Amanda Bynes has just announced a surprising new career shift - and let's just say, fans are absolutely loving her new direction.
Bynes initially rose to fame as a child actress on Nickelodeon before venturing out into big movie roles including She’s The Man alongside Channing Tatum, father-daughter flick What A Girl Wants (2003), and 2007's movie musical Hairspray with Zac Efron and Nikki Blonsky.
Her immense talent earned her multiple awards including Critics' Choice Movie Awards and multiple Kids' Choice Awards as well as a dedicated fanbase.
However, in 2010, Baynes decided to step away from the entertainment industry, announcing her retirement in the same year her final movie Easy A hit the big screens.
Though there were several rumors about the former child star swirling in and out of the press, it wasn't until 2018, when the then-32-year-old gave an in-depth interview with Paper Magazine that we really found out the truth.
"I started smoking marijuana when I was 16. Even though everyone thought I was the 'good girl,' I did smoke marijuana from that point on," she told the outlet. "I didn't get addicted (then) and I wasn't abusing it. And I wasn't going out and partying or making a fool of myself... yet.
"Later it progressed to doing molly and ecstasy," she continued, adding that she also tried cocaine but disliked it as well as Adderall after pretending to have symptoms of attention deficit disorder because it allegedly kept people "skinny."
The star also noted that after she saw herself in Easy A, she was compelled to remove herself from acting.
"I saw it and I was convinced that I should never be on camera again and I officially retired on Twitter, which was, you know, also stupid," she admitted.
After that, Bynes "got really into my drug usage" and "was just stuck at home, getting high, watching TV and tweeting."
While the star stayed primarily out of the spotlight since then, she's now made a comeback but not as an actress - now she's decided to delve into the world of podcasts.
The now 37-year-old announced the release of the first episode of her and her friend's new project, Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast. Prior to the release, she took to Instagram to share a photo of herself, Paul and their guest Dahlia Moth sitting on a couch together.
"First episode of Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast done,' Bynes wrote in her caption. 'Thank you @dahliamoth!"
Of course, fans were excited to hear that the icon was making a return.
"Can't wait to hear what Amanda Bynes has to say on her new podcast! It's been a long time since she's had a platform to, you know, express herself," wrote one user.
"Amanda Bynes has a new podcast which I am HYPE for, idc. The first episode she didn’t talk a lot but to hear her voice again after so many years!!!!! I love her, I hope she is doing better and I’m hype for more episodes," added another.
A third chimed into the conversation saying: "Amanda Bynes sounds so confident and comfortable doing this podcast so happy she’s doing well."
Others even urged fans to go and give the episode a listen, adding: "She deserves all the love and support we can give!"
We can't wait to see what Bynes has up her sleeve for the next episode.
Episode one of Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast is now available to stream on Spotify.
