Unfortunately, Amanda struggled with body image issues and mental health issues. At the age of 16, she began smoking marijuana, and tried cocaine a couple of times (however she said it “wasn’t her drug of choice”). When she filmed She's the Man and had to dress as a boy in drag, Amanda suffered gender dysphoria and went into depression. While filming Hairspray, Amanda read a magazine which described Adderall as a good option to help with weight loss. Amanda went to the doctors, faked the symptoms of ADHD and was prescribed Adderall. Amanda became very insecure and after watching herself in Easy A she found she was disgusted by her appearance.
In 2010, Amanda announced that she would be taking an indefinite hiatus from acting due to personal problems. Unfortunately said problems, such as drug abuse and reckless driving, only increased during her retirement. In 2013, Amanda’s behaviour and constant arrests caused her to be placed under a conservatorship in 2013, with her mother taking control of her money. As with her fellow child star Britney Spears, their conservatorships went on for a long time and many compared them (along with Lindsay Lohan) for their falls from grace, reckless driving and substance abuse. After 9 years under the conservatorship, Amanda was freed (with her parents' consent) and she moved into an apartment. In 2018, Bynes expressed an interest in returning to acting, as well as starting a brand and becoming a fashion designer. In 2019, she graduated from Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise. In 2023, she began a podcast, however she ended it after one episode. She is currently studying to become a Manicurist.
Filmography:
- All That (1996-2000): Various roles
- Figure It Out (1997-1999): Panelist
- Blue's Clues (1998): Herself
- The Amanda Show (1999-2002): Host/various roles
- The Drew Carey Show (2001): Sketch Player
- The Nightmare Room (2001): Danielle Warner, Episode "Don't Forget Me"
- Rugrats (2001-2002): Taffy (voice role)
- Big Fat Liar (2002): Kaylee
- What I Like About You (2002-2006): Holly Tyler
- What a Girl Wants (2003): Daphne Reynolds
- Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure (2003): Nellie (voice role)
- Robots (2005): Piper Pinwheeler (voice role)
- Love Wrecked (2005): Jenny Taylor
- She's the Man (2006): Viola Hastings
- Hairspray (2007): Penny Pingleton
- Sydney White (2007): Sydney White
- Family Guy (2008): Anna (voice role)
- Living Proof (2008): Jamie
- Easy A (2010): Marianne Bryant
Tropes from her career:
- Actor-Inspired Element: She personally fought for Channing Tatum to be cast alongside her in She's the Man. He was then an unknown, only recognisable for a supporting role in Coach Carter.
- Acting for Two: On The Amanda Show, where she played the in-universe version of herself and her "number one fan please" Penelope Taynt.
- Celebrity Voice Actor: She was already big by the time she voiced the babysitter Taffy in Rugrats.
- Creator Backlash: She hated her performance in Easy A so much, it made her want to quit acting.
- Creator Breakdown: As she was dealing with body image issues while filming She's the Man, the prosthetics required for her Sweet Polly Oliver were quite distressing for her."When the movie came out and I saw it, I went into a deep depression for four to six months because I didn't like how I looked when I was a boy."
- Dye Hard: Naturally Brunette, she dyed her hair Blonde in the late 2000s. Then, after her retirement from acting, she began dyeing her hair loads of different colours, such as: Red, Pink, bright Yellow, Green and Purple. Her hair colour for the last few years was Black. However, recently she went Platinum Blonde. She also wore strange waist-length blonde and blue wigs at one point.
- Dyeing for Your Art: As her character in Hairspray repeatedly sucks on lollipops, Amanda was eating about forty a day. Naturally her dentist father was not pleased.
- Star-Making Role: While she became a darkhorse on All That, The Amanda Show helped make her one of the biggest teen stars of the 2000s.
- Statuesque Stunner: She’s 5 ft 7 tall and was named one of the "25 Hottest Stars Under 25" in 2006.
- Throw It In!: When "Can't Stop the Beat" starts in Hairspray, Penny can be seen tripping over her heels as she starts to dance. This was Amanda's genuine reaction, and they left it in.
- Underage Casting: In-universe on The Amanda Show, where she would sometimes play adult talk show hosts, teachers and various other characters in skits.
- What Could Have Been:
- The role of Kaylee in Big Fat Liar was intended for Lindsay Lohan. She dropped out right before filming began, taking a year-long hiatus from acting, and Amanda replaced her.
- The Amanda Show was planned to last a lot longer, but Word of God is that it was cancelled supposedly to free Amanda up to star in What I Like About You.
