If you grew up in the ’80s, you know Chunk.
The Hawaiian shirt.
And loveable chaos machine who stole scenes in The Goonies without even trying.
But what happened to the kid behind the icon —Jeff Cohen — might be one of the most surprising Hollywood story of all.
Behind-the-scenes
Jeff Cohen’s rise (and crash) from child stardom happened almost overnight.
Born Jeffrey Bertan McMahon on June 25, 1974, in Los Angeles, he watched his family shift early in life. When he was around seven or eight, his parents separated, a moment that marked him deeply.
Not long after, he chose a new identity for the screen, adopting “Cohen” as his stage surname, a tribute to his mother Elaine’s maiden name.
Before his breakout role in The Goonies, Cohen was already popping up on television. In 1982–83, he appeared as one of the kids who helped explain clues to players on the CBS game show Child’s Play.
A few years later, in the summer of 1985, he returned to TV as a young celebrity guest on the game show Body Language.
While filming the legendary The Goonies, Cohen cemented his place in pop-culture history with the unforgettable Truffle Shuffle, bringing infectious energy to the role of the lovable misfit, Chunk.Continue reading…
