‘Cobra Kai’ star Courtney Henggeler quits acting after 20 years
Cobra Kai star Courtney Henggeler has revealed she has quit acting after working for more than 20 years in the business.
Henggeler, who starred in recent Netflix hit Cobra Kai as well as many other huge TV shows including The Big Bang Theory, Fuller House, and Jane the Virgin explained in a Substack post that she had “had hung up [her] gloves” and “no longer wanted to be a cog in the wheel of the machine.”
The actor said in her post: “All I’ve ever known in my professional life was acting. But not even the art or craft of acting. All I’ve truly ever [known] was the hustle. The hustle, the grind, sprinkled occasionally with the odd acting job. Perhaps a line or two to TV’s Dr. House – ‘Sorry’ (that’s it. That was my line. Genius).”
However, Hengeller explained the issue of “recurring guest-star [roles] that never seemed to recur,” adding “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.”
Noting her recent star turn in Cobra Kai, Henggeler noted that she was considered “one of the lucky ones”. She continued: “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.”
Despite this, it didn’t stop her disillusionment with the industry creeping in, as she concluded her statement: “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 [in], even celebrated, became stifling.”
Cobra Kai, a spinoff of the Karate Kid franchise, successfully ran for six series, starting in 2018 before it concluded back in February.
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