21, 2010 at 07:42 PM
I will miss her. & I would love to get a chance to meet her. She is very beautiful.
Posted by: Raul | Jun 21, 2010 at 11:26 PM
You can't compare this to Joaquin Phoenix and Jay z, because both of those people are prominent celebrities -- meaning, they were highly visible persons when they announced their retirement. Whereas Amanda Bynes has been ...where? You first have to be noticed, if you are to be missed.
Posted by: Rodriguez | Jun 22, 2010 at 12:51 AM
She'll be back....I think she's a pretty funny young lady but I also think she needs to go to the next level and do something a little more serious for her age...she isn't a kid anymore. I'm not suggesting an "adult" movie but something a little more suited for her age and even for her looks because she is a very beautiful lady as well.
Posted by: Vic | Jun 22, 2010 at 07:45 AM
I'm an actor too, and in the times between gigs it sometimes feels like I will never work again. So, I'm "retired" too, until the next job. I guess it's better to be "retired" than "unemployed".
Posted by: Rafael Noble | Jun 22, 2010 at 08:14 AM
eh? i don't get this. she seems awfully young to throw in the towel. she was great in the broadway musical version of 'Hairspray' with John Travolta. she has a great singing voice, can act, and is good at comedy. i hope she's not serious and sticks with it. aside from 'Hairspray', i know she doesn't seem to get roles that suit her obvious talent.
Posted by: james johnston | Jun 22, 2010 at 08:29 AM
Was she ever on Mannix? I like to watch Mannix.
Posted by: Grandpa | Jun 22, 2010 at 08:30 AM
I'm retired from acting too. It's not a difficult decision when you career sucks. Not to say that she sucks. I think she was a good actress, but her poor career was floating in the toilet.
Posted by: Reality Check | Jun 22, 2010 at 12:09 PM
Congratulations on her retirement, and for being wise and gracious about it...fame is not all that important, and it is fleeting...how about a few other so-called actors to follow suit? Especially, Jennifer Aniston, who grabbed all the attention following her divorce, her many dates, her flops, her lame jokes, etc. ad nauseum...
Posted by: Rita | Jun 22, 2010 at 03:21 PM