Disney is responsible for making stars out of many young child actors – which means we have a lot to thank them for.
From Miley Cyrus to Selena Gomez – the Disney Channel cultivated and rocketed the musical careers of many young promising talents.
But it’s not been plain-sailing for all of them, while one even took on a very peculiar career U-turn.
From one star driving under the influence and another needing a kidney transplant, to taking up a career in the porn industry, and changing pronouns – we take a look at where these nine Disney child stars are now.
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez is best known for playing Mikayla in Hannah Montana and Alex in Wizards of Waverly Place.
But her career was jump started when first met Demi Lovato during an audition for her first ever acting gig on Barney and Friends.
Succesfully nabbing a spot on the show, both stars ended up appearing on the programme in the 2002 series, with Selena playing the role of Gianna.
Since her stint with Disney Selena has gone on to have an incredibly successful career in music.
Her personal life has seen her date the likes of Nick Jonas, The Weeknd, and of course her most high-profiled relationship with Justin Bieber.
Aside from her love life, Selena was diagnosed with lupus in early 2010, with the star revealing the news to fans in 2017.
She also needed a kidney transplant, which she received from close pal Francia Raisa.
As well as these health issues, Selena also has bipolar disorder, something she revealed in April 2020.
Demi Lovato
(Image: Getty/instagram)
Like Selena, Demi’s career began when they appeared on Barney and Friends in 2002.
They then nabbed the role of Charlotte Adams in Disney’s As the Bell Rings before she auditioned for the film Camp Rock and series Sonny with a Chance – they later got both roles.
Demi portrayed the role of Mitchie Torres, in Camp Rock, which is what really skyrocketed their fame.
It was their track Skyscraper that led to Demi’s global singing career – and the rest has been history.
Although Demi has dated high-profiled male celebs like Joe Jonas, they describe their sexuality as fluid and identify as pansexual.
One year ago in May 2021, Demi came out as non-binary and changed their pronouns from she/her to they/them – but as of last month her Instagram pronouns now include she/her once again.
New music is en route from Demi, and as of March they started teasing their eighth studio album due out later in the year.
Zac Efron
Hearthrob Zac Efron reached peak fame when he played the role of Troy Bolton in the hit Disney movie High School Musical back in 2006.
He then reprised the role if hunky Troy in High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
Since his High School Musical days he has gone on to forge a successful career for himself away from Disney.
He then went on to pop up in Hairspray, 17 Again and then portrayed the role of Phillip Carlyle in The Greatest Showman
Away from his on-screen roles, Zac is also known for his high-profiled relationship with High School Musical co-star Vanessa Hudgens.
The pair dated while they filmed the movie but sadly broke up years later in December 2010.
Raven-Symoné
(Image: Getty)
Raven’s career began when she starred in The Cosby Show back in the late 80s.
But it was 2001 that things really started to get good for Raven-Symoné.
She auditioned for a role on an upcoming series for the Disney Channel titled Absolutely Psychic – where she blew the judges away so much that things ended up changing.
She impressed them so much in her audition that they changed the lead character’s name to Raven Baxter and the series name changed to That’s So Raven.
The first episode of the hit TV show aired in 2003, and ended in 2007, and after her breakout Disney role she went on to pop up in Dr Dolittle and Princess Diaries 2.
More recently she starred in Mighty Oak.
Open about her sexuality, Raven doesn’t label herself but says that she is a “human who loves humans”.
n June 2020, she married social media manager Miranda Maday.
Dylan and Cole Sprouse
Twins Dylan and Cole Sprouse are best known for their roles in T he Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off shows.
In 2013, Dylan worked as a host at a New York City restaurant, and was forced to deny that he was broke. At the time he said that it “gets him out the house”.
Since 2018, Dylan has been in a relationship with model Barbara Palvin.
While Cole on the other hand launched his own personal photography website in 2011 and took classes at NYU.
He has shot for Teen Vogue, The Sunday Times Style, and W Magazine.
Debby Ryan
In 2006, just like Demi and Selena, Debby’s career was kickstarted thanks to her stint in Barney and Friends.
The Suite Life on Deck, a sequel to The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, was where she really shot to fame. And after this she also popped up in Hannah Montana.
In April 2016, the former Disney star was arrested for driving under the influence.
She was sentenced to three years of probation, community service, and a rehabilitation programme.
Debby started dating Twenty One Pilots drummer Josh Dun in May 2013, with the pair getting engaged in 2018 and then married in 2019.
Adam Hicks – Zeke and Luther
(Image: 2012 Jim Spellman)
Brown and Whitlock had minor roles in Disney productions, but Adam Hicks was Luther in Zeke and Luther.
After facing one charge of battery and one of firing a gun in 2017, he was arrested for armed robbery in 2018, after allegedly robbing and attempting to rob several victims with his girlfriend in California.
He and his girlfriend allegedly demanded money and goods from a number victims on the street while pointing a gun. Their victims included two elderly women in their 70s.
He was sentenced to five years in prison.
Miley Cyrus
Miley shot to ultimate fame when she took on the duel role of Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana the Disney sitcom Hannah Montana.
She also reprised the role of the movies that followed, as well as popping up in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and High School Musical 2.
In 2013 her musical career sky-rocketed when she released We Can’t Stop and then Wrecking Ball.
With controversial music videos and a fresh image, Miley hit the headlines because of the drastic shift from her younger days to what she was getting up to as a woman.
She was romantically involved with Liam Hemsworth from 2009 to 2013 before getting back together in 2016.
The pair got engaged and then married in 2018, but sadly split in 2019 – leaving fans devastated for the pair.
Maitland Ward
Shooting to fame in The Bold and the Beautiful in the mid-1990s, Maitland moved onto the Disney Channel soon after.
In 1998 she played the role of Rachel McGuire in Disney’s Boy Meets World, but soon traded her squeaky clean image for something a little different.
Trading Disney for porn, this all started in mid-2013 when she started posting nude and topless snaps on social media platforms.
May 2019 saw the star sign up to adult talent agency where she became an adult film actress.
Speaking to In Touch Weekly she said: “It’s been an evolution.
“It’s all been my authentic journey because everything that I have done along the way is something I wanted to explore and do.
“I just did it publicly for my fans, that is the exhibitionist style of me.”
She also told the publication that her husband John Baxter, whom she wed in 2006, “is very supportive” of her career.
Cameron Boyce – Descendants
(Image: 2019 FilmMagic)
Boyce was an incredibly well-liked young actor who had a tragic end in 2019.
The star, who had appeared in the likes of Grown Ups and General Hospital, landed his first big TV role when cast as the lead in the Disney Channels’ Jessie,
After that success, he was cast as the son of Cruella De Vil in the Descendants franchise, starring in all three films.
However, before the third film had been released, Boyce had passed away.
He was found unresponsive at his home in Los Angeles in July of 2019 after having an epileptic seizure. He was pronounced dead aged just 20 years old.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
