‘Cobra Kai’ Star Courtney Henggeler Quits Acting After 20 Years: ‘I Called My Agents and Told Them I Was Tapping Out’

by

Courtney Henggeler, known for her role as Amanda LaRusso in the entire run of “Cobra Kai” on Netflix, has decided to step away from acting, as stated in a post published on Substack on March 30th.

As an ardent cinema enthusiast, I’ve spent more than two decades battling it out in the acting world, but last Friday, I decided to retire my acting boots. I reached out to my agents, informing them that I was bowing out. I no longer wished to be a mere component in the gears of this industry. When asked what my aspirations were, I succinctly stated, “I yearn to become the machine itself.

After seven years, “Cobra Kai” concluded its journey in February. Initially airing on YouTube Red as an original series on a now-defunct streaming service, it later moved to Netflix for two more seasons. The popular “Karate Kid” spinoff then shifted bases again, with the next four seasons being aired on Netflix. Due to writers’ and actors’ strikes, Season 6 was divided into six parts and premiered in July 2024, followed by releases in November 2024 and February 2025.

In this series, Henggeler portrayed Amanda LaRusso, the spouse of Daniel LaRusso, who is played by Ralph Macchio, and the parent of Samantha (performed by Mary Mouser) and Anthony (Griffin Santopietro).

In this show, Henggeler took on the role of Amanda LaRusso, the wife of Daniel LaRusso (portrayed by Ralph Macchio), and the mother to Samantha (acted by Mary Mouser) and Anthony (Griffin Santopietro).

Throughout my professional career, acting has been the only world I’ve known. Not just the skill or technique of acting, but the relentless pursuit – the hustle, the struggle, punctuated occasionally with an acting role. For instance, a single line on House, M.D., ‘Sorry’, or a recurring character that never managed to return. And when the dust settled, it was always back to the grindstone. Back to the daily routine, back to the treadmill.

Her initial TV appearance was on an episode of “House” back in 2005, and more recently, she made a film debut in George Clooney’s movie titled “The Boys in the Boat.

Imagine if we embrace the idea that we possess our own power? What if it’s been within us all along? What if, influenced by others, we’ve been giving away our strength? We lose sight of our own potential, believing we require something else. We wait for someone to give us the power. We volunteer for trials. We face those trials to demonstrate our value. To gain acceptance. To be recognized as powerful. But what if we never needed to undergo those trials? What if we are the very trials themselves?

Read More

2025-04-15 23:46