Though Jeff Cohen made a few television appearances after playing Chunk, he essentially left acting behind after The Goonies. Years later, Cohen would quip that puberty forced him into an “early retirement” from acting.

After acting jobs dried up, Cohen lost a ton of weight playing high school football, and then decided to pursue a legal career while in college. A 2014 profile in the ABA (American Bar Association) Journal detailed how Cohen got involved in the law profession:

Helping him figure it all out was legendary film director Richard Donner, who directed Cohen in The Goonies. Donner introduced Cohen to the business side of Hollywood, and Cohen parlayed that introduction into summer jobs at movie studios during college.

“I grew up loving The Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers, but suddenly I had a new crop of heroes,” like David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Cohen discovered that many of the most respected agents, studio executives, producers, and managers had law degrees, and he followed suit.

After graduating from UCLA’s law school in 2000, Cohen worked at an entertainment law firm before starting his own firm in Beverly Hills. Cohen Gardner, his six-lawyer office, represents actors, media companies, directors, writers, producers, and production companies. “My concerns about my clients are not merely academic,” he explains. “I’ve been in front of the camera. I know how hard everyone works. I treat them carefully, with respect.”

In addition to working as an entertainment attorney, Cohen contributes to CNBC and HuffPost.