Zac Efron, Emma Stone, And 21 Other Stars You May Have Forgotten Had Appearances In "The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody"
You won't guess how Emma actually starred in the show.
Disney Channel in the 2000s had a way of turning every guest spot into a tiny pop culture memory. From Hannah Montana to The Wizards of Waverly Place, those shows defined an era, and a lot of the stars who popped up in them went on to become even bigger names.
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody was one of the biggest hits of that time, thanks to Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Ashley Tisdale, and Brenda Song. Now that the series is streaming again on Disney+, it is fun to look back and spot just how many familiar faces showed up along the way.
Some of these appearances are easy to forget, but they make the show even more iconic in hindsight. Here are 23 stars you may have missed the first time around.
1. Moises Arias
Before being Rico Suave in Hannah Montana, Moises Arias actually appeared in an episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody as Randall, a child that Maddie sits for in daycare—who also became Zack's rival in getting Maddie's attention. He has appeared in Kong: Skull Island and Five Feet Apart.
Disney Channel2. Caroline Rhea
Known for playing the aunt of Sabrina in Sabrina the Teenage Witch and as a host of The Biggest Loser, Caroline also had recurring appearances in the show as Ilsa Schiklegoobermeyger-Vanhelsingdekeppeloogerhoffer (yeah, we don't know how to pronounce it either), a hotel inspector set to shut down the Tipton.
Disney Channel3. Monique Coleman and Vanessa Hudgens
Ashley Tisdale's co-stars from High School Musical also appeared on the show as Maddie's friends, Mary-Margaret and Corrie.
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4. Justin Baldoni
Justin Baldoni appeared as London's fencing instructor, and he left us all swooning. He directed Five Feet Apart, which also stars Cole Sprouse and Moises Arias.
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5. Cheryl Burke
Dancing With the Stars champion Cheryl Burke also appeared on the show as Shannon, a nurse who became a dancer because of London's money. Whew.
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6. Kathy Najimy
Kathy also appeared as Mrs. Militich, London's high school teacher.
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7. Jaden Smith
Jaden's appearance on the show felt like a coincidental nod to his iconic role in Karate Kid. His character on the show was known for knowing karate, and this happened in 2008, two years shy of the premiere of Karate Kid.
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8. Raini Rodriguez
Before Austin and Ally, Raini appeared on the show as a girl spending the night at the Tipton.
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9. Tahj Mowry
Tahj Mowry appeared on the show as a delivery boy whom both London and Maddie are interested in.
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And if you’re into lookalikes, check out the secret twins of your favorite stars, the ones hiding in plain sight.
10. Skyler Samuels
Yep, uptight Grace Gardner from Scream Queens actually appeared on the show as a beauty pageant contestant who made Mr. Moseby's life miserable.
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11. Nathan Kress
Known for his stint on iCarly, Nathan Kress appeared in one episode as a wheelchair basketball player named Jamie.
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12. Victoria Justice
Before Victorious happened, Victoria Justice appeared on the show as a beauty pageant contestant named Rebecca, whom Zack had a crush on.
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13. Joey King
The Kissing Booth star Joey King appears in the show as someone in London's reading session for a book she stole from Maddie's idea.
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14. Daniella Monet
The Zoey 101 and Victorious star also appeared on the show as the cheerleading captain of the twins' school.
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15. KayCee Stroh
High School Musical star KayCee Stroh appeared on the show as a transfer student from a Catholic school. She has recently appeared on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
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16. Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Duncan appeared on the show as Zack's basketball coach. He has appeared in renowned films such as Daredevil, Sin City, and The Scorpion King, and was even nominated for an Oscar for his role in The Green Mile.
Unfortunately, he passed away from a heart attack in 2012 when he was just 54. Rest in peace, Duncan.
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17. Jennifer Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale's sister appeared on the show as one of the actresses that London and Maddie were caught pretending to be.
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18. Mark Indelicato
In a really funny episode where Maddie auditions to play Sharpay in High School Musical (yeah, go figure), Mark appears as Cody's rival.
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19. Alyson Stoner
Alyson appeared on the show as Zack's friend, who was also his crush.
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20. Zac Efron
If you haven't noticed the pattern here, here's another High School Musical star that everyone loves: Zac Efron. He appears as a guest at the hotel, and London tries to woo him with Maddie's help.
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21. Kay Panabaker
Kay has retired from acting to become a zoologist, but at her prime, she appeared on the show as a girl Zack develops a crush on after meeting in a science class.
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22. Selena Gomez
Selena has come a long way from Barney, and when her fame was just beginning to skyrocket, she appeared as Zack and Cody's classmate who was also auditioning for a school play. Cody develops a crush and dreams of kissing Gomez's character during their A Midsummer Night's Dream performance.
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23. Emma Stone
And yes, weirdly enough, Emma Stone actually appeared on the show as the voice of Ivana, London's dog. Kind of sneaky and cool, considering who she plays years later.
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It's no surprise that after the success of the show, the stars, especially the Sprouse twins, have landed many great roles throughout their adolescence. The Suite Life was truly that show that you won't easily forget, and for all the right reasons!
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The guest stars made the show even more memorable.
Want more TV costume drama? Read why Danielle Fishel “couldn’t show her arms” in Boy Meets World.
