Courtney Henggeler, who starred as Amanda LaRusso in all six seasons of Netflix’s “Cobra Kai,” is moving on from acting, she wrote in a Substack post on March 30, 2025. “After 20 plus years of fighting the good fight in the acting business, I hung up my gloves on Friday,” she stated. “I called my agents and told them I was tapping out. I no longer wanted to be a cog in the wheel of the machine. When prompted to know what I did want to do, I simply replied, ‘I want to be the machine.’”
“Cobra Kai” wrapped up its run after seven years in February 2025. The show originally debuted on “YouTube Red” as an original series on the now-defunct streaming platform. After two seasons on YouTube, the “Karate Kid” prequel series moved to Netflix for four more seasons. The final Season 6 was split up and released in July 2024, November 2024, and February 2025.
Henggeler starred as Amanda LaRusso, the wife of Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and the mother to Samantha (Mary Mouser) and Anthony (Griffin Santopietro). In her post, she reflected on her two-decade-long career, stating, “All I’ve ever known in my professional life was acting. But not even the art or craft of acting. All I’ve truly ever knew was the hustle. The hustle, the grind, sprinkled occasionally with the odd acting job.”
Her first TV credit was on an episode of “House” in 2005, and she recently appeared on the big screen in George Clooney’s “The Boys in the Boat.” Henggeler's career has included various roles in shows like “Mom,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Faking It,” and “Jane the Virgin.”
Reflecting on her experiences, she wrote, “Perhaps a line or two to TV’s Dr. House – ‘Sorry’ (that’s it. That was my line. Genius). Nailed it. Or a recurring guest-star that never seemed to recur…. Whatever the opposite of nailing it is. And when all was said and done (or mimed. Sometimes, you gotta mime) it was back to the grind. Back to the wheel. Back to the machine.”
Despite the challenges, Henggeler acknowledged that she is “considered one of the lucky ones,” citing her work on “a successful series” like “Cobra Kai” and being “directed by George Clooney” in his 2023 sports drama. However, she also noted that “this by all definitions is the golden goose,” yet she felt “famished” despite her achievements.
“For years I silenced the voice in my head, begging me to walk away,” she wrote. “The voice, the constant gnawing. Not because of the acting itself. But because of the gauntlet I had to run to reach the acting. What once felt necessary, something I willingly participated in, even celebrated, became stifling.”
Henggeler posed thought-provoking questions in her post: “What if we choose to believe we have the power? What if we had it all along? What if we have been handing our power away because we have been told that this is how it is done? We lose perspective on our own machine, because we are convinced we need another.”
She continued, “We wait for power to be bestowed upon us. We sign up for the gauntlets. We run the gauntlet, to prove our worth. To earn our place. To be crowned the power. What if we never needed to run the gauntlet? What if we are the gauntlet?”
As “Cobra Kai” fans reflect on Henggeler's impactful role, they may also ponder the broader implications of her decision to step back from the industry. It’s a reminder of the often unseen struggles faced by those in the spotlight, and the personal journeys that lead to such significant life changes.
In a world that often glorifies the hustle and grind, Henggeler's departure serves as a powerful statement about self-empowerment and the importance of recognizing one's own worth beyond the confines of a demanding industry.
As she embarks on this new chapter, fans and followers alike wish her the best in whatever path she chooses next. Whether it’s creating her own projects, exploring new passions, or simply enjoying a well-deserved break, Henggeler’s journey will undoubtedly resonate with many who have felt the weight of similar pressures.
