Jeff Cohen – ‘Chunk’ from The Goonies!

Jeff Cohen – ‘Chunk’ from The Goonies!

Author: Smart People Industries July 21, 2015 Duration: 49:56
This week on the show our guest is a man that needs to no introduction. You know him for his iconic role in the cult classic movie, "The Goonies", and for starting a 3 decade long fad of the "truffle shuffle" - welcome Jeff Cohen (Chunk). Of course we talk with Jeff at length about his child acting career, what it was like to work with Steven Spielberg, and how it feels to play a lead role in one of the best movies of all time (yes - I truly believe that). But that was 30 years ago! What is Jeff up to now? Jeff is a founding partner of an entertainment law firm and he just wrote his first book called The Dealmaker's Ten Commandments: Ten Essential Tools for Business Forged in the Trenches of Hollywood. In this book, Jeff draws on his experience in the cut-throat world of Hollywood to provide a practical, no-nonsense methodology for negotiating deals, managing your time and handling crisis, all at the highest level. Join us as we talk to Chunk... all grown up. Jeff attended the University of California, Berkeley, earning a B.S. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business in 1996.  After his time at Berkeley, Cohen graduated from the UCLA School of Law in 2000 and later became an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. In 2002, he co-founded the Cohen & Gardner firm in Beverly Hills. Jeff was recently named to The Hollywood Reporter's Next Generation: Hollywood's Top 35 Executives 35 and Under. ____ "Acting is the greatest job in the world. No matter what they say, no one intentionally gives up acting." - Jeff Cohen Quotes from Chunk.... I mean Jeff: "Wherever I go there is a little 10 year old doing the truffle shuffle right behind me." "When I was a kid actor I wanted to be Spanky from the Little Rascals. That was my goal. I was a little chubby kid and I grew up watching the Little Rascals." "I had a little taste of fame without being so famous that I couldn't do something else. I could still hold an entry level job and work my way up through the ranks." "Everyone is on the same side... their own." "Ultimately, the exercise of economic combat is not to show everybody how smart you are, or to yell the loudest. The point is to make a deal, because if you don't make a deal you don't get paid." What we learn in this episode: What's it like to be a child actor? What is life like in Hollywood, both as an actor and an entertainment lawyer? What are the 10 commandments for "deal making"? Resources: The Dealmaker's Ten Commandments: Ten Essential Tools for Business Forged in the Trenches of Hollywood Twitter: @Jeff_B_Cohen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-KRGgMB78Y -- This episode is brought to you by: Sidekick: Go to getsidekick.com/smartpeople to get your first month of Sidekick for free. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every other week, Chris Stemp and Jon Rojas sit down with a guest who has fundamentally shaped their field, driven not by a rigid agenda but by genuine curiosity. The Smart People Podcast from Smart People Industries is built on the idea that the most compelling insights emerge from relaxed, authentic dialogue. You’ll hear authors, innovators, and cultural leaders-each with significant recognition in areas like business, education, or society-speak in a way that often feels more like a fascinating dinner conversation than a formal interview. Chris’s thoughtful questioning, paired with Jon’s producer perspective, gently guides discussions into unexpected territories, revealing the personal journeys and nuanced ideas behind public achievements. This podcast thrives in the space between expertise and accessibility, making complex topics relatable without sacrificing depth. It’s for anyone who believes that learning is a continuous, engaging process, and that the best lessons come from listening to people who think differently. Tune in biweekly for conversations that are as intellectually substantial as they are genuinely enjoyable, reminding us that smart discourse can be both enlightening and warmly human.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 500

Smart People Podcast
Podcast Episodes
2022 Year in Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:37
2022. It was quite the year. Jon's wife is having a baby! Chris is excited to rebrand! Join us as we discuss some of our favorite clips from 2022 and what we are looking forward to in 2023. Support the Show - Become a Pa…
Jennifer Moss - The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:44
Jennifer Moss is an award-winning writer, international speaker, and workplace culture strategist with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. She is a nationally syndicated radio columnist and freelance…
Leigh Marz and Justin Zorn - Finding Purpose in Silence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:54
Leigh Marz is an author, leadership coach, and collaboration consultant. She has led diverse initiatives, including a training program to promote an experimental mindset among multi-generational teams at the NASA Goddard…
Bethany Brookshire - Can we Separate Humans from Nature? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:10
Bethany Brookshire is a science writer and author. She is also a podcast host on the podcast Science for the People, where she interviews scientists and science writers about the science that will impact people’s lives.…
David Sikorjak and Ben Valenta - Why it’s Better to be a Sports Fan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:13
Ben Valenta is the SVP of Strategy & Analytics for FOX Sports. In his previous life as a consultant, he advised an incredible array of clients, including: Nike, the NFL, Anheuser-Busch InBev, YouTube, ESPN, National Geog…
Kristin Keffeler - How Money Changes Your Perspective [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:49
Kristin Keffeler is the founder and principal for Illumination360 and the Chief Learning Officer for the Johnson Financial Group. Kristin graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in…
Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn - The secret to generating great ideas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:14
Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn are the authors of, Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters, which is available on October 25th. Jeremy is the Director of Executive Education at Stanford d.school and an Adjunct Pr…
Mauro Porcini - Will Companies Finally Put People First? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:12
Mauro Porcini is PepsiCo’s first ever Chief Design Officer. He joined the food & beverage corporation in 2012 and in said role he is infusing design thinking into PepsiCo’s culture and is leading a new approach to innova…
Will Storr - The Status Game - On Human Life and How to Play It [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:52
Will Storr is an award-winning writer and author of six books, including his newest, The Status Game. His journalism has appeared in The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The New Yorker and The New York Times. He has also been…