1. Olivia Rodrigo Then (Paige Olvera)
Olivia Rodrigo first started out her career with the big break n the Disney Channel – it’s hard to image she’s the same singing superstar we now know! She starred as Paige Olvera in Bizaardvark before going on to star in High School Musical the series.
2. Olivia Rodrigo Now
Now, she’s 19 years old and she is an award winning global hit singer with 5 number one singles and a Grammy to her name as well as an award for best solo performance and best pop album. She’s one of the most popular pop stars in the world right now and she’s currently in a relationship with Zack Bia.
3. Zendaya Then (Rocky Blue)
Zendaya first starred in the Disney series Shake It Up where she played the character Rocky Blue. She was just 14 years old at the time and she continued in the show alongside Bella Thorne from 2010 to 2013. After the show ended she decided to leave Disney to take on roles elsewhere and broaden her career.
4. Zendaya Now
Which totally worked because Zendaya has gone from strength to strength and she’s starred in the likes of Spiderman: No Way Home and The Greatest Showman. Her acting has received a Golden Globe award as well as two Primetime Emmy Awards. She’s in a relationship with Tom Holland as one of the most loved couples in Hollywood.
5. Miley Cyrus Then (Hannah Montana)
Miley Cyrus started off her huge career when she was the star of the Disney show Hannah Montana – a very different persona to now. She played the lead character for four seasons so by the end of her first role, she had already made a name for herself in the world of acting.
6. Miley Cyrus Now
Miley Cyrus is now a successful singer, songwriter as well as an actress. She’s now renowned for her independent attitude and she’s not afraid to stand up for what she believes in, which has led to a few controversies in her adulthood. She’s currently worth an impressive $160.
7. Hilary Duff Then (Lizzie McGuire)
Lizzie McGuire was one of everyone’s favourite Disney shows. And, its where Hilary Duff first established a name for herself, particularly in the acting scene. It ran for two seasons and then Hilary Duff branched out in her career, taking on the main role in a Cinderella Story.
8. Hilary Duff Now
Duff (35) in later years has done less acting than her previous years and followed her other pursuits such as fashion and design, as well as working closely with charities who help children. And she also has three children, Luca, Banks and Mae with her previous husband and her current husband names Koma.
9. Shia LaBeouf Then (Louis Stevens)
>Shia LaBeouf played one of the main roles (Louis Stevens) in the Disney Channel series called Even Stevens. He very quickly took to acting and was nominated for Young Artist Award nominations in both 2001 and 2002, as well as a Daytime Emmy Awards in 2003.
10. Shia LaBeouf Now
Towards his adulthood things really took a turn and the once childhood favourite quickly plunged into turmoil and controversy. Despite his success (starring in major films such as The Transformers and Indiana Jones) he was arrested on several different occasions and was admitted to rehab.
11. Dylan Sprouse Then (Zach)
As we all know, Dylan Sprouse along with his brother starred in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as well as the spin off series The Suite Life on Deck. He looks back fondly at his time on the show and appreciates how well it has helped him in the rest of his career.
12. Dylan Sprouse Now
Dylan Sprouse . More recently however, Dylan has not starred in many roles. In fact, he prefers to select short and independent films and so he remains much more out of the spotlight and focuses on his relationship with model Barbara Palvin.
13. Cole Sprouse Then (Cody)
Image source/ Pinterest
Of course, Cole Sprouse was the other half of the Suite Life duo along with his brother. Cole played the more sensible of the two, the intelligent one compared to his rebellious counterpart. In total the two brothers starred in the two Disney shows for 6 years.
14. Cole Sprouse Now
Image source/ Instagram
Cole went on to land a role in the popular Netflix series Riverdale where he struck up his relationship with Lili Reinhart. Cole Sprouse also took a recent career break from Hollywood, but in 2022 he starred in the movie named Moonshot. He also now has two sons of his own (not twins sadly!).
15. Madison Hu Then (Frankie Wong)
Madison Hu started her tv debut on the Disney channel and she is most remembered for playing Frankie Wong in the series Boardwalk. Before this, she played Marci on the Disney series Best Friends Whenever. She first started acting in 2008 and stopped acting on the Disney channel in 2016.
16. Madison Hu Now
Image source/ Reddit
Now Madison Hu (aged 20) is an American actress who has left behind her Disney days and she’s now involved with Hollywood movies such as Voyagers and The Boogeyman. She’s also good friends with singer Olivia Rodrigo and she starred in Olivia Rodrigo: SOUR Prom.
17. Jake Thomas Then (Matt McGuire)
Image source/ celebsecrets
Jake Thomas started his acting career very early, he played the annoying but very endearing little brother of Lizzie McGuire whose mission was to prank his bigger sister. He was just 11 years old when he first started filming for Disney and he continued his role for both of the seasons.
18. Jake Thomas Now
Image source/ Facebook
Jake Thomas continued his journey on the Disney channel for some years before moving on to TV series such as , NCIS, CSI: NY, Storytellers and S.W.A.T. He’s now 32 years old. He made a very successful name for himself as an actor of more serious shows on prime time TV. He’s currently in a relationship with Carly Schroeder.
19. Rowan Blanchard Then ( Riley Matthews)
Rowan Blanchard started her career at the age of 9 years old when she was cast for Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (2011). She then landed her part for the Disney channel back in 2013. She started out on the series of Girl Meets World, starring as Riley Matthews.
20. Rowan Blachard Now
Since her Disney days, Blanchard has taken on roles such as Jackie Geary, a character on the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs which she continued for a full year in 2017. She then starred as Alexandra Cavill in the TNT series Snowpiercer which she continues to do to this day.
21. Sabrina Carpenter Then (Maya)
Image source/ YouTube
Sabrina Carpenter played character Maya in the Disney series Girl Meets World. She played a confident, rebellious girl who had a reputation for being the ‘bad girl’. After starring on Girl Meets World, she went on to play Jenny Parker in Adventures in Babysitting.
22. Sabrina Carpenter Now
Since then, she’s starred in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and The Goodwin Games. She’s also recently starred in feature films such as Clouds, Tall Girl and Work It. And, she has continued to pursue her music career since releasing her first single in 2016 Her latest, was Emails I Can’t Send which was released in 2022.
23. Madison Pettis Then (Sophie Martinez)
24. Madison Pettis Now
Madison Pettis is now 24 years old and she has become a very successful and popular actress with many acting credits to her name, as well as a huge social media following amassing 20 million over recent years. And in 2018 she went right back to where she started, Disney Channel, filming Sofia the First.
25. China Ann McClain Then (Chyna Parks)
China Ann McClain played the main character China Parks, a very bubbly outgoing teen in A.N.T. Farm who was a musical prodigy. She was 7 when she first started acting, but her main debut happened when she landed the lead role of the China Parks. The show ran from 2011 to 2014.
26. China Ann McClain Now
Image source/ Reddit
China Ann McClain is an American actress and singer. She starred in the movie Black Lightening. She has recently chosen to take a break in her career after losing one of her best friends Cameron Boyce. She then decided to focus on helping children who are struggling with mental health issues.
27. Carlon Jeffery Then (Cameron Parks)
Carlon Jeffrey played China Parks brother, Cameron Parks, on A.N.T Farm. He continued hi roles for the entirety of the show, starring as a main character in seasons 1 and 2 and a guest in season 3. He began the series when he was 15, and by the time he had finished he was 17.
28. Carlon Jeffery Now
Carlon Jeffrey has starred in a few small TV shows and short films. His last movie was Cloud 9 where he played the character Dink, a main role. He also loves music and is trying to pursue his career in rapping where he goes by the name of Lil’ C-Note.
29. Sierra McCormick Then (Olive Doyle)
30. Sierra McCormick Now
Since Disney, Sierra McCormick has continued to pursue a career in TV and film. In 2016 she had a role as Sarah in the TV film Sorority Nightmare. In 2019 she was nominated for a Critic’s Choice Super Award for her film The Vast of Night and in 2021 she starred in the hit series American Horror Stories.
31. Bradley Steven Perry Then (Gabe Duncan)
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
Bradley Steven Perry got his big break on the Disney channel playing Gabe Duncan in the show Good Luck Charlie. Gabe was one of the many Duncan kids, and he was one who tried very much to be a ‘cool’ kid. Bradley Steven Perry played the 14 year old until the show ended in 2014.
32. Bradley Steven Perry Now
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
After the show ended in 2014, his TV career definitely didn’t! Actor Bradley Steven Perry went on to star in the TV show Lab Rats: Elite Force, which was back in 2016. And if you’ve been tuning into Netflix recently (because of course you have), he was also in Hubie Halloween with Adam Sandler!
33. Gregg Sulkin Then (Mason Greyback)
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
If you were a fan of Wizards of Waverly Place, then no doubt you’ll remember one particular sexy werewolf named Mason Greyback! You must have had a crush on him at some point. And is there a more werewolf-sounding name than Mason Greyback? Beats Jacob Black any day! Mason was also a purebred, so points for that.
34. Gregg Sulkin Now
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
So the sexy werewolf from Wizards of Waverly Place is all grown up now – and grown out of his lycanthropy problem altogether! Since his days on the Disney show, Gregg Sulkin has appeared in some big shows and movies, including Marvel’s Runaways and A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish.
35. Orlando Brown Then (Eddie Thomas)
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
Orlando Brown was of course the iconic Eddie Thomas in the even more iconic That’s So Raven, where he played the lead character’s best friend. As well as being a bestie to Raven and Chelsea, he was also spending time focusing on his rapping skills – alongside possibly crushing on Raven, too.
36. Orlando Brown Now
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
When Disney’s That’s So Raven ended in 2007, he went on to star in a movie as a step up from a TV show: Straight Outta Compton in 2015. Unfortunately, the actor has got into a bit of trouble in his older years, including trouble with the police for a DUI. He has a career in hip-hop music as well as acting.
37. Jason Dolley Then (PJ Duncan)
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
Actor Jason Dolley played PJ Duncan in Disney’s Good Luck Charlie. The show ended in 2014, meaning his time as Duncan ended, too. Full name Patrick John Darth Duncan, he was the oldest of the Duncan clan and also seen as a bit.. well, stupid. Aside from that, he was a great cook and a roommate to his bestie.
38. Jason Dolley Now
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
Since the Disney show ended in 2014, actor Jason Dolley has tried out some very different roles to his sweet and innocent PJ Duncan! This includes playing a murderer in the film Staged Killer, and he’s also had a few guest appearances on things like Major Crimes and American Housewife.
39. Moises Arias Then (Rico Suave)
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
Moises Arias played the character Rico Suave (best name ever) on the Disney show Hannah Montana. Rico was known for getting up to quite a lot of mischief, while he wasn’t busy running his beach shop Rico’s Surf Shop – which he was particularly memorable for based on the fact he was younger than his employee, Jackson!
40. Moises Arias Now
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
As a child actor for Disney, Moises Arias was best known for his role as Rico, but he did go on to try out some new roles after the show ended. He starred in the movies Five Feet Apart and The Kings of Summer, as well as acting alongside Pete Davison in The King of Staten Island movie, and he’s now 28 years old.
41. Jason Earles Then (Jackson Stewart)
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
Speaking of Rico Suave and his employee – actor Jason Earles also appeared on the Hannah Montana show as Jackson Stewart, who worked in Rico’s surf shop! But one Disney role wasn’t enough for him, as he also played Rudy Gillespie on the show Kickin’ It, which was shown on Disney XD, where he played an amateur martial artist.
42. Jason Earles Now
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
These days, actor Jason Earles is married and lives in San Diego, California. His most notable roles are still his Disney channel days from Hannah Montana and Kickin’ It, but he’s also voiced a dog in the film Space Buddies, as well as being the acting coach for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
43. AJ Michalka Then (Aly & AJ)
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
AJ Michalka was one half of the group Aly & AJ, and a star who actually used her real name when she appeared on Disney! And of course, you have to remember the hit ‘Potential Breakup Song’ by Aly & AJ, and don’t pretend it’s not number 1 on your favorite playlist because this song was a Disney bop!
44. AJ Michalka Now
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
These days, AJ Michalka has moved on from the days of Disney’s Cow Belles, and actually works as an ambassador for the National Women’s History Museum alongside more acting roles, which include DreamWorks She-Ra on Netflix – hitting it big with the streaming channel – and Schooled on the channel ABC!
45. Keke Palmer Then (Mary Thomas)
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
Keke Palmer was a huge Nickelodeon star on True Jackson, VP before she moved to Disney – which is actually considered a rival move! She then went on to star in Jump In! as the character Mary Thomas, who is the leader of the Joy Jumpers – who later rebrand as the Red Hot Chili Steppers, which is just the best name we’ve ever heard.
46. Keke Palmer Now
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
These days, Keke Palmer is doing well for herself (and her career), as she’s starred in a lot of great TV shows and movies over her lifetime! In recent years, she’s appeared in Hustlers, and most notably the huge film ‘Nope’ that everyone is talking about. She’s 29 years old now, just to make you feel old.
47. Corbin Bleu Then (Chad Danforth)
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
You’ll of course know Corbin Bleu from his role as Chad Danforth in High School Musical – and who could forget that amazing head of hair? His role in the second High School Musical film also saw his song ‘I Don’t Dance’ hit the Billboard Hot 100! So what’s he doing these days since Disney?
48. Corbin Bleu Now
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
Actor Corbin Bleu is now married to Sasha Clements, a Canadian actor and model, who he’s been married to since 2016. He hasn’t given up the singer career alongside his acting, because he released a debut album, as well as starring in films like To Write Love on Her Arms, and the TV series Dancing with the Stars.
49. Zac Efron Then (Troy Bolton)
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
Ah of course, if there’s anyone that needs to be mentioned from Disney star fame its our very own Troy Bolton, Zac Efron! Troy was of course the lead in the movie that saw him wooing Vanessa Hudgen’s character as they sang very loudly at each other at various intervals. Oh, and played basketball in between.
50. Zac Efron Now
Image source: cosmopolitan.com
These days, Zac has had a hugely successful career, and shifted a long way from Disney boy, in roles like Ted Bundy for the biopic movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile and Evil. He’s also still using his good looks to get roles like in Baywatch and Neighbors. He continued his role as Troy Bolton in all three High School Musical movies!
