If you grew up in the ’80s, you remember Chunk — the Hawaiian shirt, the Truffle Shuffle, and the lovable chaos he brought to The Goonies. But the real story of the actor behind him, Jeff Cohen, is even more surprising. Born Jeffrey Bertan McMahon in 1974, he adopted the last name “Cohen” from his mother’s maiden name after his parents separated. Before The Goonies, he appeared on TV shows like Child’s Play and Body Language. But it was 1985’s The Goonies that made him unforgettable, even though he secretly filmed parts of it while covered in chickenpox.
After the movie’s success, puberty suddenly ended his acting career. “I didn’t give up acting — acting gave me up,” he said. With roles disappearing, he focused on school, sports, and eventually college at UC Berkeley, where he briefly played football and became a campus personality.
Director Richard Donner remained a mentor, even paying for Cohen’s college tuition and helping him land studio jobs. Encouraged to learn the business side of Hollywood, Cohen earned degrees from Berkeley and UCLA Law, eventually becoming a prominent entertainment lawyer. He co-founded Cohen & Gardner LLP, making industry “Top Executive” lists and filling his office with mementos from Spielberg and Donner.
In a full-circle twist, Cohen negotiated the Oscar-winning role for his former co-star Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Quan thanked him during his acceptance speech: “My Goonies brother for life.” Now 51, Jeff Cohen may have left acting behind, but he built a remarkable career — proving that even child stars can rewrite their own stories.