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“Chunk” Wasn’t Left Behind—He Rewrote The Script: What Jeff Cohen Looks Like Today, And How He Got There
If you grew up quoting “Truffle Shuffle!” on repeat, brace yourself: Chunk from The Goonies didn’t fade from Hollywood—he pulled a plot twist worthy of a sequel.
Jeff Cohen, the kid who stole scenes in 1985 with a milkshake grin and chaotic charm, is now a polished, high-powered entertainment attorney who helps craft the deals behind the movies and shows you binge.
And yes, he looks totally different today—think crisp suit, clean shave, courtroom confidence. But the real glow-up is the life he built.
From Gum-Bubble Fame to Real-World Goals
Jeff Cohen (born Jeffrey Bertan McMahon) burst onto the screen as Chunk in The Goonies, a Steven Spielberg production directed by Richard Donner.
The role made him instantly recognizable, but like many child actors, the onramp to adult roles was bumpy.
Puberty changed his look, the work slowed, and he pivoted—hard—toward education and the business of entertainment. He took his mother’s maiden name (“Cohen”) as his professional surname, studied business at UC Berkeley, then earned his law degree from UCLA.
That pivot didn’t happen in a vacuum: he’d asked director Richard Donner for a college recommendation letter; Donner and his wife were so moved by Cohen’s story that they helped him financially with school—one of those only-in-Hollywood moments that actually changed a life.
The Student Who Became the Strategist
At Berkeley, Cohen didn’t just keep his head down; he led, serving as president of the Associated Students of the University of California.
After graduating, he doubled down at UCLA School of Law with an emphasis on business law, training his talent for timing and people into a career in dealmaking. By 2002, he co-founded the Beverly Hills law firm Cohen Gardner LLP, focused on transactional work for clients across entertainment, media, and tech.
Variety took notice, naming him to its Dealmakers and Legal Impact lists; The Hollywood Reporter tapped him for its “Next Generation” roundup of top young executives. None of this is accidental: the kid who loved pratfalls grew into a lawyer who understands both the art and the math of show business.
A Full-Circle Goonies Moment at the Oscars
If you watched the 95th Academy Awards, you might have spotted a familiar face on one of the biggest nights in recent movie history.
When Jeff’s Goonies castmate Ke Huy Quan won Best Supporting Actor for Everything Everywhere All at Once, he thanked his “Goonies brother for life”—Jeff Cohen—who had negotiated his deal and championed his comeback.
The reunion made headlines and set the internet buzzing: decades after their pirate-ship adventure, Chunk and Data were back together, this time as star and lawyer.
It wasn’t nostalgia; it was proof that Hollywood relationships can evolve into real-world partnerships.
Not Just a Lawyer—A Teacher of the Game
Cohen doesn’t hoard what he’s learned. In 2015 he published The Dealmaker’s Ten Commandments, a punchy playbook on negotiation and professional discipline drawn from years navigating studio conference rooms and talent contracts.
The book reads like advice you wish you’d gotten ten years earlier—direct, practical, and built for high-stakes rooms.
He also writes commentary on business and legal issues, translating Hollywood complexity into useful takeaways for creatives and executives.
How He Looks Today (And Why That’s the Least Interesting Part)
Yes, you’ll do a double take: the round-cheeked kid is now a sharp, athletic-looking attorney who carries himself like someone who’s had to be taken seriously for a very long time.
What changed? Everything—and not just the haircut. Child-actor fame can be a cul-de-sac; Cohen turned it into a freeway by learning how the business actually works and building trust with people who matter.
The difference you see on his face today isn’t just age; it’s agency.
Why His Story Hits So Hard
There’s a reason Cohen’s journey gets shared in film schools and on industry panels. It challenges the myth that your first act defines you. He didn’t “get left behind” by Hollywood; he walked around the camera and sat down at the table where decisions are made.
And he kept his friends along the way. That combination—reinvention plus loyalty—is why his cameo in the Oscars night narrative felt so right.
So… Was Chunk “Left Behind”?
Not even close. Jeff Cohen wrote a second act that most former child stars would envy: a respected entertainment lawyer, a published author, a trusted advisor, and—on an unforgettable Oscars night—the friend every artist wants in their corner. He didn’t vanish; he leveled up. The Truffle Shuffle was just the cold open.
Sources used:
- Wikipedia: “Jeff Cohen (actor)” (bio, education, career timeline). Wikipedia
- Cohen Gardner LLP: attorney profile and firm background. Cohen Gardner Law
- UC Davis Law event bio: education details (Berkeley Haas; UCLA Law; ASUC president). law.ucdavis.edu
- Entertainment Weekly: Oscars 2023 coverage—Ke Huy Quan thanks Jeff Cohen. EW.com
- Associated Press: Goonies cast reaction; Cohen’s role in Quan’s deal. AP News
- American Bar Association: The Dealmaker’s Ten Commandments (publication info). American Bar Association
- Wikimedia Commons: Free-to-use images of Jeff Cohen (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons+1
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