24 Comparative Photos Of Disney Channel Stars: Then Vs. Now

Disney Channel stars have a way of making time feel a little strange, especially when you grew up watching them on screen. Seeing their early roles next to their current looks brings back a lot of nostalgia fast.

This roundup compares 24 familiar faces from their Disney days to photos from later years, and the results are a mix of surprising, familiar, and sometimes hard to believe. Some stars have changed a lot, while others still look almost exactly like they did in their breakout roles.

Either way, the throwback factor is strong, and the comparisons are hard to scroll past. Read on.

1. Miley Cyrus: 2006 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Hannah Montana as Miley Stewart.

Now: She is writing and releasing music. Her latest album was released in 2019. 

2. Selena Gomez: 2007 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Wizards of Waverly Place as Alex Russo.

Now: She is a producer (for projects like Thirteen Reasons Why and Living Undocumented), singer, and actress.

3. Demi Lovato: 2008 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Camp Rock as Mitchie Torres.

Now: Recently, she released a new single, "I Love Me," and a collaboration with Sam Smith titled "I'm Ready." She has a new show called Pillow Talk with Demi Lovato.

The early Disney years really do hit differently.

4. Raven-Symoné: 2003 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in That's So Raven as Raven Baxter.

Now: She is still acting. 

5. Zac Efron: 2006 vs. 2020

Then: He played a role in High School Musical as Troy Bolton.

Now: He is still acting and has been extremely busy working on several movies, including Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile; The Beach Bum; and The Disaster Artist. He is currently starring in a show called Killing Zac Efron and will voice Fred in the new animated movie Scoob.

6. Vanessa Hudgens: 2006 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in High School Musical as Gabriella Montez.

Now: She is still acting and starred in a few Netflix holiday movies. She currently has a role in the third Princess Switch and the film adaptation of Tick, Tick... Boom.

7. Zendaya: 2010 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Shake It Up as Rocky Blue.

Now: She is still acting and currently stars in HBO's Euphoria, Marvel's Spider-Man movies, and a ton of other upcoming films.

8. Cole Sprouse: 2005 vs. 2020

Then: He played a role in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as Cody Martin. 

Now: He is still acting and currently stars in Riverdale as Jughead Jones. He will be producing and starring in a fictional podcast titled Borrasca.

A few of these glow-ups are impossible to ignore.

9. Dylan Sprouse: 2005 vs. 2020

Then: He played a role in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as Zack.

Now: He is still acting and recently finished a role in Banana Split. He is set to appear in After We Collided.

10. Shia LaBeouf: 2000 vs. 2020

Then: He played a role in Even Stevens as Louis Stevens.

Now: He is still acting. Last year, he starred in Peanut Butter Falcon. He wrote and starred in Honey Boy, a movie based on his own childhood and family relationships.

11. Bella Thorne: 2010 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Shake It Up as CeCe Jones.

Now: She is still acting and has appeared in Midnight Sun, Assassination Nation, and The Babysitter movies.

12. Christy Carlson Romano: 2000 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Even Stevens as Ren Stevens.

Now: She has her own YouTube channel. Last year, she was the original voice of Kim Possible.

13. Hilary Duff: 2001 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Lizzie McGuire as Lizzie.

Now: She is still acting and currently stars in Younger as Kelsey Peters. She also played a role in Disney+'s Lizzie McGuire reboot series.

Some of them are almost instantly recognizable, even years later.

It’s like Kaley Cuoco’s tense moment when a Hollywood star on Charmed overlooked her.

14. Raviv "Ricky" Ullman: 2004 vs. 2020

Then: He played a role in Phil of the Future as Phil Diffy.

Now: He is still acting and also works as a photographer.

15. Aly Michalka: 2004 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Phil of the Future as Keely.

Now: She is still acting and starred in iZombie. 

16. Ashley Tisdale: 2005 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody as Maddie Fitzpatrick. 

Now: She is still acting and recently starred in Netflix's Merry Happy Whatever. At the moment, she is playing a role in Carol's Second Act.

17. Debby Ryan: 2008 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in The Suite Life on Deck as Bailey Pickett.

Now: She is still acting and starred in Netflix's Insatiable and Horse Girl.

18. Brenda Song: 2005 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

Now: She is still acting and starred in Netflix's Secret Obsession last year. Currently, she is in Hulu's series Dollface.

The nostalgia keeps building with every comparison.

19. Emily Osment: 2006 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Hannah Montana as Lilly Truscott.

Now: She is still acting and starred in Fox's Almost Family. She writes music under the name 'Bluebiird'.

20. Peyton List: 2014 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Jessie as Emma Ross.

Now: She is still acting and currently appears in the YouTube Premium series Cobra Kai. She starred in Valley Girl and Hulu's series Light as a Feather.

21. Rowan Blanchard: 2014 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Girl Meets World as Riley.

Now: She is still acting and currently appears in the series Snowpiercer. She also wrote a book in the past few years.

22. Karan Brar: 2014 vs. 2020

Then: He played a role in Jessie as Ravi Ross.

Now: He starred in Disney+'s Stargirl. At the moment, he voices Prince Veer in Mira, Royal Detective.

23. Dove Cameron: 2013 vs. 2020

Then: She played a role in Liv and Maddie as both Liv and Maddie.

Now: She starred in Disney's Descendants movies as Mal, released an EP called Bloodshot / Waste, and continues to publish singles. 

24. Sabrina Carpenter: 2014 vs. 2020

Then: She acted in Girl Meets World as Maya.

Now: She is still acting. She released her second album, Singular: Act II. She has appeared in Tall Girl and The Hate U Give, and she has two films in post-production.

It always brings pleasant feelings to see how your favorite Disney Channel stars from your childhood are doing. So, what do you think of their lives and physical appearances?

Are you surprised, or did you expect them to do well? Regardless, they have grown into amazing individuals, and we have conveyed only a fraction of that.

They grew up in the spotlight, and the before-and-after photos make that journey feel even bigger.

Body-image sparks aside, see why Danielle Fishel “couldn’t show her arms” on Boy Meets World.