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Actress Courtney Henggeler has announced her decision to leave show business after a 20-year career. On March 30, she shared a lengthy post on her Substack page, expressing that after so many years of work, she felt like "a cog in the wheel."
Courtney Henggeler is known for her role as Amanda LaRusso in the popular Netflix series Cobra Kai, which began airing on May 2, 2018, and wrapped up after six seasons on February 13, 2025.
In her Substack post, the actress stated that she officially quit the acting industry on March 28. Henggeler notified her agents, and when they asked about her future plans, she stated that she wanted to be the "machine" instead of the cog in the wheel.
"After 20 plus years of fighting the good fight in the acting business, I hung up my gloves on Friday. I called my agents and told them I was tapping out. I no longer wanted to be a cog in the wheel of the machine. When prompted to know what I did want to do, I simply replied, 'I want to be the machine,'" she wrote.
Henggeler further stated that for years, she and the other actors around her lived by thinking about future possibilities. While explaining her reason for quitting, the actress said the hope of playing bigger roles felt like "a golden goose" hanging over her head. She expressed that she was tired of living that way after 20 years in the industry.
"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. 20 plus years of this. I’m hungry," she wrote.
What did Courtney Henggeler say about working in Cobra Kai and the acting industry?
Courtney Henggeler expressed that she is regarded as one of the lucky ones in the industry, having been part of the main cast of the hit series Cobra Kai. She also mentioned working alongside George Clooney, who produced and directed the 2023 sports drama film The Boys in the Boat. Nevertheless, the actress indicated that even after attaining the "golden goose," she felt exhausted.
"I’m considered one of the lucky ones. 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. I’m famished," she wrote.
Courtney Henggeler shared that she resisted the urge to quit for years, as she initially found joy in acting. However, when her work started to feel "stifling," she felt the need to quit.
"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, even celebrated, became stifling," she wrote.
For the unversed, Courtney Henggeler has been seen in shows like Jane the Virgin, House M.D., Fuller House, Henry Danger, Royal Pains, Mom, NCIS, Criminal Minds, The Big Bang Theory, and films such as Friends with Benefits, Nobody's Fool, and Feed.
In January 2023, Netflix announced that Cobra Kai would not have a seventh season. Creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg stated that the decision to end the show was deliberate, aimed at providing a satisfying conclusion to the series.
