Did Your Disney Channel Crush Age Well? 12 Stars, Then And Now

After such a prominent start to their careers, where are those heartthrobs today?

David Henrie – Justin Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place

Alex Russo’s dreamy older brother Justin wasn’t just her close friend and talented competition – he was the best friend’s big brother crush we all shared. Unlike many Disney channel stars, Henrie has found even greater success outside his role on Wizards. Henrie starred as Ted’s son on the high-profile sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and most recently, David starred as the young Ronald Reagan alongside big name stars like Dennis Quaid and Jon Voight in Reagan. Henrie will be returning to Waverly Place with his on-screen sister Selena Gomez this fall. Henrie is still the dreamy type, and we couldn’t be more grateful that he is. 

Ross Lynch – Austin Moon on Austin and Ally

Austin Moon had the swooping One Direction hair to steal every girl’s heart back in 2012, starring not only on the hit show Austin & Ally, but also in the Disney film Teen Beach Movie. A double-threat singer and dancer, Lynch has kept his career going with both acting and music. Most recently, Lynch is know for starring in the Netflix show Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and off-screen as the front-runner of the band R5, later called The Driver Era. These days, Lynch is channeling a David Bowie vibe – not my style, but to each their own.

Clayton Snyder – Ethan Craft from Lizzie McGuire

Did you crush on Ethan Craft’s swooping hair as hard as Lizzie McGuire did? He may not have always been the brightest guy in class, but Ethan grew into a sweetheart over the course of the series. Hairstyles have changed, but it turns out the sweetheart part was real. Clayton Snyder is now a real estate agent in real life, and he’s channeling the manly energy we love. But maybe we’re just biased by his favorite claim to fame on his Instagram: “❤️‍🔥 Husband & Father.”

Drew Roy – Jesse on Hannah Montana

Popstar Hannah Montana, and her real life persona Miley Stewart, struggled to find love in the beloved Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. One of the men who won Miley’s heart was Jesse, who appeared in the final season as a new love interest who seems like a bad boy, but actually has a heart of gold. Drew Roy may not be playing Hannah Montana’s boyfriend any longer, but he’s still on screen in films like Secretariat and guest starring roles on shows like Timeless.

No socials that I can dig up. Good for him. But also bummer.

Cody Linley – Leslie “Jake” Ryan in Hannah Montana

Hannah Montana may have kept her life as a superstar a secret, but Jake Ryan made no secret about his life as a celebrity, or the way he way about felt about Miley. Jake and Miley’s on-again, off-again relationship continued throughout the record-breaking Hannah Montana series, repeatedly giving Miley and her fans a hard choice. As for actor Cody Linley? His claim to fame is no longer just Hannah Montana. Cody has continued to act and recently made it to fourth place in season seven of Dancing with the Stars.

Mitchell Musso – Oliver Oken in Hannah Montana

Oliver Oken may not have swept Hannah Montana off her feet, but he eventually made off with the heart of their mutual best friend, Lilly Prescott. Lovable, a bit dorky, and faithful till the end, Oliver stood by his friends throughout the popular Hannah Montana series and film. Like many child stars, Mitchell Musso has reportedly struggled with alcohol as an adult. Hopefully, things will look up for Musso soon – with a much-needed haircut, the sky’s the limit.

Brandon Mychal Smith – Nico Harris on Sonny with a Chance

Nico thought of himself as a smooth ladykiller on Sonny with a Chance, but he and friend Grady were mostly the comedic relief. Joke’s on everybody else, though – in a post-Disney world, Brandon Mychal Smith has been making a real name for himself as an actor and rapper. Starring alongside actors like Chadwick Boseman in Get on Up and featuring on shows like Dancing with the Stars, nothing about Smith seems “so random” these days.

Sterling Knight – Chad Dylan Cooper from Sonny with a Chance

He may have loved himself on screen, but off screen, actor Chad Dylan Cooper had his eye on Sonny Monroe (Demi Lovato). Cooper turned out to be a regular guy, despite his fame, and that made Sonny – and us – fall for him all the more. Knight hasn’t done much high-profile acting since his days on Sonny with a Chance and Starstruck, and seems to be every bit the regular guy Chad Dylan Cooper wasn’t. Knight also has been channeling the lumberjack look, and we’re totally vibing it.

Cole and Dylan Sprouse – Zack and Cody Martin on Suite Life of Zack and Cody

They were adorable tricksters living the suite life, erm, sweet life on TV in our childhoods, but the Sprouse twins aren’t the shaggy-haired little boys we remember from Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Cole Sprouse has since starred on the CW show Riverdale and in the recent film Lisa Frankenstein, and Dylan has continued acting in comedies such as Beautiful Wedding. The pair have also begun to speak out about the toxic behavior on the set of Disney shows in their youth, making them just as brave as they have become dreamy. 

Adam Lamberg – David “Gordo” Gordon on Lizzie McGuire

Poor Gordo spent most of his time on Lizzie McGuire friendzoned by Hilary Duff’s winsome heroine. It wasn’t until the ending of the Lizzie McGuire Movie that Gordo finally got his moment to kiss the girl and live happily ever after. Since then, real life actor Adam Lamberg seems to have ridden off into the sunset to a private life off screen, reportedly working as a fundraising consultant in New York. He was set to return for a Lizzie McGuire revival film, but the project was recently dropped by Disney.

Zac Efron – Troy Bolton on High School Musical

Before Travis Kelce, there was Troy Bolton. The boy on the team with a crush on the straight-A theater girl won the hearts of girls everywhere when High School Musical was released in 2006, followed by two sequels. Zac Efron has led a prolific career, starring in beloved classics like 17 Again and The Greatest Showman. Efron has also been open about his struggle with substance abuse and its effect on him physically. Recently, Efron has been turning these experiences to good use to bring more dramatic characters like wrestling legend Kevin Von Erich to life.

Gregg Sulkin – Mason Greyback on Wizards of Waverly Place

The star-crossed love of werewolf Mason Greyback and wizard-in-training Alex Russo was the stuff of legend. Mason had it all: the British accent, the artistic skills, the manners of an English gentleman. Today, actor Gregg Sulkin is still appearing in shows such as Runaways, and he has acquired American citizenship. But he’s still the dreamy boy that we and Alex Russo fell in love with all those years ago.