Jeff Cohen—best known as Chunk from The Goonies—is a reminder that childhood fame doesn’t define your entire life. Born in 1974, Cohen shot to pop culture immortality in 1985 with the unforgettable Truffle Shuffle, impressing director Richard Donner with his natural charm, even while secretly battling chickenpox. But as puberty hit, acting roles vanished. “I didn’t give up acting. Acting gave me up,” Cohen recalls.
With his career seemingly over, Cohen could have drifted away from Hollywood, but mentorship changed everything. Richard Donner, who had guided him on set, funded his college education and advised him to learn the business side of the industry. Taking this to heart, Cohen earned a business degree from UC Berkeley and a law degree from UCLA, reshaping his path entirely.
Today, Cohen is a successful entertainment lawyer and co-founder of Cohen & Gardner LLP. His office still displays memorabilia from his acting days, blending nostalgia with professionalism. In a poetic full circle moment, he recently negotiated a deal for his Goonies co-star Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Quan publicly thanked him after winning an Academy Award, calling him “My Goonies brother for life.”
Jeff Cohen’s story is more than a tale of early stardom—it’s about resilience, reinvention, and the power of mentorship. From child actor to top entertainment lawyer, he transformed a forced retirement into a lifelong achievement, proving that success is defined not by where you start, but by how you adapt, grow, and seize new opportunities.