Amanda Bynes: The Dark Rise of Nickelodeon’s IT GIRL (Part 1) – Ty

 

Over the last 5 years, I’ve chronicled the lives of nearly every iconic child star. Whether they blew up and became your favorite pop star, actress, meat shop owner, or even rocket scientist. But today’s story is arguably one of the most famous and sadly infamous child star story arcs of all time. Amanda Bines didn’t just debut on Nickelodeon, she became the queen of it, showing executives and audiences alike just how hard a child could work to bring an entire network to life.

Amanda Bines and Nickelodeon would become synonymous with each other, but so would Amanda Bines and Dan Schneider. Together, Amanda and Dan would catapult her career into the limelight faster than any child star who came before her. But it would cost a young Amanda Bines her entire life. So, get the tissue box and grab a snack because today I’m detailing the iconic rise of a ’90s icon, Amanda Bines, and just how she filled Marilyn Monroe’s shoes and became Hollywood’s ultimate ITG girl.

Anyway, before I get too far into this, hello, my name is Jake. Welcome to Secret Society. You may know me from my other channel, Deep Dive. This is the first episode of a three-part series about Amanda Bines. Like I said, this part is about her childhood rise to fame. But the second part will be about the complete transformation and destruction of Amanda Bines.

And in the finale, I’ll dive into just how Amanda Bines’s current day became completely unrecognizable. So, be sure to click that subscribe button and the bell notification to know when part two of this series comes out. If you’re watching this over a week later, then it’s definitely already out on this channel, so be sure to check out part two in the description of this video.

Anyway, to start this story off right, we have to go back to the 1990s. On Sunset Boulevard sits a comedy club called The Laugh Factory that is comprised of the most iconic Hollywood stories ever. From Jim Carrey to Dave Chappelle, The Laugh Factory is where most comedians get their start before their big breakthrough roles.

I actually used to live behind the Laugh Factory, and every single day there would be new stars on the sign. It would be huge stars, too, like Dave Chappelle, Tiffany Hattish. They still go there all the time because it’s just that legendary. It really made stars back then because it was the comedy clubs where all the writers and executives went to go drink after working on Sunset Boulevard.

So, a lot of people were discovered there. In the mid ’90s, during its golden era, The Laugh Factory was conducting a promising comedy camp for young kids, all wanting to get their start in the industry. Enter 10-year-old Amanda Bines. Fresh off several acting camps, Amanda had a tenacity for entertainment.

Coming from a middle-class family of dentists, Amanda knew her mark on the world was bigger than anyone could ever imagine. She’d been putting in the work to become a star since she was 7 years old. And all Amanda liked to do was perform. It was her comfort zone. >> My parents always bugging me to slow down. Take it easy. Take a breather.

Hang loose. Chill out. Take a break. Heck, why would I want to take a break at home? That’s what I go to school for. [Applause] >> After the acting camp, 10-year-old Amanda Bind started performing regularly at the Laugh Factory, and she was a breakout star. Word spread quickly that everyone needed to come and see this 10-year-old knock the socks off of every other performer at the Laugh Factory.

Keep in mind, this was and still is one of the most legendary comedy clubs, if not the most legendary comedy club of all time. and a to pre-teen Amanda Bines was dominating. One night in between scenes for his hit shows All That and Keenan and Kell, a new television producer by the name of Dan Schneider from Nickelodeon stumbled into the Laugh Factory to see the children’s stand-up routines.

When it was Amanda’s turn, she blew away everyone’s expectations for what they thought a 10-year-old comedian was. No one could believe that such a young child was able to spout off jokes and make them land better than most adult comedians. She wasn’t just a comedian, she was a comic. At the time, the Nickelodeon network had recently hired Dan Schneider to head their liveaction children’s television division.

He would produce most of the shows we know and love today, and all that was one of his first successes. In 1996, the show was looking for new talent to cast and bring into the next generation of Nickelodeon stars. Dan Schneider convinced Amanda Bines to audition and she was a complete shoein for the role. >> Well, my dad saw like a an article that, you know, kids could do a comedy camp at the Laugh Factory.

So it was like for 6 weeks or something, you know, like our senial hall came on and he would like critique your act >> and and Richard Prior came on. So that was really cool. He was so neat. It was so cool. I was like, “Wow, it was so neat to meet him, you know.” And then um a few other people came on, >> right? >> Yes. >> You know what? You’ll never have to drink coffee. You know that.

>> Yeah. I don’t I drink enough Coca-Cola. I love it. >> Oh, really? You’ve got that caffeine kind of feel. >> Exactly. They made a rule for me that I can’t have Coke after 3:00. You know, like the cast members. >> I can see why. But you’re adorable. You’re adorable. Now you do. >> Now, in past seasons of All That, when they would introduce a new character, audiences would take some time to warm up to them.

They’d introduce them as a side character in a new sketch or in the background as a scene stealer. But when Amanda debuted with her solo sketch, Ask Ashley, it was an instant classic, completely changing the show from the ground up. >> Hi, I’m Ashley, and I’m here to answer your letters. Our first letter comes from Tracy Sullivan of Yakima, Washington.

Tracy writes, “Dear Ashley, that’s me. Dear Ashley, my mom always makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the peanut butter on the top and the jelly on the bottom, but I prefer the jelly on the top and the peanut butter on the bottom. What should I do?” Well, Tracy, here’s a little advice. Turn the stinking sandwich over.

Peanut butter’s on the top and then Jelly’s on the just turn the sting and sandwich over. Man, >> our next letter comes from. >> She was instantly Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon’s favorite. Most of the All That cast would have to build up to starring in their own sketch, oftentimes rotating starring roles.

But Amanda was immediately thrown multiple main sketches per episode. This was because she had so many voices and characters. It made her the go-to actress when they didn’t know how to make a sketch funny. >> Asked me to meet her at Galleria for like lunch on Saturday. >> You are like so lucky. >> Yeah, false.

I waited for like 2 hours by Taco Mucho and this dude like fully bailed on me. >> Open your mouth. >> Hello, >> Amanda. >> Hey guys, >> Amanda, we’ve been looking all over for you. Welcome to the future, officer. Kids are equals if you haven’t heard. >> And by the next season, season 4, Amanda was often anchoring up to three main characters per episode.

And in almost every single sketch, far more than her All That counterparts, Amanda was given special treatment by Nickelodeon. For the next 3 years, Nickelodeon forged one of their first star vehicles and built Amanda Bines up as the next big thing. mostly because they had huge plans for her.

By the end of her first season on All That, it was already clear Amanda Bines was a breakout star. And the show All That, while All the Child actors were funny, it was holding Amanda’s star power back, having to rotate with the rest of the cast. And the show was still good, they didn’t want to cancel it yet. But Amanda was such a big star, they were kind of losing out not having her on screen at all times.

Thus, during the fourth season of All That and Amanda’s second season filming the show, Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon dreamed up a spin-off that would completely eclipse the entirety of All That, and it would be called The Amanda Show. >> How old are you? >> I’m 12, turning 13 April 3rd. Yay! >> Teenager here. Hi. I drew you a picture.

>> You drew this? >> Yeah. >> Wow. >> Uh oh, the tape thing is not >> Oh, the the thing. Well, this is not holding up. But this is great. You actually drew this yourself? Yeah, I got a picture off the internet. There’s a lot of stuff about you on there, you know. >> There is? >> Yeah.

I want to be in like a fashion designer. I love to draw like girls. I don’t really draw guys. So, you know, I did something special for you. It’s hard, you know. >> Oh, wow. And over >> and then I drew this Sally Field. >> That’s Sally Field. Wow. So, these are >> And I have like a few more. >> Is this what you want to pursue? You want to actually design clothes? >> Yeah. Well, I think so. That’d be cool.

You know, like Amanda wear something. That’s my middle name. That’d be pretty cool. >> That would be cool. Oh yeah, >> that would be Amanda Laura where >> ABCA you know Donna Care New York Amanda Binds California they call >> Wow you really thought this out. >> Yeah I’ve thought pretty sad. >> No it’s not. It’s great to have a dream.

>> How lucky are you guys to be on Nickelodeon? >> Oh >> I thank God every minute I can. >> Oh yeah >> it’s a blessing. >> 1999 would be a huge year for Amanda Binds. Nickelodeon would start filming test material for the Amanda Show pilot while she was simultaneously still filming season 6 of All That, which was all set to premiere the next year in 2000.

In October of 1999, Nickelodeon finally aired the pilot episode of The Amanda Show. >> Why? [Applause] >> Sorry. >> Hey, it’s Amanda. >> Thank you. Thanks. My name’s Amanda. Welcome to my show. >> Now, it’s important to note that it wasn’t clear to viewers whether Amanda would be leaving All That. When the Amanda Show aired, Amanda was still very much part of the ensemble cast of All That, but because she was filming the pilot for the Amanda Show during season 6, she isn’t in as many All That sketches.

>> I’m going to turn this ordinary grapefruit into my favorite musical guest, Inc. Wait, wait, wait. Why do we uh Why do we smell like grapefruit? >> Hey, I’m Amanda. >> You mean Amanda, the world’s greatest magician? >> That’s right. I used her magic powers to bring you guys here so you could sing a song. >> We could do that.

>> I’m live. >> And I’m Amanda. >> Now, there was never a formal farewell to Amanda from the All That. Instead, the Amanda show was focused on marketing itself as even more Amanda, not less like she was leaving a show, because this time it was all her. Now, this was most likely done in part by Nickelodeon to minimize any feeling of loss from the All That audience.

Nonetheless, when audiences saw Amanda anchoring her own show with actors like Drake Bell and even later Josh Peek, it was the biggest liveaction hit Nickelodeon had ever seen. News organizations began reporting Amanda Bines as a breakout star and the program as a genredefing kid show that’s funny for the entire family.

And it was true. From the dancing lobsters to the hillbillies to the fake reality shows and fake super fans, the Amanda Show was new, funny, exciting, and most importantly, source material, it wasn’t copying anything but older counterparts like SNL and Keenan and Kell. Shows to this day follow the rubric of the Amanda Show, and it changed everything.

Behind the scenes, Amanda was living a surreal life as a kid, juggling regular school with TV stardom. She still hung out with kid co-stars and goofed off on the set like a normal 12-year-old. Drake is quoted as saying, quote, “Growing up with her, she’s so incredibly talented.” And they were both learning that life as young teenage stars came with extra drama, both oncreen and off.

Now, the Amanda Show was a major event every single week. Every Saturday night, Amanda greeted the audience with Amanda, Please, and unleashed a wild lineup of characters that became instantly iconic. Imagine being barely in eighth grade and carrying an entire show on your back for Nickelodeon.

All while critics are praising your series, calling it goofy, irreverent humor as it quickly becomes mustwatch TV for young millennials. The show is even critically acclaimed, racking up multiple Kids Choice Awards during its threeseason run. >> Amanda B. Thank you. Oh my gosh, I’m so excited. Okay, I want to say thank you to Nickelodeon, Brian Robbins, Dan Schneider, Mike Tollet, and Mike Goldman. I love you guys.

And I want to say thank you to my family, my parents, my mom and my dad, my sister Jillian and Tommy. And I love you guys and thank you guys to the fans. Thank you for voting. I love you guys. >> Which obviously Nickelodeon gave out themselves. Now, Amanda was a force to be reckoned with across Nickelodeon, creating multiple iconic characters that are still referenced to this day.

As Penelopey taints, Amanda wore nerdy glasses to portray her quote number one fan. An obsessed superfan who popped up in between skits, scheming to quote, “Meet Amanda, please at every turn.” >> Okay, get back in line, >> sir. Apparently, you don’t realize who I am, please. My name is Penelopey Taint. I just happen to be Amanda’s number one fan. Please.

>> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Everybody’s her number one fan. >> Oh, yeah. Does everybody have Amanda’s face tattooed on their abdomen? Huh? Where are they rehearsing? >> In that closet. I better get in there. Thanks. >> Hey, I don’t see anything. [Music] [Applause] >> That should hold her, please. >> Penelopey’s desperate cry of Amanda Please became part of pop culture and even inspired the very real am.

com website Nickelodeon ran for fans. Another fan favorite was The Girls Room, where Amanda played a popular girl hosting a talk show from a school bathroom. eggs. Debbie got you a dozen eggs for your birthday. One’s missing. I couldn’t help myself. He’s so cute. He Oh, wait. She >> she even had a mini spin-off show called Moody’s Point, an exaggerated drama that spoofed popular soap operas at the time and even surprisingly laid the groundwork for the characterization of Cat Valentine on Victorious.

>> What’s that supposed to mean? >> My name’s Cat like the animal. What’s that supposed to mean? >> Amanda’s delivery on the Amanda Show became a blueprint for the quirky girl archetype in Dan Schneider sitcoms. [Applause] >> Hi, where are you? Amanda, what is this? You brought me a gift. >> Well, I heard you’re very crafty, so I made you a necklace and a bracelet.

>> You did? >> Yes. >> Oh, Amanda, that’s beautiful. Will you look in that? >> Did you do that yourself? >> Yes, I did. >> I’m very impressed. >> Thank you very much. >> I got to tell you, I watch your show and you’re really, really funny. >> Thank you very much. >> I can’t believe at 14 you have your own show. >> Thank you. It’s so much fun.

I I just love doing it and I hope I can do it forever. >> How does school now you do? Um well since we’re wrapping up the second season I’m going back to school for like two months and I have all my friends cuz I’ve been there since seventh grade. So um but then in March I’m going to be doing my first movie. So >> really what movie is this? >> It’s it’s with Frankie Munz Malcolm in the Middle and it’s called Lost and Found at the moment but since there was a David Spade movie they think they might change it. Right.

>> But I’m just so excited. Dan Schneider who actually created the man show wrote the script. >> Well it’s lovely to meet you Amanda. You know, the show’s on Nickelodeon on Saturday nights, and if you have a kid, I know that they watch it. >> As the ‘9s came to a close, the 2000s would prove to be even more prosperous for Amanda Vines and the entire Amanda Show cast.

Right as the show was peaking with over 2 million viewers per episode, Nickelodeon executives evaluated what would be the next big step for Amanda Bines’s career. As she was turning 16, the network knew her grip on child audiences would be waning in the next year. Thus, they made the executive decision in 2002 to stop production on the Amanda Show altogether and repurpose the talent across various shows and movies.

>> Did anybody lose a football? >> Oh, well, going once, going twice. >> Hey, Amanda, I’ll take it. >> Amanda Bines would be cast alongside the ultra talented Frankie Munz for the cult classic Dan Schneider masterpiece, Big Fat Liar. in order to get what we need. We are talking complete physical and psycho emotional breakdown.

People, I want to see a broken man. I’m talking broken. Like, oh, I just threw a baseball through your window broken. Snap him like a twig. Squeeze him like a bug. I want you to turn him into mince meat. And I don’t even know what mince meat is. I want him to scream for his mommy. Where? Mommy. Mommy. Mommy. Do you hear me? People, do you read me? Cuz I don’t think you read me.

I think they read you. >> But behind the scenes, Nickelodeon was dealing with the monsters they had enabled and some big fat liars of their own. In 2003, Amanda Show dialogue coach Brian Pack was arrested for repeatedly a minor who would later be revealed to tragically be Drake Bell. It was a different time, so I think it was a little easier to go to and from a courthouse and not worry about Twitter that night or TMZ paparazzi being there.

On the day of sentencing for Brian, I get to the courthouse was the most unbelievable thing I’d ever seen. His entire side of the courtroom was full full. There were definitely some recognizable faces on that side of the room. And my side was uh me, my mom, and my brother. Brian had been convicted, but getting all of this support from a lot of people in the industry and yeah, I was pretty shocked.

I wasn’t going to address Brian. There was no no reason to. I addressed my statement to everyone in the room. I looked at all of them and I just said, “How dare you and I said, “You will forever have the memory of sitting in this courtroom and defending this person. And I will forever have the memory of the person you’re defending violating me.

and doing unspeakable acts and crimes and that’s what I’ll remember. This case was swept under the rug for years and Drake would quietly move on to the biggest project of his career, Drake and Josh. While we surely don’t know if Big Fat Liar was a tongue-in-cheek dig at Drake or Brian, why they were talking about liars at all and no one believing this kid, it was way too real for comfort.

But we do know Drake would be incentivized to stay quiet when they gave him his own show with his real name on it. In exchange for his silence, he was able to stay in the entertainment industry. Now, the reason I mention any of this is just to show how unsafe the set of The Amanda Show truly was. Is there any proof Amanda Bines was a No.

But without a doubt were lurking on her set and she was not safe. As we all know at this point, Dan Schneider has been called out a ridiculous amount of times for not only his creepy casting processes at the pool or his scripting, but also by Janette McCertie for the power play dynamics he pulls on pre-teens. Oftentimes, Amanda Bines was alone with Dan Schneider, and she was consistently on his sets.

But she was also one of his main stars. So, while nothing ever publicly happened between them beyond cozying up to each other in a hot tub, I’m not ruling out something even more sinister happening in private. Anyway, Amanda Binds’s career from 2002, the year the Amanda Show ended, 2010, is completely squeaky clean.

That year, she made her debut young adult role on the WB show What I Like About You. This fall, Jenny Amanda in a brand new WB comedy. Come >> on, kid. >> That’s right. Amanda Binds in a comedy on the WB. >> Close your eyes. [Music] Holy. >> I know. Blows your mind, doesn’t it? >> Amanda Vines and Jenny Gar. >> The new comedy, what I like about you.

Coming to Fridays. This was one of the first non- Nickelodeon projects Dan Schneider headed. But because Amanda was his star, the network knew if they wanted a hit, they might need the both of them. Behind the scenes, Amanda’s life was less than normal. reports started surfacing that Amanda was quote moving in with Dan Schneider and his wife and getting emancipated from her own parents.

Your folks strict when you were growing up. >> They actually were very strict uh in a good way though. My parents never let me go to the mall alone or with friends. I had to go with my parents >> or with friends. You couldn’t even go with friends? >> I couldn’t even go with friends. I think it was because, you know, shady things happen in malls, right? >> So, I I wasn’t allowed to go.

So, I I did have very strict parents. But as you can see, that’s where I got my love of comedy from my funny dad. So, and my beautiful mom. So, >> and how long have they been married? >> 40 years. They just celebrated their 40. >> Wow. 40 years. >> Allegedly, Amanda was struggling behind the scenes.

In an interview about the documentary Quiet on Set, Dan Schneider revealed that Amanda, as a teen, called him once late at night when she was distressed. concerned for her own safety. He would arrange for someone to pick her up and ensure that she was safe and she was later taken to the police. Now, Dan characterized it as him looking out for her well-being in a crisis.

And while Lisa Lillian, Dan Schneider’s wife, has cleared up that she always has lived with her parents, it’s tough to say what was really happening in Amanda’s private life. The only two people who really know that are Amanda and Dan. And since her star was on the rise, every secret was sealed shut. [Music] After What I Like About You and Big Fat Liar blew up into huge cult followed projects, Amanda would embark on one of the most impressive movie runs of the early 2000s.

Beginning with Big Fat Liar in 2002, nearly every year, Amanda would pop out in a critically acclaimed role. From 2003’s What a Girl Wants to voicing Piper and Robots to Love React and even She’s the Man. After What I Like About You ended in 2006, a 19-year-old Amanda Bines thought her career was only getting started when she landed the role in the iconic 2007 musical remake of Hairspray, playing Tracy’s best friend, Penny. Now, this was a major deal.

Like Zack Efron, she brought a titular name to the project that actually got people excited. Her brand going as far back as The Amanda Show was branded around her, and her young audience like they knew her and had grown up with her. The same year, Amanda would play Sydney White in the self-titled movie Sydney White.

And she even voiced the character on Family Guy, where she was rumored to have been dating the creator of the show, Seth McFarland. Now, this relationship is rumored to have taken place 3 years before Amanda quit acting. And when researching this video, those three years really went under a microscope. I wanted to see what really happened with Amanda Bines.

Why would someone walk away from such a promising career? What terrible, scary nightmares did Amanda Bines have to deal with between 2007 and 2010? And to be honest, she was almost completely out of the public eye except for a few Kids Choice Awards premieres and that rumored relationship with Seth McFarland.

Though none of these rumors were ever substantiated, multiple stars that were on Dan Schneider’s shows have spoken positively and negatively about Seth McFarland. On the positive side, we have Liz Gillies, who’s recorded an entire Christmas album with him. However, social activist and YouTuber Alexa Nicholas tweeted that Seth McFarland quote hired her to her over a job at Family Guy, implying that she was alone in his room with a bodyguard on the other side of the door.

Now, remember, Alexa Nicholas played Nicole on Zoe 101, Dan Schneider’s show with Jaime Lynn Spears. Like Amanda, Alexa also guest starred on Family Guy for only one episode. >> Gosh, he doesn’t look so good. >> I know, but you do. Hey Tyler, are you on your way to algebra? >> Yeah, I’ll see you there. >> Alexa pointing out, quote, “How many one episodes for Nick and Disney stars?” Creep. #F Family Guy.

2010 was a pivotal year for Amanda Bines. Not only was it her last time acting in movies, but it was also a glimpse into the facade she’d been crafting since she was that 10-year-old little girl at the Laugh Factory. For over a decade in the limelight, Amanda had been perfectly poised and brand friendly.

But that would all change with EZA, a crass Emma Stone comedy that took the world by storm in 2010. The film was Amanda’s first movie back in a few years since Sydney White. And just as the movie was beginning its roll out, Amanda made the first shocking tweet of her career, stating, quote, “Being an actress isn’t as fun as it may seem.

If I don’t love something anymore, I stop doing it. I don’t love acting anymore, so I’ve stopped doing it. This sent shock waves through all of Hollywood. Amanda Bines, who is only 24, was completely walking away from the spotlight. This wasn’t her comeback film after Sydney White. This was her last movie ever, and she was one of the stars.

The press junket would continue on without Amanda, making the retirement statement she said seem really true. Emma Stone and Penn Badgely would sell the film to millions over the course of hundreds of press interviews, but Amanda Bines was noticeably missing from the spotlight. This was the first warning sign of who she was becoming and just how the dark secrets from early in her career were gnawing on her perfect child star facade from the inside out.

You haven’t been to jail? >> No. >> No jail rehab? >> No. >> No rehab. Amanda Vines, what kind of a starlet are you? >> I know what’s wrong with me. I don’t know. It’s it’s shocking how it it’s become popular to go to rehab. >> Amanda Bines allegedly set fire to this driveway in Thousand Oaks and now is being held on a 5150.

>> Can I just get a shot of you walking towards me? >> I’m asking you. >> Please let go of my camera. >> All right. >> Amanda goes in and out of sanity and actively refers to two personalities. Good Amanda and bad Amanda.