After years out of the spotlight, Amanda Bynes is mounting a comeback. The actress rose to prominence as a child star on Nickelodeon's All That, then scored her own self-titled sketch comedy series at the age of 13. When she grew up, she transitioned into movies, starring in hit comedies like She's The Man and Easy A. But while her career hit new heights, she suffered from depression and struggled with substance abuse.
In a new profile by Paper Magazine, Amanda revealed she dabbled with coke and molly, then became addicted to weed and Adderall. Now she's been sober for four years, and is completing a degree at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. She advises others "to be really careful because drugs can really take a hold of your life," and make you "a completely different person."
The 32-year-old actress also opened up her gender-bender rom-com She's The Man. The 2006 film starred Amanda as a teenager who pretends to be her brother at boarding school, so she can play for the soccer team. Channing Tatum played her roommate, and went on to star megahits like Magic Mike and 21 Jump Street. Amanda claims she helped kickstart the A-list actor's career.
"I totally fought for Channing [to get cast in] that movie because he wasn't famous yet," she told Paper. "He'd just done a Mountain Dew commercial and I was like, 'This guy's a star, every girl will love him!' But [the producers] were like, 'He's so much older than all of you!' And I was like, 'It doesn't matter! Trust me!'" Good thing they did!
Entertainment Tonight asked Channing about Amanda's claim, and he said he doesn't know exactly how the casting went down. However, he's grateful everything turned out the way it did.
"I guess she sort of told me [that she fought to get me in the movie]," said the 38-year-old actor. "I love her and I just hope she's doing well... I'm so happy she's killing it again and just back on the right. She's so talented and so special. She's been doing it... I mean, I think it's so impossible when you start at such a young age to keep perspective. It's tough."
While reflecting on the film, he praised Amanda's comic performance. "She was just so alive," said the Step Up star. "You never knew what was going to come out her mouth, she was just on fire... I haven't seen her in so long. I love you, Amanda, and I hope you're doing well."
Amanda says she wants to get back into acting, so maybe we'll her and Channing reunite on the big screen. She's The Man 2: She's Still The Man? Or a She's The Man reboot where they play the parents of the girl who pretends to be boy to play soccer? Or a movie that's not related to She's The Man? Time will tell!
