'She's Truly One of the Best': Amanda Bynes' Ex-Costar Taran Killam Praises 'Talented' Star After She Left the 'Tough' World of Showbiz

Taran Killam has nothing but kind words for his former costar Amanda Bynes.

The Saturday Night Live alum recently opened up about their bond, saying he still thinks the What a Girl Wants star is one of the most gifted people he’s ever worked with — even though she stepped away from acting back in 2010.

"We were friends, we did a movie together, Big Fat Liar. She was the best," Killam shared on David Spade and Dana Carvey's “Fly on the Wall” podcast. "It was a very important relationship to me in my life."

[She is] "one of the most talented people I've ever met," he added.

The High Potential actor also shared how The Amanda Show helped launch his own acting career.

“It was my first job, literally the last week of high school, I got cast on her show,” Killam recalled about the Nickelodeon sketch comedy hit that ran from 1999 to 2002.

“We worked together for three weeks, then. I went away to college, I didn’t have an agent anymore, and I was focused on school. They called me back to do more, they helped me get an agent,” he said.

Spade also chimed in to applaud Bynes for everything she’s overcome, from struggles with substance abuse to the nine-year conservatorship she was placed under in 2013, which finally ended in 2022.

“I think she's one of those people everyone pulls for, like Britney [Spears],” Spade added. "It's a very tough world out here, showbiz.”

Killam didn’t hesitate to agree — and he took it one step further by comparing Bynes to legends like Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett. “She's truly one of the best,” he said.

As for Bynes, she’s been slowly finding her footing again. Back in March 2024, she gave fans an update on her mental health through her Instagram Stories, admitting she’d been dealing with depression but is “doing a lot better now."

She also dipped her toes into the podcasting world. In December 2023, she launched "Amanda Bynes & Paul Sieminski: The Podcast," but after just one episode, the Easy A star announced she was putting “a pause” on the project.

Instead, she’s been focusing on fashion. The FIDM grad teamed up with streetwear designer Austin Babbitt — a.k.a. Asspizza — to release a small collection featuring her own original art. The drop included a T-shirt and shorts, both of which quickly sold out on Babbitt’s website.

“We’re working on doing a pop-up art show in December,” she revealed to a news outlet. “It will have art and clothing.”

“I’m on OnlyFans now!” the Hairspray actress shared on Instagram in April. “Disclaimer: I’m doing OnlyFans to chat with my fans through dm’s. I won’t be posting any sleazy content. Excited to join.”