Goonies Director Reveals The Pain Behind The 'Truffle Shuffle'

The ‘Truffle Shuffle’ from 'The Goonies’ entered kids’ movie folklore the second young actor Jeff Cohen lifted up his shirt.

But Richard Donner, the movie’s director has now spoken of the hidden pain behind the scene.

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As you may recall, Cohen’s Chunk is required to perform the humiliating dance before he is allowed access to the Walsh residence.

In an interview with Uproxx, where Donner talks about everything from Sloth’s painstaking make-up to the young actor’s terrible behaviour on set, he’s explains how the memorable scene was the catalyst for a lasting friendship between him and Cohen.

“There was no direction,” Donner said.

“I don’t take any credit for that, it was just Jeff. He had to stand on that stump and be ridiculed by his friends so he could come in the house, and he did it as best as that character could do it.

“So much humour comes from pain. Although, I’m sure he was too young to be analytical about it, but I’m sure that was part of his instincts. It was a painful scene.”

“Jeff became very special as an individual for me when he did the Truffle Shuffle because there was an honest pain in that scene for that little boy in front of those little kids.

“When I saw that, and you could see it, my heart went out. When I told Lauren [Donner’s film producer wife] about it we decided we’re going to have to help him go to work on his body and his mind.

“So, I got him a gym and some instruction and someone to work with. He lost lots of weight and built this great physique and became captain of his wrestling team in high school, captain of his football team, and president of his school class for two years in a row.

“I’m not saying I did it, but I know that when he started putting pride into his body and self a lot of things changed. I was probably closer to him.”

Cohen ended up quitting the acting game in 1991, instead going into law. He’s now a partner in his own law firm, Cohen & Gardner LLP.

Donner, who was gifted the movie to direct by Steven Spielberg, also spoke about the behaviour on set of the young cast, which also included a young Josh Brolin, an even younger Sean Astin and Corey Feldman, who already had a raft of movie and TV experience under his belt.

And let’s just say it wasn’t great.

“The annoying thing was the lack of discipline,” he added.

“And that was also what was great because it meant that they weren’t professionals. What came out of them was instinct and that was beautiful.

“But because it was instinct they didn’t have the discipline of a professional actor, a trained actor who knew that on that line or that move they were going to scratch themselves or drink a Coke or eat a slice of pizza, so every time you would make cuts to match, they were all over the place. Never on the same marks.

“But the reason they weren’t is because they were functioning on their instincts, and their instincts at that moment told them to go there and not there.

“I just had to figure my way around it, but it drove me nuts.”

And what of the long-mooted sequel that is said to be somewhere in the works?

“Maybe,” Donner said. “Again, everything takes a long time to get it right. If you do things fast and quick and easy, that’s a disservice.

“But if there were going to be another movie it would take us a long time to get it right, because we have a lot of history that we’re involved with and a lot of integrity that we have to keep to what once was, and lives a life of its own without destroying it.

“Maybe the powers that be are working on something.”

Image credits: Amblin/Getty