Where Are They Now: Disney Channel Stars From Back In The Day

Disney Channel made a lot of stars feel like they were part of the family, and that is exactly why people still keep tabs on them years later. From sitcom favorites to scene-stealing side characters, these actors grew up on screen while viewers watched every awkward phase, big break, and career pivot.

Some stayed in entertainment, some stepped away, and some took paths that surprised everyone. This roundup checks in on familiar faces from back in the day, including the cast members fans still remember most from shows like Lizzie McGuire and That’s So Raven.

The before-and-after photos tell part of the story, but the real fun is seeing where life took them next.

Aly Michalka

The actress who played Keely in Phil of the Future continued to have a lucrative career after her time on the show ended. Along with acting roles in major motion pictures like Easy A and The Roommate, she also kept busy appearing on Two and a Half Men and making music with Aly & AJ. Today, she is married and still working on her music career with AJ!Pinterest

AJ Trauth

AJ played the beloved character Twitty from Even Stevens. As the childhood crush of more than we can count, it was no surprise that he went on to act in a wide variety of television series. Today, he still acts and is one lucky fella to be married to Leah Pipes, a star on CW's The Originals.Instagram

Lalaine

Lizzie McGuire's Miranda inspired tons of quirky girls in her time to embrace their unique side, and virtually none of them would be surprised to hear what she's been up to these days. When she exited the show to pursue a music career, she found the path to be a lot harder than she anticipated. After struggling with drug abuse, she ended up joining the band Vanity Theft and making a few cameo appearances in various television series and movies before essentially living a quiet, normal life like anyone else might.Instagram

Orlando Brown

Brown played the role of Eddie on That's So Raven and was easily a lovable and hilarious character on the show. However, Eddie has hit more than a few rough patches, including domestic battery, a DUI, releasing his own sex tape, and making lewd comments about Raven-Symoné.Pinterest

A few of these former Disney stars took very different paths than fans expected.

Amy Bruckner

You'd recognize her as Pim from Phil of the Future. The mischievous little sister went on to act in American Dragon: Jake Long and then took a hefty break from her acting career. During that time, she enrolled as a student at New York University, where she studied human rights and feminist theory. But what got her gears turning back to acting? After school, she went backpacking through Europe and says she had an epiphany!Instagram

Clayton Snyder

After playing Ethan Craft in Lizzie McGuire, Snyder kept busy playing water polo in college and then professionally afterward before returning to acting. As Ethan in the show, he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, but he was definitely the first crush for many, many girls.Twitter

Also, Jason Biggs’ candid American Pie 5 update keeps the nostalgia debate alive.

Adam Lamberg

Everyone loves Gordo to this day, but Adam gave up acting nearly ten years ago. He attended UC Berkeley, where he earned a degree in geology, and today works in New York at the Irish Arts Center.Hollywood.com

Ashlie Brillault

You'd recognize her as Kate Sanders, the object of Lizzie's misery as her rival in Lizzie McGuire. For Ashlie, outside of appearing in the Lizzie McGuire movie, she pretty much completely disappeared from the Hollywood scene. Instead of staying in the acting game, she went to college and became a lawyer! Today, she is also a married mom! We'd call that a success story for sure.Twitter

Margo Harshman

When her role as Tawny Dean from Even Stevens came to an end, Margo did anything but disappear. We have seen her play roles in major television series from The Big Bang Theory to Grey's Anatomy and even NCIS!YouTube

Jake Thomas

He played the adorable and adventurous Matt McGuire on Lizzie McGuire, and seeing such a small kid grow up into a young man is definitely a shock to the system! Jake has continued to act over the years since the show ended, and he is also in school, on his way to a degree in screenwriting!Twitter

Anneliese Van Der Pol

You would remember her as Chelsea from That's So Raven. She was quirky and funny, a definite fan favorite. When the series ended, Anneliese went on to debut in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast as Belle! She continued to work actively in Broadway until announcing her return to Disney in the 2017 spin-off of That's So Raven.Instagram

Patrick Levis

Patrick played Jack Phillips in So Weird, Fiona's skeptic older brother. While Patrick still acts from time to time, it seems he found his calling when he started a Christian folk band called Least of These in 2004.YouTube

The next batch brings even more familiar faces back into focus.

Kyle Massey

Kyle Massey definitely did well for himself after playing Cory Baxter in That's So Raven. Including playing Cory Baxter in a spin-off episode, he went on to act in a plethora of Disney productions, appear in Dancing with the Stars (and landed 2nd place), and today he is rapping under the name Massey. Supposedly, he's buddy-buddy with Justin Bieber.Instagram

Mackenzie Phillips

The actress who played Molly Phillips on So Weird went on to become a counselor after admitting to her childhood traumas and abuse.YouTube

Ryan Dowell Baum

After playing J.B. Halliburton in The Famous Jett Jackson, he called it quits in Hollywood and went on to a higher calling. After Baum attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts (and graduated in 2005), he went on to get a Master of Divinity and today is an ordained minister in Oakland, California!Twitter

Steven Anthony Lawrence

Steven played Beans in Even Stevens, and in 2015, he delighted fans at a California shopping center when they discovered him working as Santa's Helper! Occasionally, Steven still acts.Twitter

Some of these updates are a lot more surprising than others.

Kaley Cuoco’s tense “Charmed” moment with an A-list actress who overlooked her on set is wild, too, read it here: Kaley Cuoco’s set drama.