I finally caved and got Disney+. Because of this, most of my spare time for the past few weeks has been spent watching my favorite Disney shows. Like most kids born in the late 90s or early 2000s, I used to love watching shows like Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place. Rediscovering my love for these shows had me wondering what happened to the old Disney stars. So, I did a little research and here’s what I found!
The Sprouse Twins
Since their show, The Suite Life on Deck ended in 2010, Dylan and Cole have been busy. In 2015 they both graduated with honors from NYU. Surprisingly, neither of them were acting majors. Dylan received a degree in video game design, and Cole studied archeology. In the past few years, you’ve probably seen Cole as Jughead Jones on Riverdale or staring in the movie Five Feet Apart. Meanwhile, Dylan has stayed out of the limelight. He has stared in a few indie films and also owns a bar in Brooklyn called All-Wise Meadery.
Demi Lovato
Since leaving Disney, Demi’s music career has exploded. I’m sure you’ve all heard her hits like Really Don’t Care, Sorry Not Sorry, Skyscraper, and so many others. Aside from music, Demi has opened up about her struggles with substance abuse and eating disorders. She has become an advocate for mental health by providing opportunities for her fans to talk about their mental health with specialists and constantly fighting to break the stigma around mental health.
Selena Gomez
This Wizards of Waverly Place star made a pretty smooth transition from Disney to mainstream after the end of her show in 2012. Over the years she has released 3 successful studio albums and has been featured in many songs by other artists like Zedd and Charlie Puth. She continued acting in movies such as Hotel Transylvania, Spring Breakers, and even reprised her role as Alex Russo in The Wizards Return: Alex vs Alex.
Zac Efron
Back in the day we all loved him as Troy Bolton in High School Musical. Since stepping off the basketball court, he has established a pretty successful acting career. A few of his most popular movies include, Neighbors, 17 again, The Greatest Showman, and Baywatch. Most recently, he played infamous serial killer Ted Bundy in the Netflix original movie, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile and Evil.
Miley Cyrus
Miley is one of the most famous old Disney stars. When Hannah Montana ended in 2011 she did everything she could to get away from the innocent image Disney had given her (I’m sure you all remember 2013). Since then she has had a really successful music career releasing 6 studio albums that all made it to the top 5 on the Billboard charts. She also established a non-profit organization that protects the homeless, LGBTQ youth, and various other vulnerable communities in the United States called “The Happy Hippie Foundation”. Most recently, she hosted a talk show on instagram to entertain her fans during the Covid-19 pandemic.