From Chunk to powerhouse attorney
If you grew up during the 1980s, there’s a good chance you still remember Chunk — the loud, lovable kid with the bright Hawaiian shirt, the unforgettable “Truffle Shuffle,” and the chaotic charm that made him one of the most memorable characters in The Goonies.
For many fans of the classic adventure movie, Chunk wasn’t just comic relief — he was the heart of the group, bringing humor, honesty, and endless energy to every scene.
But while the character became a pop-culture icon, the real story behind the actor who played him, Jeff Cohen, turned out to be just as fascinating — and perhaps even more surprising.
His journey from child star to one of Hollywood’s respected entertainment lawyers is one of the most unusual career transformations in the industry.
A childhood in Hollywood
Jeff Cohen was born Jeffrey Bertan McMahon on June 25, 1974, in Los Angeles, California.
Growing up in the entertainment capital of the world meant he was exposed to the film and television industry from an early age.
However, his childhood was not without its challenges. When Jeff was around seven or eight years old, his parents divorced, a life event that deeply affected him.
After the separation, he chose to adopt a stage name for his acting career, taking his mother Elaine’s maiden name and becoming Jeff Cohen.
The change symbolized a new chapter in his young life as he began pursuing opportunities in the entertainment world.
Before landing the role that would define his childhood career, Cohen had already started appearing on television.
In the early 1980s, he appeared on the CBS game show Child's Play, where children provided clues to help adult contestants guess words.
A few years later, he returned to television as a young celebrity guest on another game show called Body Language.
These early appearances helped him gain confidence in front of cameras, but nothing could have prepared him for the role that would soon turn him into a pop-culture favorite.
Becoming Chunk
In 1985, Jeff Cohen landed the role of Lawrence “Chunk” Cohen in The Goonies.
Directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg, the movie tells the story of a group of adventurous kids searching for pirate treasure in order to save their neighborhood.
The film quickly became a beloved classic. Packed with humor, action, and friendship, it captured the imagination of audiences everywhere.
Among the young cast — which included Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, and Ke Huy Quan — Cohen stood out for his hilarious performance as Chunk.
One moment in particular became legendary: the “Truffle Shuffle.”
The scene, where Chunk lifts his shirt and performs a silly dance, remains one of the most famous comedic moments in 1980s movie history.
Interestingly, there was a surprising behind-the-scenes detail that many fans didn’t know for years.
During the filming of The Goonies, Cohen actually had chickenpox. Worried that he might be replaced if the producers found out, he kept it a secret and continued showing up to set.
In fact, if you look closely at the Truffle Shuffle scene, you can reportedly see the spots on his chest.
Director Richard Donner later praised Cohen’s natural performance, saying the young actor’s charm came from simply being himself on screen.
Cohen himself joked about how he got the role.
“There were basically about four fat kids in town,” he once said in an interview. “Every time there was a fat-kid role, you saw the same faces at the audition. It was survival of the fattest.”
When Hollywood moved on
After The Goonies became a hit, many fans assumed Jeff Cohen would continue acting throughout his career. However, reality turned out very differently.
When Cohen reached puberty, his appearance began to change. The chubby kid who had been perfect for comedic roles started growing and losing weight.
Ironically, this transformation made it harder for him to find acting work.
“When I hit puberty, it was a career-ender for me,” he later explained. “I was changing from Chunk to hunk, and I couldn’t get roles anymore.”
He summed up the situation with a line that resonated with many fans.
“I didn’t quit acting. Acting quit on me.”
Instead of continuing to chase auditions, Cohen stepped away from Hollywood and focused on school, sports, and building a new identity outside of the character that had defined his childhood.
Finding a new path
Cohen eventually attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he joined the football team.
The experience was intense — and sometimes brutal. He joked that he spent plenty of time getting knocked to the ground during practice.
At one point, he also worked as the stadium’s microphone announcer, entertaining crowds of thousands.
Fans would often chant for him to perform the Truffle Shuffle. Eventually, he gave in and did it once, sending the crowd into wild cheers.
During this time, Richard Donner continued to support him.
When Cohen asked Donner for a recommendation letter for college, the director went even further — he helped pay for Cohen’s entire college education.
Donner also encouraged him to learn the business side of entertainment rather than focusing solely on acting.
“You’re not going to be an actor,” Donner once told him bluntly. “You need to understand the business.”
It was tough advice — but it turned out to be incredibly valuable.
A Hollywood lawyer
Cohen went on to earn a business degree from Berkeley and later received a law degree from University of California, Los Angeles.
Instead of performing in front of cameras, he began working behind the scenes in entertainment law.
Eventually, he co-founded the law firm Cohen Gardner LLP and became one of Hollywood’s respected dealmakers.
He was later recognized on Variety’s Dealmakers List and named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Gen Executives.
Even today, his office contains reminders of his unusual journey. One wall features a signed poster from Steven Spielberg reading, “To Jeff (Chunk) Cohen — you are my favorite Goonie.”
Another poster from Richard Donner references the director’s famous superhero film Superman with the message: “My man — with you, anyone can fly.”
A full-circle moment
Perhaps the most poetic twist in Jeff Cohen’s career came years later.
As an entertainment lawyer, he helped negotiate a deal for his former Goonies co-star Ke Huy Quan in the acclaimed film Everything Everywhere All at Once.
The role ultimately helped Quan win an Academy Award, and during his acceptance speech he thanked his “Goonies brother for life.”
Life today
Now in his early fifties, Jeff Cohen looks very different from the chunky kid fans remember from The Goonies. He jokes that he might still perform the Truffle Shuffle — but only after “three martinis and the right lighting.”
Despite leaving acting behind, he remains proud of the small but lasting impact he made as a child star.
“I’m incredibly proud of the ten-year-old me,” he once said. “It’s wild to think that character still means so much to people.”
Unlike many former child actors, Cohen managed to leave Hollywood without the struggles that sometimes follow early fame.
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Instead, he reinvented himself and built a successful career helping other artists navigate the entertainment industry.
And while Chunk may have been his first big role, Jeff Cohen’s real story proves that sometimes the greatest adventure begins after the credits roll.
