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Ever wonder what happened to some of your favorite Disney stars? Then you are in the right place. Over the years, Disney has produced some tremendous TV Shows that have defined the childhoods of millions of individuals. When these shows are on the air, we seem to take for granted that they’ll be around forever, or at least that the stars of them will be.
Nonetheless, more often than not, many of these Disney stars seem to disappear when their individual shows come to a conclusion. Maybe you haven’t thought about these stars in many years. When a show goes out of sight, it really doesn’t take long for us to forget its characters. This is especially relevant with characters that play a strong role in the show, yet not a leading one. So, let’s take a look at the list and see just what our once beloved Disney stars are up to these days.
15. Ashlie Brillault - Lizzie Maguire
Ashlie Brillault played the role of one of Disney’s most brilliant villains. Yes, we’re talking about her portrayal of mean girl Kate Sanders in Lizzie Maguire. Brillault portrayed the part of Lizzie’s nemesis excellently as fans loved to hate her. The actress was present in every episode of the show, ready to taunt Lizzie and her BFFs Gordo and Miranda. You may have noticed though, that Brillault has been pretty absent from the spotlight ever since Lizzie Maguire ended. This is due to the fact that Brillault decided to retire from the acting world and instead to focus on studying law. Brillault went on to study at CSU Long Beach where she received a degree in Political Science. The former actress went on to the University of Denver where she received her J.D. In 2015 Brillault stated: “At the moment I’m focusing on being a mom to this amazing little human being and in the next few months I plan on looking for a job as a lawyer in the civil rights or criminal defense field. My ultimate goal is to work on issues related to criminal justice reform.”
14. Tiffany Thornton - Sonny with a Chance
You may remember Tiffany Thornton as having played the part of diva Tawni Hart on Disney’s Sonny with a Chance. After Sonny with a Chance ended in 2011 after two seasons, it was replaced by a spin-off show, So Random, which starred Thornton as the show's main character. However, the show ended just one year later and we didn’t hear much from the actress again. This is surprising considering the star has appeared in numerous shows throughout her career including 8 Simple Rules, The O.C, Desperate Housewives and American Dreams. Well, the main reason you haven’t heard from Thornton is that the actress has been focusing on her family in recent years. Since the show ended, the star has married and has two kids. Unfortunately, the actress and her husband separated soon after the birth of their second child.
13. Moises Arias - Hannah Montana
Moises Arias is best known for playing the part of the conniving and trouble-making Ricco on Hannah Montana. Ricco was a character that the show’s audience just loved to hate, as he was always up to some type of mischief that never failed to make for entertaining television. Despite this fact, you may have forgotten about Arias or not seen him in any big shows or movies lately, the star continues to act. In fact, he’s grown up quite a bit since Hannah Montana ended; for this reason, you might have seen the actor is something and not even realized it. Since Hannah Montana ended Arias has appeared in the likes of The Middle, Ender’s Game and The Stanford Prison Experiment. On top of this, the actor received rave reviews for his 2012 appearance in Kings of Summer. Although he is not dominating the big screen, these are all notable performances. He is often seen around Hollywood, with his bro Mateo (from Kickin It), and best bud Jaden Smith.
12. Jake Thomas - Lizzie Maguire
Jake Thomas played the part of Lizzie Maguire’s conniving little brother Matt on Lizzie Maguire from 2001-2004. Although he did his best to make his older sister’s life a nightmare, Matt was still a firm favorite among the show’s audience. After the conclusion of Lizzie Maguire though, Thomas seemed to leave the acting world. However, this was not the case. In the years following the show the star kept acting, in fact, you may have even seen him in something and not noticed him. As Thomas began to grow into a teenager he became unrecognizable to many people, even those who never missed an episode of Lizzie Maguire. Believe it or not, Thomas in now 24 years old. Time flies! The actor has appeared in Criminal Minds, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York and Ghost Whisperer. His most recent role was in the 2014 creepy web series, Storytellers.
11. Orlando Brown - That’s So Raven
True Disney fans will remember Orlando Brown as having portrayed the character of Eddie Thomas in That’s So Raven. Brown played the part of one of Raven’s BFFs as the pair, plus Chelsea (Anneliese van der Pol), tried their best to deal with Raven’s psychic visions. Eddie was certainly a loved character on the show and had his fair share of funny moments. However, not everything has been smooth sailing for Brown in recent years. Earlier this year, the actor was arrested in California and charged with a number of crimes, including obstruction of justice, misdemeanor domestic battery and drug possession with intent to sell. Earlier this year, it was announced that a That’s So Raven re-boot was given the go ahead, and that we can expect new episodes of the show soon. At this point it remains uncertain whether Brown will return. Speaking on the matter, the actor stated: “That’s So Raven’ is nothing without Chelsea, [or] Kyle [Massey], which is Cory. You got T’Keyah Crystal Keymah. You got Rondell [Sheridan]. We all are family. We did what we had to do to make a historical moment happen, and I don’t think it would’ve happened without all of us.”
10. Anneliese van der Pol - That's So Raven
Anneliese van der Pol first found her place on the Disney channel by appearing as Chelsea Daniels in That’s So Raven. Chelsea was the ditzy but lovable BFF of the main character Raven; the pair combined with aforementioned Eddie Thomas (Orlando Brown) and were the ultimate squad at the time. So, just what has van der Pol been up to since the show finished in 2007? The same year the show ended, the actress made her Broadway debut and played the main role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Apart from this, van der Pol appeared in movies such as Vampires Suck, Friends with Benefits and Shake It Up! Since then the actress has mainly stuck to Broadway productions, which is why you haven’t seen her around that often. Some of the Broadway productions include Meet Me in St. Louis, The Heiress, Emma, The Importance of Being Earnest and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Earlier this year it was confirmed that van der Pol would be returning to star in the That’s So Raven re-boot set to air in 2017.
9. Jason Earles - Hannah Montana
Jason Earles started off his acting career on a strong note; after graduating from Rocky Mountain College in 2000 he appeared in movies like National Treasure and American Pie Presents: Band Camp. Despite these early movie appearances, Earles’ most prominent role to date remains his portrayal of Jaxon Stewart, the older brother of Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) in Disney’s Hannah Montana. Jaxon was a character that was much appreciated by fans; however, Earles often received attention due to the large age gap that existed between him and the character he was playing. Earles was 29-years old playing a 16-year-old, a 13 years difference. After his time on the show, Earles continued to act and has appeared in Kickin It’ and Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja.
8. Jennifer Stone - Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place fans will instantly recognize Jennifer Stone as having played the part of the quirky and hyper Harper Finkle on the show. Although mega-star Selena Gomez played the lead on the show, Stone certainly made a great on-screen BFF for her. Yes, Harper was a character that certainly stood out and her presence really added something to the show. Since Wizards of Waverly Place ended, Gomez has gone on to be a huge international star. But what has Stone been up to? Well, after the show ended in 2012 Stone went on to further her education. That’s right, Stone chose to ditch the world of showbiz for a true college experience. In 2013, Stone entered Glendale Community College, and earned an associates degree in nursing. You probably wouldn’t even recognize the star now if you saw her; Stone has ditched her long red locks for a more sophisticated blonde bob. It seems priorities have changed for this star.
7. Mitchel Musso - Hannah Montana
Mitchel Musso had a big role on Hannah Montana which is commonly considered Disney’s most successful show to date. The star played the part of Oliver Oken, Miley’s on-screen BFF. Musso was a favorite among fans and even had a fairly successful music career, which he balanced during his time on the show. After Hannah Montana ended in 2011, Musso was cast in a Disney XD series titled Pair of Kings. This show was renewed for a third season, but Musso’s character was replaced by Adam Hicks, due to Musso's legal troubles. On October 17th 2011, around 3 in the morning, Russo was pulled over after failing to slow down for cops. It was confirmed by a breathalyzer, that the actor was above the legal limit for driving. Speaking about the incident, Musso stated: “I’m becoming an adult, I have learned first-hand that stepping up and taking responsibility is the best way to move forward. I am especially thankful to my family and fans for their unwavering support and encouragement. I am glad to now put this in the past."
6. Lalaine - Lizzie Maguire
Lalaine is best known for playing the part of Miranda on Lizzie Maguire. Fans of the show will remember Miranda as being the BFF of Lizzie and Gordo and should recall how she was featured in every episode of the show. Well that is, until she didn’t. You may remember that in the Lizzie Maguire movie (2003), Miranda mysteriously had to go off to Mexico with her family, and wasn’t featured in the movie at all. This left many people very confused; confusion that only got worse when Miranda wasn’t featured in the latest episodes of Lizzie Maguire (2004). Since then the actress has been keeping very quiet. So just why did she disappear? First of all, during the filming of the Lizzie Maguire movie, Lalaine was focusing her attention on other acting projects such as You Wish! along with travelling around doing radio Disney tours. She was also arrested with meth. Since then, Lalaine took a step back from the spotlight. The actress stated: “My life used to consist of craziness and nonstop everything, and, when I was a kid, not really knowing what a kid’s life was. It was just go, go, go. Now it’s just a completely different perspective on my go, go, go. I’m just more like trying to walk over there. I’m not trying to jog or run anymore.”
5. Ricky Ullman - Phil of the Future
Phil of the Future was a Disney show that aired early in the 2000s, around the Lizzie Maguire era. Although the show only ran for two seasons, it was still relatively successful during its time. The show starred Ricky Ullman as Phil Diffy, and Aly Michalka as Keely Teslow. As we know, Aly Michalaka went on to have her fair share of success after the show ended. The star has appeared in things such as Hellcats, Easy A and Bandslam. Apart from that, she has also had a fair amount of success with her music career. In 2004 Michalka teamed up with her sister AJ to create Aly and AJ; the duo had great success during the 2000s. But whatever happened to Ricky Ullman? After Phil of the Future ended the star went on to appear in Kim Possible: So, The Drama, That’s So Raven and the Disney Channel Original Movie Pixel Perfect. Ullman also appeared in two off-Broadway productions titled Russian Transport and The Bad Guys. In 2013, the star created The Ricky Ullman Podcast in which he interviewed Zoe Kravitz and Penn Badgley. Ullman is also the drummer in a band called Reputante.
4. Adam Lamberg - Lizzie Maguire
True 90s kids will recognize Adam Lamberg as having portrayed the part of David “Gordo” Gordon on one of Disney’s most successful shows of all time, Lizzie Maguire. Gordo was another favorite among fans thanks to his geeky charm. However, after Lizzie Maguire ended in 2004, Lamberg seemed to disappear from the acting world. This is because Lamberg took on more minor roles and focused on studying at the same time. The star’s last acting role was in 2008’s Beautiful Loser which just so happens to be the same year he graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelors degree in Geography. Not only this, but from 2012-2014, Lamberg was a student at Baruch College where he got an MPA. Lamberg now works at the Irish Arts Center (ICA) in New York. Although Lamberg isn’t acting anymore he still remains somewhat associated with the entertainment world.
3. Christy Carlson Romano - Even Stevens
Christy Carlson Ramono is best known for her portrayal of Ren Stevens in Even Stevens. Even Stevens followed the lives of the Stevens family, mainly the clashes of its two younger sibling Ren and Louis (Shia LaBeouf). As we know Shia LaBeouf went on to have an extremely successful career, albeit rocky at times. So, where did Romano end up? Well after the show ended in 2003 Romano went on to voice the animated character of Kim Possible, in the show of the same name. Many people are familiar with the action-fighting cartoon, but do not make the connection that it is in fact Romano voicing the main character. Since then, the actress has tackled a number of smaller projects, including a very unclothed scene in Mirrors 2. Most recently, the actress directed her first feature film Christmas All Over Again, which starred Nickelodeon star Sean Ryan Fox and YouTube star Todderick Hall.
2. David Henrie - Wizards of Waverly Place
David Henrie is best known for playing Selena Gomez’s on-screen brother, Justin Russo, in Wizards of Waverly Place. However, before making his big break on the show, the actor had his fair share of onscreen appearances. Many may not know this, but Henrie has appeared in endless TV shows such as Judging Amy, Providence, Cold Case, Jack and Bobby and House. This was certainly a great start for the star, and when he was cast as Justin Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place at age 18, things got even better. However, since the hit Disney show concluded, we haven’t seen Henrie is many TV shows or movies. This is not to say that the Henrie has stopped acting. In 2013 the actor made an appearance in Grown Ups 2 opposite Adam Sandler and Taylor Lautner. Henrie also appeared in Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. Other than that we haven’t heard much from Henrie, but this is simply due to the fact that the actor has been dedicating time to more personal projects. The actor has directed two small movies, Boo! and Catch, the second of which he also starred in. We’re going to see even more of the star soon, as he is set to play former president Ronald Reagan in the up-coming biopic Reagan.
1. Dylan and Cole Spouse - The Suite Life...
Dylan and Cole Spouse first shot to fame as a pair, in 2005 when they began starring as twins Zach and Cody Martin on Disney’s hit show The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. However, the famous twins had been acting long before this in the likes of Big Daddy, opposite Adam Sandler, and Friends, playing the part of Ross’ son Ben. With such early successes and a hit Disney show under their belt, it’s surprising that after The Suite Life ended in 2008 that we stopped hearing from the Sprouse brothers. There is a simple explanation for this, as both the brothers spent the years between 2012-2015 focusing on their studies. In 2015 the pair graduated from Gallatin School of Individualized Study with Dylan receiving a degree in Video Game Design and Cole majoring in Archaeology. Despite this education, both brothers stated that they would eventually return to acting, which they have, in various projects not nearly as popular as The Suite Life.
Sources: NickiSwift, Hollywood, J14
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