For more than 20 years, the Disney Channel has been responsible for launching the careers of some of the world’s biggest pop culture sensations. From music superstars like Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus to Hollywood big hitters such as Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, these former child stars have become some of today’s most successful performers. Some are so popular, in fact, you may not have even realized they got their start on the kid-friendly cable channel. So where are your favorite Disney stars now? Check out our roundup to find out.
Raven-Symoné
What They’re Most Famous For
While Raven-Symoné made her TV debut at the tender age of four on The Cosby Show, it was her starring turn on Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven that launched her to superstardom. From 2003 until 2007, she played Raven Baxter, a psychic teenager with an impeccable sense of style. Other Disney Channel credits include Galleria in The Cheetah Girls, Nebula in Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, and her voice acting role as Monique in Kim Possible.
What They’re Doing Now
Raven-Symoné has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows since her Disney Channel days. Currently, she’s reprising her role as Raven Baxter on the That’s So Raven spinoff, Raven’s Home, which premiered on the Disney Channel in 2017. The family show focuses on adult Raven and her trials and tribulations as a divorced mom of preteen twins. “It means everything to me, being able to come back with a different view on life,” the actress said of returning to her Disney Channel character. “I can show people who I’ve become as a woman.”
Cole Sprouse
What They’re Most Famous For
You may recognize young Cole Sprouse as Ross’s son Ben on Friends or Adam Sandler’s adopted kid in the 1999 comedy Big Daddy. But it was his starring role on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (alongside his twin brother, Dylan) that made him a household name at the age of 13. The Disney Channel show ran from 2005 until 2008 and was followed by a spin-off, The Suite Life on Deck, as well as a 2011 made-for-TV movie, The Suite Life Movie.
What They’re Doing Now
Now 28, Cole Sprouse currently stars as Jughead Jones on The CW’s hit show Riverdale, alongside ex-girlfriend Lili Reinhart. If you’re hoping for a Suite Life reunion, don’t hold your breath. “Reboots are a tricky thing, you know?” the actor said earlier this year in an interview with Drew Barrymore. “The original shows when they become successful sit in this little golden plate of nostalgia and when you modernize it and go back to it, it has the potential to really disenfranchise the original fanbase so it’s a very, very touchy thing.”
Dylan Sprouse
What They’re Most Famous For
Dylan starred alongside his twin, Cole, in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, The Suite Life on Deck, and The Suite Life Movie. Together, the Sprouse brothers became the Disney Channel’s most popular duo of the mid-2000s and even launched a franchise company that included a clothing line, a magazine, and a book series.
What They’re Doing Now
Dylan is set to appear in The Sex Lives of College Girls, a teen comedy-drama created by Mindy Kaling and premiering on HBO Max sometime this year. He also appeared in the 2020 indie film After We Collided and is the co-founder of All-Wise Meadery, a honey beer brewery in Brooklyn, New York. The 28-year-old says he doesn’t find his side gig all that different from acting. “Brewers are entertainers whether they like it or not, because they are creating an experience for people,” Sprouse said in 2018. “Oftentimes the alcohol is the entertainment at any party you go to.”
Ashley Tisdale
What They’re Most Famous For
Ashley Tisdale first became a Disney Channel fixture in 2005 for her recurring role as Maddie Fitzpatrick on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. But her star skyrocketed even further thanks to her part in the High School Musical films, where she played Sharpay Evans, the loveable antagonist with dreams of becoming a star.
What They’re Doing Now
While the 35-year-old actress and singer continues to perform, her most recent role has been that of a mom. She and her husband, Christopher French, welcomed daughter Jupiter Iris to the world on March 23, 2021. “I’m not trying to get back to who I was, there’s no way,” the High School Musical star wrote in an April 2021 Instagram post. “I’m on the road to discovering who I’m truly meant to be and there’s something in my daughters eyes that tells me she knows exactly who that’s gonna be ??.”
Zac Efron
What They’re Most Famous For
Another High School Musical alum, Zac Efron shot to stardom playing Troy Bolton in the Disney Channel film trilogy. He quickly became one of the most successful teen stars and Hollywood heartthrobs of the mid-2000s — a period the actor described in a throwback Instagram post as “one of the most cherished and exciting times of my life.”
What They’re Doing Now
Efron was able to successfully pivot into adult films like Neighbors, and he even starred as the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in the Netflix movie, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile. He currently hosts the Netflix series, Down to Earth with Zac Efron, where he travels the world alongside wellness expert Darin Olien. Coming up, he’s set to star in a remake of the 1984 horror flick, Firestarter.
Miley Cyrus
What They’re Most Famous For
Before she partied in the U.S.A. and became one of the world’s most successful pop stars, Miley Cyrus was best known for playing the title role in the Disney Channel hit, Hannah Montana. Also starring Cyrus’s real-life dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, the show ran from 2006 until 2011 and became one of the cable channel’s most commercially successful franchises. “I think people loved Hannah Montana because Hannah Montana [the character] did feel real,” Cyrus said of the character in 2017. “And that’s ’cause I was under there. And people forgot that sometimes.”
What They’re Doing Now
Now 28 and one of the biggest recording artists on the planet, Cyrus released her seventh album, Plastic Hearts, last year. She continues to squeeze in acting gigs wherever she can. In 2019, she received critical acclaim for her guest-starring role in Black Mirror.
Selena Gomez
What They’re Most Famous For
Viewers fell in love with Selena Gomez as the magical Alex Russo on The Wizards of Waverly Place, which aired from 2007 until 2012. In addition to being a hit with audiences, the show was praised by TV critics for its smart humor and talented cast. Gomez says she’s proud to have been on the show and recognizes that it helped improve her acting chops. “I think the female characters on Disney Channel have a lot of strength,” she said in a 2020 interview. “And my comedic timing, my improv skills, everything I experienced made me a better actress.”
What They’re Doing Now
Gomez went on to become a pop superstar, selling more than seven million albums and 22 million singles worldwide. She’s also appeared in a handful of successful films, including Spring Breakers, Behaving Badly, The Dead Don’t Die, and Dolittle. Up next, Gomez will appear in Only Murders in the Building, a comedy series slated to premiere on Hulu this August.
Hillary Duff
What They’re Most Famous For
By playing the quirky, titular character on Lizzie McGuire, Hilary Duff became one of the Disney Channel’s first 21st-century teen idols. The show aired from 2001 until 2004, and she even took the character to the big screen with The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Duff also starred in other non-Disney films like Agent Cody Banks, A Cinderella Story, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Cheaper by the Dozen 2.
What They’re Doing Now
Now 33, Duff recently wrapped up a seven-season stint as a regular cast member on the popular TV Land/Paramount+ series Younger. A Lizzie McGuire reboot was in the works for Disney Plus, but the show was scrapped in 2020 before it ever saw the light of day. Earlier this year, she announced she’s slated to star in a Hulu-produced spinoff of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, entitled titled How I Met Your Father.
David Henrie
What They’re Most Famous For
David Henrie was 18 years old when he landed the role of Alex Russo’s brother, Justin, on Wizards of Waverly Place. But before that, he played a recurring role on That’s So Raven as Cory’s friend Larry. He also appeared in the Disney Channel Original Movie Dadnapped.
What They’re Doing Now
Henrie has become a multi-talented Hollywood star. Most recently, he wrote, directed, and starred in the coming-of-age film, This Is the Year. To announce the movie’s virtual premiere in 2020, he enlisted the help of his former Wizards of Waverly Place co-star Selena Gomez, who also served as executive producer on the film. Henrie said the pair have spoken about the possibility of reuniting for a Waverly Place reboot. “We talk about it all the time, like just as friends,” he said in a 2020 interview. “We would love to, at the right time, figure out a reunion.”
Bridgit Mendler
What They’re Most Famous For
Another Wizards of Waverly Place vet, Bridgit Mendler spent two seasons playing the recurring role of teenage vampire Juliet van Heusen. She then went on to star as Teddy Duncan on the Disney Channel sitcom Good Luck Charlie, which ran from 2010 until 2014. Mendler also had the lead role in the hit Disney Channel Original Movie Lemonade Mouth, where she played the lead singer of the fictitious band.
What They’re Doing Now
In addition to appearing in TV shows like Undateable and Nashville, Mendler has released a studio album, two EPs, and a number of singles. Most recently, she appeared in the eight-part Netflix comedy television series, Merry Happy Whatever, alongside fellow Disney Channel alum Ashley Tisdale. “We all as a cast really connected,” Mendler said of her experience on the show. “Ashley’s been so great with being a big sister to me, so we’ve definitely had some great times to bond.”
Vanessa Hudgens
What They’re Most Famous For
Alongside Ashley Tisdale and Zac Efron (her real-life boyfriend for five years), Vanessa Hudgens rose to Disney Channel stardom as Gabriella Montez in the High School Musical movies. She recorded a number of hit songs for the film, including “Breaking Free,” a duet with Zac Efron that peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The success landed her a recording contract and led to the release of two studio albums, V in 2006 and Identified in 2008.
What They’re Doing Now
Hudgens has become a successful film actress and has starred in movies such as Spring Breakers (which featured fellow Disney star Selena Gomez), The Frozen Ground, The Princess Switch, Second Act, Bad Boys for Life, and The Princess Switch: Switched Again. She’s currently filming The Princess Switch 3 for Netflix and is also set to star in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial film debut Tick, Tick…Boom!, due for release later this year.